Why it’s worth it!

Why it’s worth it!

When I talk with people, sometimes they wonder why I would get up before 10a.m. on Saturday to do anything I didn’t have to do! I say, what if you did it for something you wanted to do; something you enjoyed; something that actively created the peace of mind for setting the rest of your day in balance. Well then they say, sign me up!

So I ask myself why are there not hundreds of people flocking to learn this amazing practice? This is something I have been reflecting on while creating the new promotional campaign. I notice the hardest thing for most of us to do is not to have the intention to do something; it is to make the commitment and stick to it.  Whether it’s a new diet or having more tolerance for a certain family member, or seeing the events in our lives in a positive way, let’s face it –sometimes life seems to get in the way of our plans for improvement. But I ask, is it life or are we still in a process of learning how to live?

What the practice of Tai Chi has taught me over the years is not to give up on my plans for self-improvement. Tai Chi has taught me that if I do something with a little effort each day  I will attain more balance; overtime I look back and can truly say I am not the same person I was when I started the journey.

I am always grateful to meet other martial artists from different disciplines. I admire in them the elements of what they learn: hardy stability from the earth and enthusiastic focused flames of fire; I see myself as water. The strength and power of water can be easily underestimated. Its perseverance over time can move mountains and even a light shower eventually extinguishes a flame. To see an example of the power of water we only need to venture to one of our natural treasures, the Grand Canyon.  The lesson for life from water is to flow. I want to continue my whole life learning how to live so that I flow.

I had watched a documentary not too long ago, called “Happy” directed by Roko Belic (available streaming on Netflix) that spoke about the pursuit of what makes humans happy. It described something called, “the zone.” The zone is when everything just fades away and we truly are in a state of being in the moment. No thinking about what he or she said or what is next on the to-do list exists in “the zone.” When in “the zone” a person simply Is. In these moments there is unconditional acceptance, there is flow and there is happiness. Tai Chi is flow.

So why is it worth it to commit to the Level 1: Tai Chi Class? If I only had to choose one benefit today, it would be to live with more balance. When we learn how to give ourselves more balance, we experience more flow which leads to more happiness and all aspects of life benefit. This is because we learn to give value to our “inner self” and all things developed inside cannot be taken away. Our inner self determines how we view the world around us.

I can exceed at my academic pursuits, my career, my family and social life but without giving back to my “inner self” eventually I get caught up in the ups and downs of life. The practice of Tai Chi keeps me centered as a co-creator and happy. Thank you for spending your time today reading our blog. I encourage you to make a commitment to attend the Tai Chi workshop at the dojo, March 30 at 9 a.m. to learn a practical approach for creating more balance, more flow and more happiness in your life.

Happily,

Level One Instructor

Public Relations Director

taichiphoenix.com

How does Tai Chi Work? What does the Beginning Class Include?

Unlike forms of yoga that may cause stress and strain, Tai Chi is constant movement in a gentle flowing motion. It promotes strengthening the body gradually. The movements that make up Tai Chi were created by watching animals in nature. It is from nature that Tai Chi derives it's healing and preventative power.  Each movement activates a clearing of the channels in the body known in Chinese Medicine as "Meridians".  When we are in good health energy flows freely through these channels. Stress from modern life accumulates in our body and can block the natural flow of energy causing illness. Acupuncture also stimulates the free flow of energy through these channels. Tai Chi uses the deep breathing components of the practice QiGong. Deep breathing is a natural way to reduce stress and promote well being. 

Classes taught at the Bodhidharma Philosophical Martial Arts Institute begin with progressive levels of concentration exercises. The goal is to teach the student over time how to quiet their mind and learn to cultivate an "inner peace". According to Chinese philosophy, "Chi" is the energy that makes up everything in the universe. During the first level course, the student is taught how to use "chi" to cleanse and re-energize their mind, emotions and body. After the concentration exercise students normally feel more relaxed and renewed. It could be described as pressing the "pause" button on all the obligations and stresses of life. 

The next part of the class includes different warming up exercises from the ancient art of "Pautan Chin".   Each class the exercises progress to gradually build strength, flexibility and balance. A "tapping" technique is taught to release any blockages of stress in the body at different meridian points. The "tapping" accelerates the movement of the molecules in the muscles and literally, "gets the energy flowing". After the warm up students are alert and ready to learn the movements.

Level 1 was specifically designed in order to teach people in the West the basic movements that make up the traditional forms of Tai Chi learned in the East. It is called, "Continental, Yang -Style." Yang Style is the only style of Tai Chi currently being taught at our institute. It is known as the "water form" because there are no harsh or sudden movements, as in martial arts like Karate. It teaches the student the power of control and flow. Each form is taught by being broken down into steps. All the forms in Tai Chi have their base in the martial art of Kung Fu and each movement is explained from the combat perspective in order to help the student remember. Also the student is taught how to keep the "chi" flowing during the movements. After a Tai Chi class students often find instead of being tired, they feel full of energy and their level of vitality has risen.

Students are asked to practice what is learned in class at home. Each week's lesson builds on the steps learned from the previous class. If a student needs additional instruction they are free to meet with an instructor for a review. Currently I am available every Saturday at the Central Farmer's Market from 10:30 a.m to 1 p.m. I tell  students Level 1 teaches patience for ourselves and others. Tai Chi teaches us to enjoy being on the journey of life and provides us with the vitality to grasp opportunities to grow, learn and transform ourselves for the better. 

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about the benefits of practicing a philosophical martial art. I hope to see you at one of our events very soon.

Be Well!

Erin M. Wilson

Level 1 Instructor/Public Relations Coordinator

To learn more check out:

www.taichiphoenix.com

Stress Management and Well Being through Tai Chi

By Sifu Ben Serpas

There are several techniques one can use to manage stress, but I have found one which includes all the others, Tai Chi, a form of QiGong (Chi Kung), considered the Chinese form of yoga. Some of these techniques are: Biofeedback, Deep Breathing, Massage, Meditation, Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Thought-Stopping, Visualization and Yoga. Tai Chi is a mild form of exercise that uses slow, fluid body movements. It's not a jarring form of exercise. 

Tai Chi had its origin in China, especially in mountain temples such as Wudang and Shaolin, where monks used different forms of martial arts for well being and for self defense. Today, Tai Chi is practiced all over the world as an anaerobic exercise for body, mind and spirit and is practiced by all age groups.

Many would think that Tai Chi is only for young people, but it has been practiced for more than a thousand years by young and old alike with the same benefits. Recent studies in the U.S.A. favor Tai Chi as an alternative and also as a complementary exercise for seniors, either to keep good health and/or to attain overall well being.

Here are some examples:

• The Boston Globe published an article by Don Aucoin (Globe Staff / December 11, 2007) titled “A poet forged in heartbreak” referring to poet Michael Weaver and in one paragraph wrote “Along the way, he (Michael Weaver) also survived a major medical scare: He was diagnosed with congestive heart failure in 1995, and his condition was so severe that one doctor gave him only five years to live. But he recovered through a combination of medication, a reduction of stress (which he attributes to his practice of Tai Chi), and major weight loss after a complete transformation of his diet.
• Tai Chi practitioners fall only half as much as those practicing other balance training, as reported by an Emory University study, and others.
• In 2003, the Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine’s Oct. 9th issue reported a study finding that Tai Chi “could decrease blood pressure and results in favorable lipid profile changes and improve subjects' anxiety status. Therefore, Tai Chi could be used as an alternative modality in treating patients with mild hypertension, with a promising economic effect.”
• This concept of Tai Chi being an effective tool for reducing or even avoiding incidence of high blood pressure or other illnesses all together, is echoed in many other articles published by well known institutions. The Mayo Clinic also recommends Tai Chi for relaxation training in an article entitled, “Tai Chi: A Gentle Way to Relieve Stress."

Tai Chi is proven to be a beneficial therapy that not only has no bad side effects, but dramatically improves immune function, respiratory function, lowers the incidence of anxiety and depression, and profoundly improves the balance of practitioners. This is very important, considering that hospitalization for falls costs about $270 million a year in Arizona, not including the cost of doctors, rehabilitation or long-term disability…

We should ask ourselves what the best way/product for our health is. If Tai Chi is an alternative, the next question is, why isn’t every physician offering it as an option to their patients as a prescription? And why aren’t all insurance policies covering such prescriptions for Tai Chi? In the end, we must all suffer the consequences of our life style. So why not include in it something that could benefit us so greatly, like Tai Chi? Well, I don’t think we should dwell on it so much and make this year’s resolution to bring contentment to our lives. Just try Tai Chi and you will love it! I did and there is just no going back.

Be well!

Ben Serpas