This is one what will be several short updates where I give you insight into how I am going to flesh out the broader statements of my initial 30 Day Plan post. Each one of these will deal with different issues I am working on and the specific habits/actions I am doing in response.
My 30 Day Challenge For a Stronger Mind | Daily Tai Chi
Day 2 is all about creating habits. Healthy habits. Smart habits. Anything that resounds with your goals. One habit I really want to create, or should I say re-create – because I have done it before, is Daily Tai Chi.
Tai Chi is important to me because of the balance it creates with my karate practice. I enjoy the sport and mental challenge of karate, but I need the softer meditation side too. Daily Tai Chi is purported to help with mental focus, physical wellness – especially for people who have suffered injuries or any reason at all to limit their range of motion a bit. And, in the past I have felt the physical connections coming together better on the fast/hard karate side, due to slow and steady on the tai chi side. It is an embodiment of Yin/Yang theory that is a part of various Asian cultures. And I see it played out on the training mat whenever I am consistent on my daily Tai Chi practice.
In the past when my habits were better, and I was doing Tai Chi daily, I noticed many of the benefits I seek. My attention and focus improved and I felt more energetic. This is what I will repeat with this 30 day challenge – but with the desire that I continue doing this daily practice. My body feels good, and has less pain, when I do Tai Chi. I recuperate from injuries faster etc…
In Colombia my options are limited, but you can read more about a Tai Chi class I took in Bogota, which I actually liked quite a lot. For more information about the instructor I went to, click on this link: openmindedtraveler.com/holistic-experience-in-bogota/
The rest of the time I have followed Jake Mace on his YouTube Channel where he has some Tai Chi videos which make sense to me, they aren’t too slow and whether he is doing the movements correctly, or not, I have noticed differences. Taking a live class helped me to understand the practice better and now I do a modified version of Jake Mace which blends the small speck of knowledge which I have accumulated on the theory and practice of Tai Chi. In the future I plan to take more live classes whenever possible and who knows, maybe I can eventually go study some Yang Family Tai Chi in China one day.
One of my favorite videos by Jake Mace, especially when I don’t have much time to spend, is this one:
My Tai Chi Plan for the Next 30 Days
Right now, I have made it through two days of getting up at 5:30, doing Tai Chi, doing my bible study and then starting breakfast. But, in the original challenge I set it at 5:00 am as my get-up time. For two reasons, I can spend more time on Tai Chi, plus add in some extra exercises, spend as much time as I need on my devotional and then be ready to start breakfast at 6:00 am. I can do better than this. I know I can. And I’m going to.
Every. Day. Tai Chi for 10-20 minutes in the morning. That is my plan, for the rest of my life. It’s going to be great! I’m going to feel good.
This is essential because that extra oxygen I get from the breathing exercises helps to give me back some of the energy I lose from living at high altitude. Pereira is ~ 1,411 m/4,500 ft above sea level. Breathing exercises are going to give me more oxygen in my brain, wake me up, and help me to function at a higher level than I have been. I feel the need for this. And, grounding. Whenever possible, I need to get my bare feet in contact with the earth. But I will talk about grounding out in a separate post, so that I can give it the attention it deserves.
Feel free to comment any experiences you have had with Tai Chi. Did it help? How did you find good teachers? How did you feel?
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