The master wields his sword through adversity and self-doubt never leaving the center of the universe

This quote has stuck with me throughout my career with Tai Chi. It reminds me that no matter what is going on in life, balance can be found with practice. And this ‘Balance’ is the primary study of Tai Chi.

Finding balance

In order to find balance, one needs to find where you are unbalanced. And for that, you need to understand who you are.

We all live in an illusion. When a story teller weaves a tale, three different people will tell three different versions of the story in their retelling. Which one is correct? Who is the keeper of the ‘truth’? The short answer is no one. The story is heard through the biases and prejudices of each listener. They listen through a filter that comprise the unique experiences that led to that particular moment in time.

If I have a negative bias towards the world, no matter what stimulus I am experiencing, my filter will seek out validation for its existence. Any possible angle that could be used, is used, and I sit in negativity.

If I consider myself to be a ‘relaxed’ person, yet hold my shoulders tight all day, I have transferred my troubles to a physical constant, while denying myself the truth. I call myself relaxed, yet my body works too hard.

So to find balance, we need to understand our minds and bodies. In Tai Chi we study proprioception. In this context, we expand the dictionary definition by describing it as, ‘Understanding where your mind and body is in time and space’. We slow down and listen to the constant chatter in our minds. We feel what is feels to be still for a moment. We notice how quickly our mind reaches into the future or rakes over the past. From this place of awareness we begin to do our Tai Chi. Mindfully. In harmony with ourselves and our surroundings.

Tai Chi benefits

There are thousands of websites listing the classical benefits of Tai Chi. Medical papers have been written proving it is a worthwhile pastime promoting both your mental and physical health. So I will leave you to do a google search to collect them all.

I would like to offer you the benefits I have witnessed first-hand, as both a student and teacher of Tai Chi.

• Being present. Tai Chi trains the mind like a musical instrument. It tunes it so that you can be in the present moment and act accordingly. Too often our minds are somewhere else. How often do you find yourself talking to someone who is half-listening, staring into space or into their phone? How often do we relive traumatic moments from our past? Why do we wish we had said something in a conversation already past? How often do we fear future events? Through a set of exercises we are brought back to the present moment; the only real moment we have is this one.
• A healthy escape pod for difficult moments – when life gets difficult for whatever reason, Tai Chi will give you a way to bring yourself back to your normal rational self. To be human, is to be challenged on many levels. There is no escape from the ups and downs of our lives. These variances may seem trivial, (like a bad mood when you wake up for no reason), at other times they are life changing: the loss of a loved one or a job. In these moments it is easy to find unhealthy ways to escape reality. We can take it out on others, abuse substances, act out of character and do things we wish we didn’t do, all to escape ourselves. And yet, you are the answer to balancing these extremes. If you lose yourself, you lose access to the very thing that can save you. Tai Chi gives you tools to address the current situation and engage the nervous system appropriately. At times this will be to engage all your resources for action (sympathetic nervous system), at others it will be to calm yourself (parasympathetic nervous system).
• Use energy efficiently – we tend to use up all our available resources through inefficient, cyclical behaviors. Example: We have 33 vertebrae in our spines and yet we tend to use around 18 of them in our sedentary lives. We rake over similar thoughts throughout the day, using up glucose on brain activity that does not serve us. Through Tai Chi, you will learn to move efficiently, utilizing focussed thought and physical action to complete each move. Through constant practice this seeps into real life.
• Real life application – When I started Tai Chi, I was amazed at how quickly my lessons became relevant outside of the classroom. For example, the idea that you only do ‘one move at a time’, helped me to focus and not take on too many tasks at once. Had I read this advice in a book prior to doing Tai Chi? Sure! Did it actually relate to changing my behavior? No! But Tai Chi managed to somehow create change. Real, lasting change. This is really the most exciting part of the practice. It’s so inspiring to hear a student describing how differently their week went because of a particular Tai Chi move.

How to begin

Come take a class with us to explore this fascinating practice. It is not for everyone, as it requires a voyage of self-discovery. Not everyone wants to admit to themselves who they really are. Yet Tai Chi does not discriminate. It slowly works on everyone, shedding light on their imbalances and thus forging a path towards balance.

Everyone who takes the time to learn this practice sheds multiple layers of themselves and returns to their ‘primal self’. This state can only be described as the version of you that feels vibrant, harmonious and at peace. With Tai Chi by your side, you can return to that state whenever you want.

Try a beginner Tai Chi class with Sifu Antony, HERE.