Apr
20
Missed the Bus by Sifu George Thomas
April 20, 2010 | 1 Comment
During our childhood days many of us would have loved to do different activities connected with sports and health like boxing, soccer, lawn tennis, track and field events like sprints, long jump, pole vault etc…. but for some reason or the other things did not work out the way we would have liked. After crossing a certain age one feels it is too late to do these things. One such activity is Martial Arts.
Learning Martial Arts when one is a teenager and when you cross 40, 50 or maybe 60 yrs is not the same, it makes a lot of difference. You can still learn but how effective is it going to be or what will the end result be. Most of the people say “only if I had the time” or “only if I had the support” etc. The general feeling is that they have lost the opportunity to learn or practice Martial Arts, like one has missed the bus.
Tai chi is one Martial Art which will help you to catch the bus again, the bus which you thought you missed. Yes the soft form of Tai chi which is slow and subtle gives one the same effect of the hard form of Martial arts for the body, both internal and the external. Along with this it also works on the mind calming it and strengthening it. When this soft form is practiced for about 4 to 5 years along with some conditioning exercise and with the applications the Master imparts to dedicated students, it can turn out to be a life saving Art. This may not impress those who watch you perform/practice but it does change the one who is sincerely practicing on a regular basis. It helps you to discover yourself, to understand your strength and weaknesses and in the process it helps you to understand your fellow living beings too.
With a history of over 5000 years, Tai Chi is an integral part of China’s traditional cultural heritage and its origin dates back to the Ming Dynasty. Tai Chi, the highest form of martial arts is a combination of physical exercise, breathing techniques and meditation, It’s slow, relaxed flowing movements of opening and closing forms, advance and retreat, attack and defence, channelises energy and the body’s natural movements to attain a high degree of fitness, both mental and physical. When you incorporate Tai Chi into your lifestyle, it exercises your body, cultivates your personality and refreshes your mind. Originally developed as martial art, Tai Chi looks like a slow graceful dance, but behind the deceptively simple movements is a wealth of Philosophy, Medicine and Science. Tai Chi is about balance and harmony. While practicing, you could be perspiring, your breathing will be deep and slow and your pulse rate remains normal and at the end of it, you feel more energetic. The continuous flowing movements of Tai Chi are based on the principle that running water never stagnates. It relaxes your muscles and joints while strengthening your body from the inside. Through movements and meditation, Tai Chi ensures you robust physical health and peace of mind. It does wonders for people who are stressed. It uses calming, structured movements to counteract the stress of everyday work pressures. It has achieved great results with some medical conditions including high blood pressure, heart diseases, spleen dysfunction, arthritis, backaches, posture problems, insomnia and breathing difficulties such as asthma among others. Tai Chi is a good way of assisting recovery and is used as a therapy by itself.
An opportunity to catch the missed bus too.
Comments
1 Comment so far
Leaves from Tao
One again, your articles is very good.thank you!very much.