Hello all,
I have been reading the forums for a while, and finally signed up to participate in some of the conversations . My background is primarily in Western philosophy although I am starting to chew through the mound of books I have been buying on taoism and tai chi. My whole life I have been searching for some sort of meaning to our existence (which led me to study philosophy), and I finally feel I have found the path for me in Taoism.
At present I am a regular practicioner of Taoist Tai Chi. I have practiced various "hard" martial arts for about 10 years, but always sensed that there were was something lacking. I eventually stumbled upon Aikido, but in retrospect I wasn't mentally or spiritually mature enough. After several years of not practicing, I wanted something more spiritual. I no longer had any interest in the ability to "hurt" people. That is what eventually brought me to tai chi, which has in turn opened up a whole new world of ideas to me.
That is my story in a nutshell, and I look forward to chatting with you fine people