Over the past month or so we have worked hard on understanding posture, opening joints (we focused on the shoulders) and developing spinal and core strength. Will all that focus on the mid and upper body, it was time to move back down to the foundation, Grounding Energy and Separation; creating emptiness in every movement. Needless to say, my legs are tired.
Qigong Training, Principal Focus...
Grounding energy and separation, can be approached from many different training perspectives, I wanted to work to better understand weight shifting. When to shift, how to shift and why to shift. As I have mentioned before, Qigong training is a fantastic way to practice your principal training therefore, I chose some Qigong exercises that I knew would challenge the student's understanding of grounding and separation on a physical, mental and spiritual level. (Insert evil laugh here) MUHUHAHAHAHA! We started out slowly by doing simple Qigong with a focus on breathing, good posture and three solid points balanced on the ground. Then we worked on "Holding the Ball" Qigong, moving from the Dan Tien while keeping our weight balanced, 50/50. Then, with the same exercise, We added a weight shift to the side we were turning into; then we added a push to the side with the top hand to further challenge good posture and concentration. I noticed that as the movements became more complicated, students were having more trouble keeping their feet firmly grounded and their postures would suffer as a result. There were several other Qigong exercises I introduced based on the students in a specific class but these were the primary ones for this principal focus.
Exploration and understanding of weight shifting...
I observed that many students, when weight shifting, would place their mental focus into the foot that was pushing off. For the ones that pushed hard enough, this left them feeling off balance and unstable in their movements. In order to effectively develop strength in Tai Chi, momentum must be eliminated from the movements. This means that every weight shift must become a conscious, focused, decision and NOT a simple result of gravity. There were several things suggested this week that addressed the elimination of momentum.
* Smaller Steps - This allows students to reduce the load-bearing element and it becomes easier to create emptiness on one side.
* Mental Focus - I asked them to visualize filling the "soon to be" weight bearing leg with water from the "soon to be" empty leg.
* Attention towards the strength - Effective Tai Chi weight shift requires a fair amount of strength. By drawing attention to what I call the "Column of Strength" you are "allowing" the other side to become empty, only noticing when it is fully so.
* Attention towards posture - All the strength in the world cannot save you from poor postural alignment. If your body is not in good posture, you cannot be well grounded for effective, stable weight shifting.
* The slower the better - Because good principal training can get very detailed, the slower you move, the more time you have to pay attention. Yes, I know it is harder that way so no emails please. ;-) Think of the difference between sitting near a flower bed and appreciating all the smells, colors, life and sounds of that lovely place versus blowing past it in a car...Which will provide you more understanding, peace and strength? NO! it is NOT the car!
12 Principals on the Playground...
I realized another thing this week. Many Tai Chi Students are focused on learning the movements of the form thinking that is the goal of Tai Chi training. 1) Learn the form; 2) Do Tai Chi form everyday; 3) Have it all; 4) GET IT, GOT IT, GOOD! 5) Move on. NOT QUITE speedy. Generally speaking, the 5 primary styles of Tai Chi and all Qigong training are based on the same 12 principals which address posture, alignment, focus, breath, balance and so on. These principals are based on Taoist philosophical influence (flowing with, not against nature) and work to create a harmony of Spirit, Body and Mind. Keeping this in mind, the principals BECOME the point of training. THEY are the universal truths that translate to ALL parts of our lives; physical, mental and spiritual. Tai Chi forms and Qigong exercises are simply "playgrounds" for training the principals. So next time you are frustrated at not getting a movement "just right" ask yourself; Where are the principals in this movement? Find the principals and find the true nature of your Tai Chi form.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Friday, June 8, 2007
Flexibility, energy channels, Tai Chi and opening your joints...
We touched on an exercise last week that I personally find wonderful for opening the shoulders. The feedback was so good that I decided we needed to explore deeper levels of this shoulder exercise series in this week's classes. That made for a very interesting week.
Stretching effectively...
In my many years of martial training, I have been shown SO MANY way to stretch my body. Do you do it before or after a workout? Both you say? I heard a new study showed that stretching did not do any good! Do you push hard into pain to get that "deep stretch" Do you throw your body around violently? Is 15 minutes a day enough? I heard that professional hockey goalies (known for their flexibility) have a minimum of 1 hour, daily stretch routine to keep themselves limber.
Personally, I think that the amount of stretching one does depends greatly on what they are involved in on a daily basis. What does your body need? For many of my students, the needs are relatively simple; range of motion without pain. So let me focus attention there. If you want to read a bit more detail about flexibility training please, CLICK HERE
Pain, tightness and shoulders...
The tightness we feel in our shoulders typically comes from several factors. Stress, over working the area, poor posture and pain. I want to break these out and explore them individually.
Stress - The best "Western minded" description of stress I have ever heard goes like this - Stress: Suppressing that uncontrollable urge to choke the "living &%*#" out of someone who really deserves it!
In our culture, we hold a lot of things in, repressing our true feelings, attaching deep emotion to other people's actions (road rage is one example), feeling overwhelmed, you name it, "&%it happens". This tension tends to reside in the upper back, neck and shoulders. A couple of students asked me this week if massage therapy can help with this situation. The answer is Yes and No. (Roll your eyes here) Yes it can give you some immediate release and a sense of relaxed, calm but unless you change the environment / attitudes / issues that made you so tense in the first place, massage is a short term (band-aid) on a long term (chronic) problem.
Suggestion: Become aware of the things in your life that cause you to feel tense, stressed, helpless. Look for ways to minimize their affect on you. (This does not include buying a baseball bat!) After all, it is completely your choice as to how something or someone affects you. Here is link to an article I did on Clutter.
Over working the area - Some of my students have jobs that cause them to work their neck and shoulder area very hard, all day long. This most often leads to muscle fatigue, poor circulation through the affected area and restricted range of motion; typically with localized pain and tightness. For these students it is even more important to begin the process of releasing tension, opening the joints and increasing circulation through the affected neck and shoulder area.
Suggestions: Treatments of moist heat, massage and most importantly becoming aware of and trying to modify how you use your upper body during your work day are very effective for supporting the healing process.
Poor Posture - This is a biggie! All of us have bouts of poor posture; some more often than others. When I ask (especially new) students to stand up in good posture, more often than not, they use their shoulder muscles to help hold up their upper body. In Tai Chi training, we are taught to develop and use our deep spinal muscles to hold the upper body allowing the shoulders to sink down and away in a relaxed manner. (Supporting the Sky) Without these deep spinal muscles being strong enough, the shoulders will stay involved to protect the spine. This can lead to severe blockages in the upper spine and shoulder area and can cause Postural Kyphosis (Dowager's Hump).
Suggestion: Fayne and I have a signal we use to help each other remember to be in good posture. If one of us sees the other slumping the other will come up and GENTLY rub the area that needs positive, postural attention. This non-verbal tool is a very effective and loving way to become more aware of your posture. If you are slouching alone, then listen to your body, it will (at first) gently tell you that you are slouching and then it will start to complain more feverently with aches, spasms and even pinched nerves if you a really choosing to ignore its signals. Become more aware of the postures you favor in your daily routines and work to make them more balanced and stable. you will most likely not be comfortable at first but in a short time your strength will improve and your new posture will be come more comfortable than your old posture.
Shoulder, neck and upper back pain - Each of the above conditions often cause levels of tightness, discomfort and/or pain. Pain increases the tightness in the affected area; if a joint is involved that often leads to restricted range of motion and decreased circulation. When dealing with pain, your body is telling you there is some sort of imbalance in your body. Beit physical, mental or spiritual in nature, the imbalance and resulting pain are very real. In our Tai Chi training we work to identify the imbalances and work with students to resolve them, permanently if at all possible. There are no short cuts or magic pills here, just a dedication to making your body stable, strong and healthy.
Opening the shoulder exercise...
It is very hard to describe an exercise in words and have it translate into something you can use but I will try. For this exercise to work several things have to be in place.
1) A strong focus to your spinal "Supporting the Sky" posture.
2) Deep, relaxed breathing
3) Mental Concentration and visualization
4) Patience
I know, that last one probably ruled out most of you but try it anyway. ;-)
It is VERY important to warm up your upper body with some gentle Qigong exercises BEFORE attempting this training set. In addition, some students felt light headed, nauseous and a bit weak in the knees while working this exercise set. This is mainly due to the stirring and possible opening of blocked channels of energy so pace yourself and take it as slow as you need to.
Get into a soft kneed, strong stance with feet parallel and hip width apart. Place you hands by your side (at your pant seam) with palms facing forward, arms and fingers are extended but not tight, just fully extended. (Do not use force to extend your arms and fingers) Begin your deep, relaxed breathing and start focusing your attention to sinking the shoulders down and away from the spine. Make the spine fully responsible for supporting the upper body, let the shoulders sink down and away from the spine while exhaling. (One student said it felt as if she was trying to gently make her arms longer) Once you are able to feel the shoulders release, take a deep breath and, while exhaling, move your hands up about an inch. Keeping the hands by your sides, palms facing forward. Settle in, relax and begin the process of releasing the shoulders again. ONLY once you feel the release can you move up another inch while exhaling. Continue this until you feel you can no longer be relaxed or if you start to feel any pain. Discomfort in this exercise is common, especially if you are tight in the shoulder area already, but do not create pain as this will set you back instead of moving you forward. Once you have had enough, soften the elbows and move your hands into center and down the body. Take at least two or three deep, relaxed breaths before you stop altogether.
Some students felt tingling sensations in their fingertips and hands, a few felt it into the arms and some felt nothing. It depends on how tight you are to start, how well you can manage your shoulder muscle relaxation, how strong your spinal muscles are and how well you can visualize that sinking energy. At higher levels the tingling will fill the arms from finger tips to shoulders and typically speed up until the point where it fades away and is replaced by calm, warmth. This means the channels have been opened. The more you practice this exercise, the easier it will be to open the shoulders. In my training, I have noticed that some days they open easily and on others they may not open at all or very little. All of the things mentioned above can play a part in how well you can perform this shoulder opening exercise.
As always, Smiling from the Heart helps a lot.
Stretching effectively...
In my many years of martial training, I have been shown SO MANY way to stretch my body. Do you do it before or after a workout? Both you say? I heard a new study showed that stretching did not do any good! Do you push hard into pain to get that "deep stretch" Do you throw your body around violently? Is 15 minutes a day enough? I heard that professional hockey goalies (known for their flexibility) have a minimum of 1 hour, daily stretch routine to keep themselves limber.
Personally, I think that the amount of stretching one does depends greatly on what they are involved in on a daily basis. What does your body need? For many of my students, the needs are relatively simple; range of motion without pain. So let me focus attention there. If you want to read a bit more detail about flexibility training please, CLICK HERE
Pain, tightness and shoulders...
The tightness we feel in our shoulders typically comes from several factors. Stress, over working the area, poor posture and pain. I want to break these out and explore them individually.
Stress - The best "Western minded" description of stress I have ever heard goes like this - Stress: Suppressing that uncontrollable urge to choke the "living &%*#" out of someone who really deserves it!
In our culture, we hold a lot of things in, repressing our true feelings, attaching deep emotion to other people's actions (road rage is one example), feeling overwhelmed, you name it, "&%it happens". This tension tends to reside in the upper back, neck and shoulders. A couple of students asked me this week if massage therapy can help with this situation. The answer is Yes and No. (Roll your eyes here) Yes it can give you some immediate release and a sense of relaxed, calm but unless you change the environment / attitudes / issues that made you so tense in the first place, massage is a short term (band-aid) on a long term (chronic) problem.
Suggestion: Become aware of the things in your life that cause you to feel tense, stressed, helpless. Look for ways to minimize their affect on you. (This does not include buying a baseball bat!) After all, it is completely your choice as to how something or someone affects you. Here is link to an article I did on Clutter.
Over working the area - Some of my students have jobs that cause them to work their neck and shoulder area very hard, all day long. This most often leads to muscle fatigue, poor circulation through the affected area and restricted range of motion; typically with localized pain and tightness. For these students it is even more important to begin the process of releasing tension, opening the joints and increasing circulation through the affected neck and shoulder area.
Suggestions: Treatments of moist heat, massage and most importantly becoming aware of and trying to modify how you use your upper body during your work day are very effective for supporting the healing process.
Poor Posture - This is a biggie! All of us have bouts of poor posture; some more often than others. When I ask (especially new) students to stand up in good posture, more often than not, they use their shoulder muscles to help hold up their upper body. In Tai Chi training, we are taught to develop and use our deep spinal muscles to hold the upper body allowing the shoulders to sink down and away in a relaxed manner. (Supporting the Sky) Without these deep spinal muscles being strong enough, the shoulders will stay involved to protect the spine. This can lead to severe blockages in the upper spine and shoulder area and can cause Postural Kyphosis (Dowager's Hump).
Suggestion: Fayne and I have a signal we use to help each other remember to be in good posture. If one of us sees the other slumping the other will come up and GENTLY rub the area that needs positive, postural attention. This non-verbal tool is a very effective and loving way to become more aware of your posture. If you are slouching alone, then listen to your body, it will (at first) gently tell you that you are slouching and then it will start to complain more feverently with aches, spasms and even pinched nerves if you a really choosing to ignore its signals. Become more aware of the postures you favor in your daily routines and work to make them more balanced and stable. you will most likely not be comfortable at first but in a short time your strength will improve and your new posture will be come more comfortable than your old posture.
Shoulder, neck and upper back pain - Each of the above conditions often cause levels of tightness, discomfort and/or pain. Pain increases the tightness in the affected area; if a joint is involved that often leads to restricted range of motion and decreased circulation. When dealing with pain, your body is telling you there is some sort of imbalance in your body. Beit physical, mental or spiritual in nature, the imbalance and resulting pain are very real. In our Tai Chi training we work to identify the imbalances and work with students to resolve them, permanently if at all possible. There are no short cuts or magic pills here, just a dedication to making your body stable, strong and healthy.
Opening the shoulder exercise...
It is very hard to describe an exercise in words and have it translate into something you can use but I will try. For this exercise to work several things have to be in place.
1) A strong focus to your spinal "Supporting the Sky" posture.
2) Deep, relaxed breathing
3) Mental Concentration and visualization
4) Patience
I know, that last one probably ruled out most of you but try it anyway. ;-)
It is VERY important to warm up your upper body with some gentle Qigong exercises BEFORE attempting this training set. In addition, some students felt light headed, nauseous and a bit weak in the knees while working this exercise set. This is mainly due to the stirring and possible opening of blocked channels of energy so pace yourself and take it as slow as you need to.
Get into a soft kneed, strong stance with feet parallel and hip width apart. Place you hands by your side (at your pant seam) with palms facing forward, arms and fingers are extended but not tight, just fully extended. (Do not use force to extend your arms and fingers) Begin your deep, relaxed breathing and start focusing your attention to sinking the shoulders down and away from the spine. Make the spine fully responsible for supporting the upper body, let the shoulders sink down and away from the spine while exhaling. (One student said it felt as if she was trying to gently make her arms longer) Once you are able to feel the shoulders release, take a deep breath and, while exhaling, move your hands up about an inch. Keeping the hands by your sides, palms facing forward. Settle in, relax and begin the process of releasing the shoulders again. ONLY once you feel the release can you move up another inch while exhaling. Continue this until you feel you can no longer be relaxed or if you start to feel any pain. Discomfort in this exercise is common, especially if you are tight in the shoulder area already, but do not create pain as this will set you back instead of moving you forward. Once you have had enough, soften the elbows and move your hands into center and down the body. Take at least two or three deep, relaxed breaths before you stop altogether.
Some students felt tingling sensations in their fingertips and hands, a few felt it into the arms and some felt nothing. It depends on how tight you are to start, how well you can manage your shoulder muscle relaxation, how strong your spinal muscles are and how well you can visualize that sinking energy. At higher levels the tingling will fill the arms from finger tips to shoulders and typically speed up until the point where it fades away and is replaced by calm, warmth. This means the channels have been opened. The more you practice this exercise, the easier it will be to open the shoulders. In my training, I have noticed that some days they open easily and on others they may not open at all or very little. All of the things mentioned above can play a part in how well you can perform this shoulder opening exercise.
As always, Smiling from the Heart helps a lot.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
What is effective exercise? Aerobic, Anaerobic, Cardio? Tai Chi?
I have been doing some research to help me better understand what healthy exercise looks like. Like with diet plans, there is not a lack of ideas on the subject of exercise. For some 30+ years we have been told that in order to stay healthy you have to have cardio and weight training to keep your strength up and you bone density in tact. If you are not sweating and your heart is not racing, you are not exercising.
The problem is that we tend to overdo everything; taking them to the extremes.
I like to use the term "Bigger, better, faster, more" to describe the typical western consumer mentality. For example: If a 42" TV is good then an 80" projection screen is better. If an "econo-box" car is good then a luxury sedan is better... If a 1/4 lbs hamburger is good then a full pound has to be better right? Just one (1) hamburger patty, NO WAY I need three (3) patties to be happy oh, and BIGGIE SIZE that fry for me!
In this system of "consumer programming" driven by market study groups and some very sophisticated marketing science, it only stands to reason that we hear "exercise at 50 to 80 percent of your maximum capacity" (American Heart Association Standards)
and we translate that to "run till your drop!" "Push as hard as you can"; "FEEL THE BURN!" and even "PAIN IS WEAKNESS LEAVING THE BODY". If I have not heard these myself I have seen them on popular gym t-shirts.
The problem with this programming is that we are taxing our bodies beyond designed functional limits. Do you really think we were designed to dead lift 800 pounds? What about professional athletes? They are the epitome of good health right? According to some insurance companies the average life expectancy of a professional football player is between 55 and 56 years of age! READ THE ARTICLE Not that they are in poor health they just push their bodies so hard for so long that they get damages and burn out. Is that what we want? In my 29 years of martial training I came up in this "push hard" mindset and can tell you from personal experience that I have paid dearly for doing such physically demanding training. If it were not for my Tai Chi and Qigong training I would be in MUCH worse shape right now, especially if I had continued on that path.
Fight or Flight Mechanism...
Stress. the body's natural reaction to stress is to stimulate a "Fight or Flight" response. Here are some of the symptoms of that response mechanism...
* Acceleration of heart and lung action
* Inhibition of stomach and intestinal action
* Constriction of blood vessels in many parts of the body
* Liberation of nutrients for muscular action
* Dilation of blood vessels for muscles
* Inhibition of lacrimal glands (responsible for tear production) and salivation
* Dilation of pupil
Notice any similarity with this list and how you feel during and after a grueling workout? it is not a coincidence, you are stimulating this fight or flight mechanism by pushing too hard in your training routine! The idea behind health exercise is to work the body not wear it out. There have been many studies showing that weight training increases bone density. It is true, the body will respond to the demands placed on it as part of the survival mechanisms we have in place. If we live a very sedentary life then our muscles and bones will get more fragile. Move it or lose it!
So, back to the original question...What is good exercise?
If your personal fitness goal is to be generally healthy with energy and vitality then you will want to exercise 30 to 60 minutes, at about 50% of your maximum capacity at least 4 or 5 times a week. This will stimulate all the important systems for health without taxing them to the point of triggering a survival mode response. If you can swim 20 laps in a pool and end up exhausted for 2 days then swim 10 laps everyday you can and feel good about it. Tai Chi and Qigong training are both very good at working the cardio, muscular, nervous and respiratory systems while creating a demand on the skeletal structure as well through its slow, demanding movements. The most important points to a good exercise program are;
* You enjoy it enough to do it frequently (at least 4 or 5 times a week)
* You work to 50% of your maximum capacity
* Incorporate deep breathing to exercise your lung capacity
* Listen to your body, if you are feeling weak or stressed after a workout then you are doing too much for your current fitness level
By all means, whatever you chose to use as a way to stay healthy, please enjoy it! Life it too short, Smile from the Heart!
The problem is that we tend to overdo everything; taking them to the extremes.
I like to use the term "Bigger, better, faster, more" to describe the typical western consumer mentality. For example: If a 42" TV is good then an 80" projection screen is better. If an "econo-box" car is good then a luxury sedan is better... If a 1/4 lbs hamburger is good then a full pound has to be better right? Just one (1) hamburger patty, NO WAY I need three (3) patties to be happy oh, and BIGGIE SIZE that fry for me!
In this system of "consumer programming" driven by market study groups and some very sophisticated marketing science, it only stands to reason that we hear "exercise at 50 to 80 percent of your maximum capacity" (American Heart Association Standards)
and we translate that to "run till your drop!" "Push as hard as you can"; "FEEL THE BURN!" and even "PAIN IS WEAKNESS LEAVING THE BODY". If I have not heard these myself I have seen them on popular gym t-shirts.
The problem with this programming is that we are taxing our bodies beyond designed functional limits. Do you really think we were designed to dead lift 800 pounds? What about professional athletes? They are the epitome of good health right? According to some insurance companies the average life expectancy of a professional football player is between 55 and 56 years of age! READ THE ARTICLE Not that they are in poor health they just push their bodies so hard for so long that they get damages and burn out. Is that what we want? In my 29 years of martial training I came up in this "push hard" mindset and can tell you from personal experience that I have paid dearly for doing such physically demanding training. If it were not for my Tai Chi and Qigong training I would be in MUCH worse shape right now, especially if I had continued on that path.
Fight or Flight Mechanism...
Stress. the body's natural reaction to stress is to stimulate a "Fight or Flight" response. Here are some of the symptoms of that response mechanism...
* Acceleration of heart and lung action
* Inhibition of stomach and intestinal action
* Constriction of blood vessels in many parts of the body
* Liberation of nutrients for muscular action
* Dilation of blood vessels for muscles
* Inhibition of lacrimal glands (responsible for tear production) and salivation
* Dilation of pupil
Notice any similarity with this list and how you feel during and after a grueling workout? it is not a coincidence, you are stimulating this fight or flight mechanism by pushing too hard in your training routine! The idea behind health exercise is to work the body not wear it out. There have been many studies showing that weight training increases bone density. It is true, the body will respond to the demands placed on it as part of the survival mechanisms we have in place. If we live a very sedentary life then our muscles and bones will get more fragile. Move it or lose it!
So, back to the original question...What is good exercise?
If your personal fitness goal is to be generally healthy with energy and vitality then you will want to exercise 30 to 60 minutes, at about 50% of your maximum capacity at least 4 or 5 times a week. This will stimulate all the important systems for health without taxing them to the point of triggering a survival mode response. If you can swim 20 laps in a pool and end up exhausted for 2 days then swim 10 laps everyday you can and feel good about it. Tai Chi and Qigong training are both very good at working the cardio, muscular, nervous and respiratory systems while creating a demand on the skeletal structure as well through its slow, demanding movements. The most important points to a good exercise program are;
* You enjoy it enough to do it frequently (at least 4 or 5 times a week)
* You work to 50% of your maximum capacity
* Incorporate deep breathing to exercise your lung capacity
* Listen to your body, if you are feeling weak or stressed after a workout then you are doing too much for your current fitness level
By all means, whatever you chose to use as a way to stay healthy, please enjoy it! Life it too short, Smile from the Heart!
Friday, May 25, 2007
Communication Channels in Tai Chi Training...
There are many ways we communicate in Tai Chi. Body to Mind, Mind to Body, Mind to Heart, Heart to Mind, Heart to Body and Body to Heart. The goal for each of these paths is to make them as open and clear as possible giving your Body Mind and Heart the most effective training you can. Lets look at these in a little more detail.
Mind to Body - Body to Mind...
I love to use the example of standing on one leg for this one. Especially in new Tai Chi students, the exercise of standing on one leg (Like Cloud Step) can be quite challenging. Typically, they feel very unstable, shaky and weak. It can be very frustrating for them. I believe that when your trying to stand on one leg (in good posture) and are shaky, you have gone past your current level of strength. The shakiness comes from creating an environment of confusion in the muscles responsible for the movement. If you clarify the request by bringing your leg down to a level where you feel stable and the shakiness goes away you are effectively opening clear lines of communications with the muscles necessary for the movement. Once they get stronger, you will be able to lift your leg higher. If you push to the point of instability, you muscles will continue to be confused, fighting for control of the movement and not developing their strength in any effective manner.
Mind to Heart - Heart to Mind...
As I mentioned above, Tai Chi training can be very frustrating at every level. In my mind this is what makes Tai Chi such a complete form of training. You are not just pushing your body you are also challenging your concentration, your patience and your ability to grow from your mistakes. This makes the opening of the Heart - Mind Communication Channel all the more important to your continued training. If you allow your "less than perfect" Tai Chi movements to frustrate you, it is very likely that you will progress at a slower pace and are more likely to quit training altogether. Give yourself the opportunity to smile at your weaknesses and embrace the challenge of turning them into strengths. I always tell students that their Tai Chi does not have to look like mine; it just has to be the best they can do at that moment in time. If they accept that possibility then their practice time is much more enjoyable and they are able more readily recognize and embrace their own progress.
Heart to Body - Body to Heart...
As we learn something new, especially in physical training, we tend to hold our breath, tense up and lose whatever coordination we thought we had. This can be even more prevalent in Tai Chi, which moves as such a slow pace compared to how we are used to moving. If we fail to recognize these tendencies in ourselves we can become tired, frustrated and unmotivated to continue training. In our classes we talk about "Smiling from the Heart". This is not a "cutsie" way to help people enjoy the class. We are seriously trying to help people understand the POWER of letting a smile infiltrate their training environment. I have seen this allow people to continue a challenging physical drill when they thought they could not, release a chronically tense muscle set and open a tense, shallow breath to be full and free. Smile, you may like it!
Tai Chi is like learning a new language...
Fayne and I have often tried to find an analogy to describe to prospective students what it is like to learn Tai Chi. This week, while exploring communication, I think we found one we can really relate to. Imagine how a newborn baby learns language skills. Through constant exposure, being around its parents the child will slowly pick up words (awkwardly at first) like "baba" for bottle, "dada" for Daddy and so on... Then after enough exposure, the child will begin to clarify its speech and begin to put thought together like "I want Juice" or that every popular one word question - "cookie?" followed by that sweet, crippling smile. "OK baby, here is your cookie." YUMMIE! The child grows further and the language skills become more developed, into school age, then High School, Collage, Adulthood and so on. We never stop learning new words and phrases. As we grow in experiences, maybe moving from place to place we continue top develop our language skills.
Imagine with me your Tai Chi is like that newborn baby and Tai Chi is the language it wants to learn. So many students come to class expecting to speak three languages after their first few weeks of training. There are no short cuts to quality training. Especially when it comes to Tai Chi. Step by step your understanding will grow and you will find more depth in your training. Personally this is what keeps my interest in Tai Chi and I struggle to understand how this fact can be equally discouraging to prospective students. How can a mundane exercise class be more rewarding than a lifetime path of learning about yourself. So, when I am asked "how long will this take?" I smile at the puzzled looks I get when I reply - A lifetime.
Mind to Body - Body to Mind...
I love to use the example of standing on one leg for this one. Especially in new Tai Chi students, the exercise of standing on one leg (Like Cloud Step) can be quite challenging. Typically, they feel very unstable, shaky and weak. It can be very frustrating for them. I believe that when your trying to stand on one leg (in good posture) and are shaky, you have gone past your current level of strength. The shakiness comes from creating an environment of confusion in the muscles responsible for the movement. If you clarify the request by bringing your leg down to a level where you feel stable and the shakiness goes away you are effectively opening clear lines of communications with the muscles necessary for the movement. Once they get stronger, you will be able to lift your leg higher. If you push to the point of instability, you muscles will continue to be confused, fighting for control of the movement and not developing their strength in any effective manner.
Mind to Heart - Heart to Mind...
As I mentioned above, Tai Chi training can be very frustrating at every level. In my mind this is what makes Tai Chi such a complete form of training. You are not just pushing your body you are also challenging your concentration, your patience and your ability to grow from your mistakes. This makes the opening of the Heart - Mind Communication Channel all the more important to your continued training. If you allow your "less than perfect" Tai Chi movements to frustrate you, it is very likely that you will progress at a slower pace and are more likely to quit training altogether. Give yourself the opportunity to smile at your weaknesses and embrace the challenge of turning them into strengths. I always tell students that their Tai Chi does not have to look like mine; it just has to be the best they can do at that moment in time. If they accept that possibility then their practice time is much more enjoyable and they are able more readily recognize and embrace their own progress.
Heart to Body - Body to Heart...
As we learn something new, especially in physical training, we tend to hold our breath, tense up and lose whatever coordination we thought we had. This can be even more prevalent in Tai Chi, which moves as such a slow pace compared to how we are used to moving. If we fail to recognize these tendencies in ourselves we can become tired, frustrated and unmotivated to continue training. In our classes we talk about "Smiling from the Heart". This is not a "cutsie" way to help people enjoy the class. We are seriously trying to help people understand the POWER of letting a smile infiltrate their training environment. I have seen this allow people to continue a challenging physical drill when they thought they could not, release a chronically tense muscle set and open a tense, shallow breath to be full and free. Smile, you may like it!
Tai Chi is like learning a new language...
Fayne and I have often tried to find an analogy to describe to prospective students what it is like to learn Tai Chi. This week, while exploring communication, I think we found one we can really relate to. Imagine how a newborn baby learns language skills. Through constant exposure, being around its parents the child will slowly pick up words (awkwardly at first) like "baba" for bottle, "dada" for Daddy and so on... Then after enough exposure, the child will begin to clarify its speech and begin to put thought together like "I want Juice" or that every popular one word question - "cookie?" followed by that sweet, crippling smile. "OK baby, here is your cookie." YUMMIE! The child grows further and the language skills become more developed, into school age, then High School, Collage, Adulthood and so on. We never stop learning new words and phrases. As we grow in experiences, maybe moving from place to place we continue top develop our language skills.
Imagine with me your Tai Chi is like that newborn baby and Tai Chi is the language it wants to learn. So many students come to class expecting to speak three languages after their first few weeks of training. There are no short cuts to quality training. Especially when it comes to Tai Chi. Step by step your understanding will grow and you will find more depth in your training. Personally this is what keeps my interest in Tai Chi and I struggle to understand how this fact can be equally discouraging to prospective students. How can a mundane exercise class be more rewarding than a lifetime path of learning about yourself. So, when I am asked "how long will this take?" I smile at the puzzled looks I get when I reply - A lifetime.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Tai Chi to the Core!
For many years we were told that the key to core strength was a series of exercises that target the external or wall muscles while completely ignoring the deepest (closest to the spine) of the core muscles. This external, aesthetic approach to muscle development often caused an imbalance in the core muscles sets with resulting core instability; some muscles becoming well defined while others are almost completely ignored by this type of training. I have seen this myself when working with some large, strong people such as football players. They have such strong, well developed upper bodies that the core does not fully engage under load. When I put them in a posture and load that fully engages the core, they are very often very surprised at their core weakness and are driven to move back towards their known strength.
Proper Alignment is Key to Proper Core Development...
I have trained in many different modalities over the years. Different types of crunches, back strengthening, Inverted sit ups, with and without weights, back machines, leg lifts, you name it, I tortured myself with it. In all honesty, it was not until I met Dr. Chen, my Tai Chi Master, that I began to learn what true core strength was all about. He showed me how weak my core was and what I needed to do to improve it. Over time, with consistent yet gentle, effort I was beginning to feel a difference in my overall strength, speed, endurance and stamina. Even though I gave up running, rope work and my other intense cardio pursuits, I feel stronger now than I ever have. One of the main things I have learned is that without proper postural alignment, you will not be able to reach the core muscles and therefore miss the opportunity to strengthen them effectively. This true of any exercise you choose to pursue and is always a significant point of focus in good Tai Chi Training.
Tai Chi's slow and gentle approach to training...
In Tai Chi, we are not trying to build an Adonis type body; we want to make the body we have as efficient and healthy as possible. The combination of deep breathing, slow, gentle, relaxed movements while in a strongly emphasized posture are how we gain our healthy rewards. When you move into a balance stance and become shaky, most people will push past this shaky state, trying hard to stay up, fighting their bodies the entire way. The muscles being confused as to their specific role in the movement cause the shakiness. If you focus your mental energy and move slowly you can more effectively communicate to the muscles, serving to strengthen and stabilize a balanced stance.
Strength Training after the age of 55...
There have been many studies published discussing the increased risk of spinal injury and damage in people after the age of 55.
Spinal Stenosis describes the narrowing of the spinal canal which can compress the spinal cord and nerves. Another common challenge as we age is Degenerative Disease Disc which is a slow, dehydration, hardening, weakening of the spinal discs.
There are several important suggestions on how aging adults can protect their spine as they age which includes limiting or eliminating certain types of back strengthening exercises. No more back lifts and twisting, especially with weights. No more lurching the body around to get that nice little "crackle" from our own version of a Chiropractic adjustment. The things we did when we were younger can cause significant damage in the presence of the spinal challenges I mentioned above. This in no way means that we should stop exercising, it simply means we have to be selective as to what is good exercise for our bodies. As an example, I found one of my students throwing his leg back and forth violently (across the body) while supporting himself on the wall before class one day. Maybe at age 20 this type of cross-angle, forced stretch would have been ok but at this gentleman's age, it can cause severe stress to an already weakened spinal base. As a matter of fact, I had just the week before massaged his lower back because of the significant pain he was experiencing.
Tai Chi is like flowing water...So is our body...
It has been said that watching a Tai Chi Master is like watching a river flow gracefully down stream; smooth, continuous and yet patient, still, quite. Lean muscle tissue contains about 75% water. Blood contains 83% water, body fat contains 25% water and bone has 22% water. Literally every function in the human body requires water to operate properly. So why is it so hard to get people to drink water! While I have only circumstantial evidence and hypothetical reasoning at my disposal, I strongly believe that the degenerative nature of the diseases of the aging are directly related to the fact that about 80% of the population leads their life dehydrated. 80%! Just look at the symptom list on the link for dehydration to see what I mean. Consider doing this experiment - Take a fresh strawberry and cut a 1/4" slice out of it, place it on a paper towel and leave it on the counter overnight. That fresh, juicy strawberry will be shriveled, tough and dried out. In essence, dehydrated. The same thing that happens to our spinal discs, ligaments, cartilage and eventually muscles as we age. I have mentioned before that the body is a survivor. When it is given no choice, it will prioritize and shut down any system it needs to to help the core human survive. Consider what happens to a victim of shock whereby the body begins a systematic shutdown to protect the internal organs in the event of a trauma. If we spend our time dehydrated, eventually we leave the body no choice but to draw the necessary fluids from its own tissues. This is true with bone loss as well. When there is not enough calcium available for the processes, the bones will begin to suffer the degradation which can lead to osteoperosis.
So as we work to develop our core strength, keep a strong posture, keep your nutrition levels up and by all means drink plenty of water!
Please also reference my entry on Core Strength for more information.
Proper Alignment is Key to Proper Core Development...
I have trained in many different modalities over the years. Different types of crunches, back strengthening, Inverted sit ups, with and without weights, back machines, leg lifts, you name it, I tortured myself with it. In all honesty, it was not until I met Dr. Chen, my Tai Chi Master, that I began to learn what true core strength was all about. He showed me how weak my core was and what I needed to do to improve it. Over time, with consistent yet gentle, effort I was beginning to feel a difference in my overall strength, speed, endurance and stamina. Even though I gave up running, rope work and my other intense cardio pursuits, I feel stronger now than I ever have. One of the main things I have learned is that without proper postural alignment, you will not be able to reach the core muscles and therefore miss the opportunity to strengthen them effectively. This true of any exercise you choose to pursue and is always a significant point of focus in good Tai Chi Training.
Tai Chi's slow and gentle approach to training...
In Tai Chi, we are not trying to build an Adonis type body; we want to make the body we have as efficient and healthy as possible. The combination of deep breathing, slow, gentle, relaxed movements while in a strongly emphasized posture are how we gain our healthy rewards. When you move into a balance stance and become shaky, most people will push past this shaky state, trying hard to stay up, fighting their bodies the entire way. The muscles being confused as to their specific role in the movement cause the shakiness. If you focus your mental energy and move slowly you can more effectively communicate to the muscles, serving to strengthen and stabilize a balanced stance.
Strength Training after the age of 55...
There have been many studies published discussing the increased risk of spinal injury and damage in people after the age of 55.
Spinal Stenosis describes the narrowing of the spinal canal which can compress the spinal cord and nerves. Another common challenge as we age is Degenerative Disease Disc which is a slow, dehydration, hardening, weakening of the spinal discs.
There are several important suggestions on how aging adults can protect their spine as they age which includes limiting or eliminating certain types of back strengthening exercises. No more back lifts and twisting, especially with weights. No more lurching the body around to get that nice little "crackle" from our own version of a Chiropractic adjustment. The things we did when we were younger can cause significant damage in the presence of the spinal challenges I mentioned above. This in no way means that we should stop exercising, it simply means we have to be selective as to what is good exercise for our bodies. As an example, I found one of my students throwing his leg back and forth violently (across the body) while supporting himself on the wall before class one day. Maybe at age 20 this type of cross-angle, forced stretch would have been ok but at this gentleman's age, it can cause severe stress to an already weakened spinal base. As a matter of fact, I had just the week before massaged his lower back because of the significant pain he was experiencing.
Tai Chi is like flowing water...So is our body...
It has been said that watching a Tai Chi Master is like watching a river flow gracefully down stream; smooth, continuous and yet patient, still, quite. Lean muscle tissue contains about 75% water. Blood contains 83% water, body fat contains 25% water and bone has 22% water. Literally every function in the human body requires water to operate properly. So why is it so hard to get people to drink water! While I have only circumstantial evidence and hypothetical reasoning at my disposal, I strongly believe that the degenerative nature of the diseases of the aging are directly related to the fact that about 80% of the population leads their life dehydrated. 80%! Just look at the symptom list on the link for dehydration to see what I mean. Consider doing this experiment - Take a fresh strawberry and cut a 1/4" slice out of it, place it on a paper towel and leave it on the counter overnight. That fresh, juicy strawberry will be shriveled, tough and dried out. In essence, dehydrated. The same thing that happens to our spinal discs, ligaments, cartilage and eventually muscles as we age. I have mentioned before that the body is a survivor. When it is given no choice, it will prioritize and shut down any system it needs to to help the core human survive. Consider what happens to a victim of shock whereby the body begins a systematic shutdown to protect the internal organs in the event of a trauma. If we spend our time dehydrated, eventually we leave the body no choice but to draw the necessary fluids from its own tissues. This is true with bone loss as well. When there is not enough calcium available for the processes, the bones will begin to suffer the degradation which can lead to osteoperosis.
So as we work to develop our core strength, keep a strong posture, keep your nutrition levels up and by all means drink plenty of water!
Please also reference my entry on Core Strength for more information.
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