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Tai Chi, Week 2
Jun. 3rd, 2004 11:35 pmToday was the second day of the second week of the Tai Chi class I'm taking. We've learned a bit more of the first form, and had the opportunity to run through what we do know several times. As I mentioned last time, the teacher doesn't try to swamp us with details, but fixes on one thing at a time and builds on each new piece of knowledge one step at a time.
One of his more repeated phrases is that it isn't how much you know that matters, but how well you know the things you do know. He's mentioned a person in China who only does the first form, but because he practices only the first form has come to be viewed as the best at it in the world.
Nice fluid (well, fluid once your body and mind actually start cooperating) movements, which just happen to have you sweating at the end of the hour. It might not be the kind of sweat that you would have if you'd done an hour on an exercise bike, but your muscles are telling you "We'd like a chance to rest, please!" Better still, it's enjoyable exercise. When I'm on an exercise bike or a treadmill, I really prefer to either have some music or something to watch, or someone to talk to (unfortunately I rarely see anyone else in the apartment exercise room). The other night in the laundry room I was able to pass the time waiting for the washing machine to finish by practicing what we had learned by that point of the first form.
Some quick checking around shows that it's not just Tai Chi instructors and new age types who feel there are health benefits to this. There have been a few studies done with conclusions ranging from improved balance in the elderly (can't remember the exact percentage, but the group that took Tai Chi lessons experience significantly fewer falls than the control group), to the conclusion that yes Tai Chi can be considered a form of light aerobic exercise. Niftiness.
One of his more repeated phrases is that it isn't how much you know that matters, but how well you know the things you do know. He's mentioned a person in China who only does the first form, but because he practices only the first form has come to be viewed as the best at it in the world.
Nice fluid (well, fluid once your body and mind actually start cooperating) movements, which just happen to have you sweating at the end of the hour. It might not be the kind of sweat that you would have if you'd done an hour on an exercise bike, but your muscles are telling you "We'd like a chance to rest, please!" Better still, it's enjoyable exercise. When I'm on an exercise bike or a treadmill, I really prefer to either have some music or something to watch, or someone to talk to (unfortunately I rarely see anyone else in the apartment exercise room). The other night in the laundry room I was able to pass the time waiting for the washing machine to finish by practicing what we had learned by that point of the first form.
Some quick checking around shows that it's not just Tai Chi instructors and new age types who feel there are health benefits to this. There have been a few studies done with conclusions ranging from improved balance in the elderly (can't remember the exact percentage, but the group that took Tai Chi lessons experience significantly fewer falls than the control group), to the conclusion that yes Tai Chi can be considered a form of light aerobic exercise. Niftiness.
