Tai chi friends

[oak]

Hello good people of the dao 

 

I'm in love with tai chi but lack the discipline to practice everyday.

I'm living one of  the toughest years of my life so, it's being difficult to find the focus for daily practice.

For me it is the coolest, most beautiful, most mindful meditation I've ever found.

Unfortunately can't afford tai chi classes right now and end up practicing other forms of exercise and meditation which don't require as much mental focus like hatha yoga.

Having "tai chi friends" could help me get more motivated.

 

Anyone interested feel free to contact me.

 

Thank you.

 

[Taomeow]

Hi Oak,

 

you will find the time and motivation and the money for lessons eventually, the prerequisite -- the love of the art -- is already there, the rest will come, taiji reciprocates when you love it.    

 

Like you, I started it in the most difficult year, in fact the first three years of taiji overlapped with the most difficult years of my entire life to date, and possibly of several lifetimes.  I had very little time, money, energy or motivation to dedicate to it, it all was invested elsewhere.  But it was love at first sight, and I kept it up, in small doses back then, but I kept it up. 

 

I've come a long way since then and I hope the journey never ends.  Taiji has no bottom and no top -- it's not for nothing they call it "the Supreme Ultimate Fist."  It's not the punching fist that is meant, we never punch in sparring (a skilled taiji punch is too deadly to use on a practice partner, LOL), it's the fist in which you hold a treasure that never diminishes, the more you spend, the more it returns to you.  So imagine you have a penny in your fist right now, a penny's worth of taiji.  Invest it into taiji and you'll find you have two.  Invest that and you'll have four.  Few people hold heaven and earth in that fist, but if you invest enough, you become one of them. 

 

Good luck!  

[oak]

Wow Taomeow!

 

When someone validates what you're feeling with their own experience and words it's just overwhelming...

 

Thank you so much for your encouragment my friend and for that special "penny". I will hardly ever forget it!

 

All the best,

 

oak

[Taomeow]

[Spectrum]

 

https://soundcloud.com/harperaudio/principles-of-tai-chi-by-paul-brecher-read-by-paul-brecher

[oak]

Thank you Spectrum 

[doc benway]

Hello good people of the dao 

 

I'm in love with tai chi but lack the discipline to practice everyday.

I'm living one of  the toughest years of my life so, it's being difficult to find the focus for daily practice.

For me it is the coolest, most beautiful, most mindful meditation I've ever found.

Unfortunately can't afford tai chi classes right now and end up practicing other forms of exercise and meditation which don't require as much mental focus like hatha yoga.

Having "tai chi friends" could help me get more motivated.

 

Anyone interested feel free to contact me.

 

Thank you.

 

Hi Oak,

I have a fairly long relationship with taijiquan. My training heavily emphasized martial training and application. After a relatively long time of being deeply immersed, my concurrent meditation practice led me to a place where I chose to completely disengage from the violence in my life. Even taijiquan was strongly associated with that violence due to my relationship with it. I went for a long time avoiding the taijiquan practice for that reason and after a while missed it dearly. I've been easing my way back to the practices, reclaiming them with a totally different mind and intent. As I do so, I find broader and deeper dimensions that were overlooked with a different, martially focused approach.

 

I tell you all of this because I've learned that It is a rich and flexible tradition and will always be there for you whenever and however you are ready to reconnect. I'm happy to be a taijiquan friend if you'd like. Feel free to PM me anytime if you care to discuss it further one on one. 

 

Warm regards and good fortune in your practice!

[dust]

Interesting. This comes at a time.. by no means the most difficult in my life, but a time when I am hoping to move forward but cannot see a path. I miss the 'good old days', miss where I was in years past. Just the other day, I did a little, very short reminder Tai Chi session -- my first practice since around 2004. It was relaxing, and a little difficult, and I enjoyed the movement. I started to remember once more that it was steady Tai Chi practice, weekly classes and almost daily solo practice for one year, that enhanced my fascination with China and led me onto a decade-long path of adventure... although the Taiji practice ended as abruptly as it had begun.

 

Reading your comments, I'm encouraged even more to try and pick it up again. If it is only more relaxation and enjoyable movement that I get out of it, that's enough, but perhaps I'll find more. Thanks.

 

 

oak: I don't think I can be a 'Tai Chi friend' at this point, but I hope you continue to do what you love, and that the year improves before it's out.

[oak]

Hi Oak,

I have a fairly long relationship with taijiquan. My training heavily emphasized martial training and application. After a relatively long time of being deeply immersed, my concurrent meditation practice led me to a place where I chose to completely disengage from the violence in my life. Even taijiquan was strongly associated with that violence due to my relationship with it. I went for a long time avoiding the taijiquan practice for that reason and after a while missed it dearly. I've been easing my way back to the practices, reclaiming them with a totally different mind and intent. As I do so, I find broader and deeper dimensions that were overlooked with a different, martially focused approach.

 

I tell you all of this because I've learned that It is a rich and flexible tradition and will always be there for you whenever and however you are ready to reconnect. I'm happy to be a taijiquan friend if you'd like. Feel free to PM me anytime if you care to discuss it further one on one. 

 

Warm regards and good fortune in your practice!

 

Great to have you as a tai chi friend, Steve! I will PM you soon. Thanks 

[oak]

Interesting. This comes at a time.. by no means the most difficult in my life, but a time when I am hoping to move forward but cannot see a path. I miss the 'good old days', miss where I was in years past. Just the other day, I did a little, very short reminder Tai Chi session -- my first practice since around 2004. It was relaxing, and a little difficult, and I enjoyed the movement. I started to remember once more that it was steady Tai Chi practice, weekly classes and almost daily solo practice for one year, that enhanced my fascination with China and led me onto a decade-long path of adventure... although the Taiji practice ended as abruptly as it had begun.

 

Reading your comments, I'm encouraged even more to try and pick it up again. If it is only more relaxation and enjoyable movement that I get out of it, that's enough, but perhaps I'll find more. Thanks.

 

 

oak: I don't think I can be a 'Tai Chi friend' at this point, but I hope you continue to do what you love, and that the year improves before it's out.

Hi dustybeijing 

 

I can relate very well to your present situation right now _ maybe a time to forget time and focus in the present moment (?). I guess that's my main reason of wanting to seriously practice tai chi, knowing that it will help me in staying in that "moment" where freedom and answers come from.

 

Hope too that your year improves and you find new answers and solutions in tai chi or somewhere else.

 

Take good care of yourself.

 

Oak

[Taoway]

You can also do some sitted or standing qi gong forms. Here are two that I have found to be relaxing

 

 

[Taoway]

I'm also facing a very rough year and have not had the dicipline to practice or the space. I practice the yang slow form and I share your excitement about Tai Chi im so happy that I can carry it with my through life.

 

Where are you located? I wish I could teach you

[dwai]

Hello good people of the dao 

 

I'm in love with tai chi but lack the discipline to practice everyday.

I'm living one of  the toughest years of my life so, it's being difficult to find the focus for daily practice.

For me it is the coolest, most beautiful, most mindful meditation I've ever found.

Unfortunately can't afford tai chi classes right now and end up practicing other forms of exercise and meditation which don't require as much mental focus like hatha yoga.

Having "tai chi friends" could help me get more motivated.

 

Anyone interested feel free to contact me.

 

Thank you.

 

All you need is to practice 13 forms. All you need is 2-4 square feet of space and the drive to practice. Glad to be your Taiji buddy  and we can motivate each other

[oak]

I'm also facing a very rough year and have not had the dicipline to practice or the space. I practice the yang slow form and I share your excitement about Tai Chi im so happy that I can carry it with my through life.

 

Where are you located? I wish I could teach you

Hello Taoway!

 

Thank you for the videos. I will watch them carefully as soon as I have the time 

 

I'm learning yang and chen forms. Like you sometimes I don´t have the space and need to place myself somewhere else to continue with the form. I'm also a slow learner but I have a life of practice ahead, no problem with that.

 

Thank you so much for your kind offer of teaching me but I guess I live very far away from you. Portugal.

 

The point here is to motivate ourselves to practice. Feel free to pm me if you want to telling me about your practice.

[oak]

Hello dwai!

 

Yes, we can motivate each other. Thank you my friend 

 

Please,tell me more about the form you practice when you can.

[dwai]

Hello dwai!

 

Yes, we can motivate each other. Thank you my friend

 

Please,tell me more about the form you practice when you can.

See my PPF. I have posted some videos of my practice there

[oak]

Cool channel dwai 

 

Where or with who did you learn the temple style form ?

 

Enjoyed very much watching you do your stuff!

[thelerner]

Sounds like you already know some forms.  For many people will power is strongest in the morning.  I'd recommend don't get dressed until you've done a form or two.   Look through the sources people have mentioned here and particularly google 'tai chi in the park' in your area. 

[oak]

Hi thelerner,

 

I'm dedicating much of my time in findind good sources on tai chi. So much amazing stuff... Anyway as I had to choose I've started learning the 24 yang and the chen 27.

 

Starting the day with pyjamas tai chi seems like a very good idea 

 

Not much "tai chi in the park" where I live though (Portugal).

 

What really inspires me is reading about the disciplined daily practices of people in this forum. Feeling really grateful for those.

 

Hope you're having good results with the  wim hof method. Thanks.

[dwai]

Cool channel dwai

 

Where or with who did you learn the temple style form ?

 

Enjoyed very much watching you do your stuff!

I'm currently a student of Master Jose Perez, one of the oldest/earliest students of Master Waysun Liao (he brought temple style to the US and is the Grand Master). I've been with Master Jose for a year and half now. Prior to that I studied for almost 13 years under Master George Bolger who also is a direct student of Master Liao. Edited October 24, 2016 by dwai

[oak]

I'm currently a student of Master Jose Perez, one of the oldest/earliest students of Master Waysun Liao (he brought temple style to the US and is the Grand Master). I've been with Master Jose for a year and half now. Prior to that I studied for almost 13 years under Master George Bolger who also is a direct student of Master Liao.

Great lineage, lucky you.

 

Which were the 13 forms you were talking about?

[dwai]

Great lineage, lucky you.

 

Which were the 13 forms you were talking about?

Not all are on these videos. Those I presented as an example. I'll post a list shortly Edited October 25, 2016 by dwai

[Jim D.]

Hi, I have been practicing Classical Wu Tai Chi quite a while (16 years). I don't do it every day, and have taken a respite from it for a time to cross train in other external martial arts because it was in my bucket list (now it is empty). I have found that even if I stop, I still know it, and can do it even if it is not perfect...it's like riding a bike after a long time from being away from it. You never forget it.  It feels good to forget myself while playing the forms but I do not want to make a "job" of it because that's where it ceases to be fun for me.