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The past
The past is gone.
We can regret our mistakes and the way that we have lived our
lives.
But we cannot change the past.
It has already happened.
The future
The future has not happened yet.
Yet, no matter what we choose to do, our future cannot be avoided.
Every day we lay the foundation for the days
ahead.
Death
At the end of our lives there is death.
Is this the end?
Is there an afterlife?
Who knows? Let's hope so...
Tai chi without Tao is no longer tai chi, but Chinese exercise.
(John Lash)
Suffering
Before we die we must endure hardship and
suffering, sickness,
loss and pain.
This is the human condition.
It cannot be avoided.
But we can address the quality of our lives.
It is beyond my control...
People have difficulty coming to terms with the fact that they are
largely responsible for their own fitness and
wellbeing.
(Or lack of good health).
It is far easier to pretend.
In fact, most people would rather talk about how to run
the country instead of how to manage their
own lives.
Who chooses?
Who decides what food to put in your mouth?
Who decides what you drink?
Who decides how much TV you watch?
Who decides how much time you spend on-line?
Who decides how much you play with your phone?
Who decides how much exercise you do?
That's right... You do.
Distraction
TV, politics, gossip,
caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, sugar... these things all serve to
hijack your mind.
Instead of paying attention to what is taking place
in your life you are talking to yourself inside
your head.
Worrying, comparing,
judging, planning,
manipulating.
It is quite a circus.
Your life
If you ignore the reality of your life -
your fitness, your emotional condition,
your relationships - who is
managing these
things? They do not manage themselves.
A lazy person continues to be lazy.
A sick person
waits for the doctor to
heal them. But this is your life.
Sedentary
Medical studies have found that inactivity
is as unhealthy as smoking. How scary is that?
Those long days at your desk, hours
spent driving your car and those long nights
watching TV or playing videogames or looking at
your phone are actually making you sick.
There is no tomorrow
What is going to happen if you choose to do
nothing? The answer is obvious: things just get worse. Alternatively, what will happen if you act?
Exercising, reading
healthy books, meditating,
contemplation... these things will all have a
fairly rapid positive effect.
But be careful; not all exercise is
healthy.
Tai chi
movements are really very simple but students insist upon making tai chi difficult by adding extra moves.
Tai chi is not complicated; people are complicated.
(John Lash)
How
It is not just a matter of exercising. How you exercise matters too.
If you exercise without professional
guidance, then habits of poor
awareness and bad
postural/alignment will persist.
The world is filled with well-meaning runners
who exhibit appalling physical tension and
deleterious poise.
Make the best of it
What if we only have one life?
What if this is it? Take a good, hard look at your life.
Determine your future
Think about how your body feels and ask yourself
whether you are nimble, agile,
graceful, strong and
dexterous. Or clumsy and
inflexible...
Is your mind clear, calm
and sharp?
Do you feel relaxed and at
ease? The fun part is... you get to decide. You
can be happy, sad, fit or lazy.
Tai chi can help
Avoid/offset the common problems associated with
modern life:
• Stress
• Memory loss
•
Headaches
•
Stiff neck
• Lack of mindfulness
• Low energy
• Reduced sex drive
• No peace of mind
• Diminished brain activity
• Poor focus/concentration
•
Sarcopenia
(muscle loss with aging)
• Reduced joint function
• Unbalanced/unsteady
• Bad circulation
• Heart problems
• Respiratory problems
• Poor
lower body strength
• Imbalanced body use
• Reduced stamina and
endurance
• Deeply-held muscular tension
• Poor awareness
• Restlessness
• Poor sleep
• Agitation
• Limited flexibility/suppleness
• Bad coordination
• Not relaxed
• Bad poise and posture
•
Slouching
•
Too much sitting
• Obesity
• Arthritis
• Reduced mobility
• Back problems
• Knee problems
• Unfit
• Poor condition
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Loss of manual dexterity in the fingers
• Lack of ambidexterity
• Sports injuries
Medical research has proven that a small
daily commitment to tai chi
practice can produce tremendous results over
time.
Page created
21 May 1997
Last updated
16 June 2023
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