Tai Chi: “Cleaning the Clutter”

When the term “tai chi” is mentioned, everyone talks about how wonderful it is for improving balance for the elderly, restoring mobility to painful arthritic joints, raising energy levels, and cultivating deep relaxation of body and mind.

In this article, we will dive deeper into tai chi’s benefits and its effects on “cleaning the clutter”. Or, in other words, causing a shifting in life priorities.

Shifting Life Priorities

Often when I teach a workshop to a new group, about 20-30 minutes into the training, I have everyone sit down in a circle and ask “how does it feel”? Of course I hear the normal benefits as listed above…

But then I will say, “In the last half hour, you were focused on relaxing your shoulders, how high to hold your hands, at what angle is your foot facing for a particular movement, are your stomach muscles relaxed, etc.

As a result, you forgot about daily stresses and problems – project deadlines, a bill that must be paid, an important phone call…

You completely forgot about these things.

In other words, you took a physical, mental, and emotional vacation!

How valuable is that?

Results of Long Term Daily Tai Chi Practice

After years of daily tai chi practice, it seems our priorities shift. In other words, certain things that seemed so important, even vital, become less and less important. Not that we forget about them completely, but rather they do not hold our attention or control us as they maybe once did.

(Side note: Did you know that the average American home has 330,000 items in it?)

In my personal life, has had the effect of making me much more “minimalistic” than I was years ago. Everything I own now fits into one suitcase! And it still seems I have too much “stuff”!

So I thought it was a good idea to mention this shift.

I believe it is a good thing to become less dependent on “stuff” and focus more on things that maybe are more important. Like health, family, enjoying Nature and the simple things that can not be bought…

This is something regular practice of tai chi will definitely offer, if you choose.

What do you think? I would love to hear your comments on how tai chi affects your daily life and priorities.

For me, when I awake in the morning, I am just as enthusiastic to practice tai chi as I was when I began in 1969.

Please post your comments, share them with us, and help to spread the wonderful benefits of tai chi all over the world!