Mr. Li Xunzhi once said, "Tai Chi is the best tool to hone people's patience and will." "This is not false at all, do you think that if you learn Tai Chi, you can practice that elegant posture like a fairy in a few rounds? No, this art is slow and meticulous, and there is no hurry.
At first, the movements of Tai Chi are as slow as an old cow pulling a broken cart, and you may think, "Am I here to practice, or am I here to retire?" "But don't worry, there's a lot going on in this slow. Every movement, every turn, is like tasting old wine, and you have to appreciate every detail of it. You know, slow is not slow without purpose, but gives you time to feel how every muscle in your body works.
When it comes to technical difficulties, the seemingly simple movements in Tai Chi are actually a technical job. For example, the "cloud hand" looks light and fluttering, but in fact, the distribution of strength and body coordination in it are university questions. When encountering this kind of problem, the best way is to disassemble it and practice it individually, one move at a time, until you can make standard movements in your dreams.
You may have to go a little slower when your movements are uncoordinated, even slower than a turtle crawling, but that will ensure that every detail is in place. At this time, Tai Chi is like making micro-carvings, carving one's body and consciousness bit by bit.
Over time, these slow exercises will get you a workout from the outside in. At first, it is muscle memory, but gradually, you will find that not only the muscles, but also the breath are integrated with the movements, and finally the mind and body are integrated, which is the realm of Tai Chi.
In Mr. Li Xunzhi's teaching, there is a very important principle, that is, "slow practice and fast use". This is not to say that you are slow when you actually use it, but through slow practice, you can make every movement familiar with it, and when it is time to use it, it will naturally be as fast as lightning. He also emphasized the combination of softness and fierceness in Taijiquan, which seem to be opposites, but in fact complement each other, both in order to achieve the highest level of skill.
For those of us who are Tai Chi learners, the most important thing is not to be in a hurry, because if you are in a hurry, everything will be messed up. Tai Chi is about a calm, slow, and steady attitude. After all, it's an art that takes time to settle and realize.
In short, Tai Chi is not only a sport, but also a philosophy of life. By practicing Tai Chi, we can not only exercise our bodies, but also learn how to maintain peace and tenacity in life, and how to face the ups and downs of life. Mr. Li Xunzhi's Tai Chi not only taught us how to use boxing, but more importantly, taught us how to use our hearts.
From this point of view, Tai Chi is not only a physical exercise, but also a kind of mental tempering. The process of learning Tai Chi is actually a process of self-discovery and an exploration of the inner world. The completion of every movement, the adjustment of every breath, silently tells us how to better reconcile with ourselves and how to understand our inner world more deeply.
On the way to practice, we will encounter various challenges and difficulties, but as Tai Chi teaches, the most important thing is to maintain a calm and open heart. This mindset not only helps us to better master technology, but more importantly, it helps us to stay calm and wise in other areas of our lives.
Through constant practice and self-reflection, Tai Chi can be a guide to life, helping us find a sense of balance and serenity in the fast-paced, stressful modern life. Like a pusher in Tai Chi, every challenge in life is a nudge that teaches us how to be flexible and how to find our rhythm and balance under pressure.
Eventually, as we go deeper and deeper into the world of Tai Chi, we will find that it is not just a physical exercise, but also a spiritual and philosophical enlightenment. Tai Chi teaches us how to find harmony between movement and stillness, balance between rigidity and softness, and find our own center in the various complex situations of life.
Therefore, Tai Chi is not just a skill, it is an art of life, an attitude of life that goes deep into the bone marrow. With the passage of time, as we improve our skills, we will gradually realize that Tai Chi brings us far more than physical health, it touches every corner of life, and affects our way of thinking and behavior.
So, if you're looking for a way to exercise and relax both physically and mentally, try Tai Chi. In the process, you will not only discover a healthier self, but also meet a wiser, more peaceful self.