Sunday, December 5, 2010

Because You Asked Thai Chi

   Hi Everyone, I have had a couple of questions in regards to Thai Chi lately so I thought I would start by telling you first of all how I became interested in it. I was about 22 and I was in a park on a bright sunny morning in Saskatoon.  I saw a group of elderly  Asians. They moved through their steps and I was mezmorized  at the beauty, the slowness, the peaceful feeling from watching them. They were amazing, so centered, so in touch with nature. It was one of those moments, like the first time you see a ballerina dance,
or you watch syncronized swimming, or you watch two beautiful butterflies fluttering before you. 22 years later I remembered the flexibility of these individuals. I  had been ill for five years, my muscles were deteriorating because until they got the medications right, well I  was pretty much sleeping most of the day. Thai
Chi got me going again. I am not graceful, but I do the best I can, within no time at all my flexibility came back, I was centered in  my mind, started to realize I could only control so much. I was grounded. Also I was very surprised at how sore my muscles were at the beginning. Also every morning and evening, living in a different city I see a group of Asians that go by walking morning and night. They will live long lives and I am sure Thai Chi is one of the many reasons.....Below I have a video, you will see that every motion and movement is beautiful. I would recommend it to anyone....I hope you find it interesting.  Enjoy.
Here is some information that I have taken from Wikipedia, finding info about Thai Chi, I do the am and pm Thai Chi for beginners....the one I do has the focus on the 13 steps of Brokay(not sure of the spelling)
Tai Chi, as it is practiced in the west today, can perhaps best be thought of as a moving form of yoga and meditation combined. There are a number of so- called forms (sometimes also called 'sets') which consist of a sequence of movements. Many of these movements are originally derived from the martial arts (and perhaps even more ancestrally than that, from the natural movements of animals and birds) although the way they are performed in Tai Chi is slowly, softly and gracefully with smooth and even transitions between them.

 In Chinese philosophy and medicine there exists the concept of 'chi', a vital force that animates the body. One of the avowed aims of Tai Chi is to foster the circulation of this 'chi' within the body, the belief being that by doing so the health and vitality of the person are enhanced. This 'chi' circulates in patterns that are close related to the nervous and vascular system and thus the notion is closely connected with that of the practice of acupuncture and other oriental healing arts.
Another aim of Tai Chi is to foster a calm and tranquil mind, focused on the precise execution of these exercises. Learning to do them correctly provides a practical avenue for learning about such things as balance, alignment, fine-scale motor control, rhythm of movement, the genesis of movement from the body's vital center, and so on. Thus the practice of Tai Chi can in some measure contribute to being able to better stand, walk, move, run, etc. in other spheres of life as well. Many practitioners notice benefits in terms of correcting poor postural, alignment or movement patterns which can contribute to tension or injury. Furthermore the meditative nature of the exercises is calming and relaxing in and of itself.Thai Chi also has, particularly amongst eastern practitioners, a long connection with the I Ching a Chinese system of divination. There are associations between the 8 basic I Ching trigrams plus the five elements of Chinese alchemy (metal, wood, fire, water and earth) with the thirteen basic postures of Tai Chi created by Chang San-feng.

11 comments:

  1. Thanks for all the info!! The movements are beautiful and boy that would give you a great workout!!
    Hugs
    SueAnn

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  2. Wonderful!
    I once used Tai Chi on little kids in wheelchairs....
    for range of motion..... set to music!
    It was great for all of us!
    Good job, Cinner.... you are smoldering here....
    i sense you are just about to "take off"!!!

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  3. smiling Cinner, yes, Tai Chi is beautiful in deed :-) happy day, hugs!

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  4. Great video and I didn't realize just how awful my balance was until I tried this......Hugs

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  5. Bernie, remember he is a master at it, you should see me, I have the grace of hmmmm....okay a one legged ostrich...no it needs to be something round, but you get the idea. if we did it together I am sure we would be good for a few laughs until we get the hang of it.... The beginner ones are just so much easier and slower. you think your not getting a workout. but you are. have a great weekend. Hugs.

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  6. Thanks for the info! I am def. going to check into this!

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  7. Tai Chi has always fascinated me. The movements are so precise and graceful.

    I'm glad you've found something you enjoy and that works for you. That's great! :)

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  8. Okay, now I want to try it!! I wonder if they offer classes anywhere ...

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  9. Thanks everyone, I know we could all benefit from it, as Anne pointed out. There are classes usually all over. I like the philosophy behind it, The day I get graceful at it I think is a long way off. Right now I am doing it inside. Can not wait to do this out on my deck in the Spring. take care all.
    thank you so for all your comments. I really do appreciate them. hugs to all.

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  10. hi sis, just wanted to tell you how beautiful i think your blog pages are. I love this winter scene!!

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  11. Your blog background is great....I have always wondered about tai chi and if each movement meant something. It is graceful..and interesting.

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