Tai Chi: Charting Your Progress in Tai Chi for Motivation

Very often, people stop doing those things which are best for them, such as exercising, eating healthy, meditating, etc., because they do not immediately feel the effects. Other times, they do feel the initial effects, and then stop because they feel that the problem is fixed, at least temporarily; sometimes, this occurs during the practice of Tai Chi.

Using a Chart to Encourage the Practice of Tai Chi

Tai Chi is a long term exercise, and most of its benefits are only noticed after prolonged practice. While waiting for this progress to become evident, it is easy to lose interest. As a result of this, it is highly recommend that you chart your progress in some way, possibly on a calendar, or in a diary or journal. Write down how many minutes a day you practice Tai Chi, as well as anything else that you might have done that was healthy for you.

These things may include making a healthy food choice, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or maybe even deciding not to have that second helping at dinner. This will help you to feel good, reinforcing your level of commitment. It will also help you to see that you are indeed making progress, and this idea will help you to stay motivated to continue practicing Tai Chi.

Progress in Tai Chi Can be Easily Seen with a Graph

After about two months or so, make a graph; a bar graph is usually most helpful for this. Most likely you will see a wavy line. This is normal. In fact, it is quite healthy. Everyone is influenced by multiple factors, even those who try to resist these influences.The biological energies of the body are constantly at work, the cosmic energies of the world flux and have an effect, and busy schedules take time away from Tai Chi. A straight line, or a line that steadily increases without fluctuation, is not to be expected.

Graph your progress over many months and watch it grow. Compare your graph with significant events in your life, whether they are positive or not. People respond to events differently, so one person might find that they practice more during a traumatic event, such as a death in the family, while another person might find their practice time reduces significantly. Over time, the practice time should steadily increase, and this will be seen in your graph. This can be the motivation necessary to continue with Tai Chi.

Try to be consistent when it comes to practicing Tai Chi, but do not fret if you can’t find more than a few minutes every day. Tai Chi is the type of program that allows for the flexibility when necessary. With commitment and determination, you will see a steady increase in your progress.

Tai Chi: The Benefits and Exercises of Tai Chi

Tai Chi has been described as many things. Some call it the ultimate martial art, claiming it is a powerful fighting form. Others say it is an exercise purely for health. Some refer to it as ‘meditation in motion,’ while others claim it is the physical manifestation of the Tao.

Some people insist that it is only a series of breathing exercises, meant to clear the mind. There are those who claim that Tai Chi is the ultimate route to spiritual enlightenment, and yet others say that it is only a mild way of keeping fit.

The Art of Tai Chi and Its Effects

Tai Chi is widely regarded as an amazing art that affects practitioners on many levels. It certainly is a physical exercise, designed to tone and strengthen the body while simultaneously increasing flexibility. It permits the body’s life force or ‘chi’ to flow freely throughout the body, thereby making it a wonderful method of maintaining health and vitality.

On a more spiritual level, it promotes the calmness of the mind and the balance of emotion. If you allow it to, Tai Chi can even become a spiritual guide, regardless of your religious belief system. It teaches you to use your own internal energies to affect both yourself and the world around you.

Despite all of these benefits, there is something even more powerful about it – anyone can do it. You do not have to have any previous experience in any type of physical activity. You do not even have to be physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually healthy. All you need is a desire to be truly healthy, and a firm belief that Tai Chi can work. Not only must you believe that it can work, but you must believe that it can work for you.

How to Learn Tai Chi

Tai Chi cannot really be learned from a book or video. Books and videos are wonderful resources, but they are not teachers. To effectively learn Tai Chi, you do need the right teacher.

How do you go about finding the right teacher? This question is not one that is readily answered. There are many decent teachers available in most cities, though make sure you check out their credentials. There are inevitably those who claim to be teachers when they’re obviously not. One class does not turn someone into a teacher.

Ask a potential instructor if you can sit in on a few classes before committing. Most decent teachers will allow this. Speak to some of the other students, ask their opinion of the training they have received. Also, it is better if you find an instructor who specializes in Tai Chi.

What Might You Learn Through Tai Chi?

Each instructor teaches Tai Chi with just a little variation. This is inevitable. Some teachers are more inclined to teach the meditative aspects of Tai Chi, others will focus on its strengths as a fighting art. However, at the beginning, there are some basics that you can probably expect. These might include:

• Warm-up exercises
• Breathing techniques
• Chi Kung
• Tai Chi stances
• Meditation
• Extension
• Tai Chi sort form
• Pushing hands exercises

Through studying Tai Chi with a qualified instructor and charting your progress, you should be able to thoroughly understand at least the basics of what Tai Chi is and how to perform both the short form and various other techniques. If these techniques are practiced regularly and with dedication, they will guide practitioners to a deepened awareness of self, while encouraging the development of personal creativity.

Tai Chi: Some Warm-Up Tai Chi Exercises

Just like any physical activity, Tai Chi could, conceivably, cause muscle strain. Warming up before the practice of Tai Chi is recommended. Keep your back straight, and to stay relaxed and open. Do not strain or stress as you do these exercises. Do them slowly, as this will encourage precision and accuracy.

If an exercise causes pain, either stop entirely or stretch your body a little less; perhaps even reduce the number of rotations. Tai Chi shouldn’t hurt. Do not lock any of your joints while performing these exercises. Locking a joint can cause undue stress and strain, which is to be avoided at all costs.

Every Tai Chi instructor will have different exercises for warm-ups, and these should be followed. Presented here are some simple ideas that might be incorporated.

Tai Chi Warm-Up – Knee Rotations

Stand with your feet together and facing forwards. Bend over at the waist and put your hands on you knees. Bend your knees and rotate them clockwise, keeping them together. Allow your body to move naturally with the rotations. Do this for twenty rotations, then stop and go counter-clockwise, again for twenty rotations.

If you knees hurt, either stop the exercise or bend a little less. This exercise will strengthen the ligaments, tendons, and cartilage of the knee. This movement will also enhance your ability to maintain balance and stability.

Tai Chi Warm-Up – Head Rotations

Stand comfortably with your feet apart, and arms at your sides. Raise your chin to stretch your neck. Make a circle, moving your head up, then to the side, down, and finally to the other side, rotating it first clockwise for twenty rotations, then counter-clockwise for twenty more rotations.

Let the stretch relieve the tension in your neck. Stress can cause the body to tire and age unnaturally. Let the mental tension leave your body also, and let the negative thoughts go through and replace then with positive thoughts.

Tai Chi Warm-Up – Heel Stretch

Rest all of your weight on your back leg, keeping your balance with your opposite heel. Bend forwards from the waist and rotate your torso in large circles, clockwise first for twenty rotations, then counter-clockwise for another twenty rotations.

Move slowly and feel your back, stomach and sides stretch. A strong and healthy back is the key to good health. Just about every movement you make involves the back in some fashion. Switch to the other leg and repeat. Unlike most other exercises, this one has a total of eighty repetitions. This is good as it will help to strengthen your back.

Tai Chi Warm-Up – Foot Rotations

Raise one foot, keeping the opposite leg strong and steady. Rotate your leg using the knee as a pivot point, keeping the leg hanging downwards towards the bottom of your foot pointing towards the floor. Do clockwise rotations for the count of twenty, then do twenty counter-clockwise rotations. Keep the knee as stationary as possible. The larger the circle you can make with your foot, the better.

Now switch legs and repeat the warm-up exercise. This is another exercise with eighty repetitions.

Tai Chi Warm-Up – Arm Swings

Stand comfortably with your feet shoulder-width or more apart. Let your arms swing forward and back, feel parallel and pointing forwards. Let your arms swing forward and back, keeping them shoulder-width apart with your palms facing inwards.

Relax your arms and shoulders. Keep the lower back pushed out and the buttocks tucked in. Feel your neck and shoulders relax more with each swing. Feel the energy flow into your hands. Do this for twenty repetitions.

These exercises are only a suggestion of what movements might help the body to prepare for the practice of Tai Chi. There are many others that could be used. If you enjoy using a great many exercises, consider keep a chart of your progress that includes the exercises you used on a particular day.