“I want to flow and get in with the flow, rather than spend time on making my structure correct” is a very common refrain we hear from students. I can understand it, to flow feels good and it really appeals to the stressed mind. Unfortunately, you need more than flow to make Tai Chi really effective, you need structure. Only when the whole of your body and mind are moving in unity can you really achieve flow and the great feelings that go with it.

Before I began this blog post I thought I had better see what the definition of flow was, it is;

To proceed continuously

To move along in a stream

Oh The Flow!

I remember a dancer, (ballet I think) came to the class. She was now into middle age and no longer a dancer by trade. However, she still behaved like a prima ballerina and apparently her expertise extended into Tai Chi as well. She was adamant that Tai Chi was about flow and not a about technique, structure and flow. She demonstrated her Tai Chi, which did remind me of Swan Lake, but not Tai Chi. The arms floated about, so did the legs, unfortunately not together. It was horrible and the thought crossed my mind – is this what people really think is Tai Chi!? She had mistaken flow for floating.

Long and Continuous Like the Yang Tse River

The yellow river is long, wide and deep, above all it is powerful. Literally billions of tons of water moving inexorably forwards, covering everything in its path. The title of this paragraph is how the ancients believed Tai Chi should be done, strong, coordinated and endless.

Revelation at Yosemite

When I first visited the stunning Yosemite national park California in the 80’s I stopped my car by the roadside while I gazed at the huge pines and the flowing river that passed by. At first sight the river was slow and lazily moved ever onwards, but I soon became aware of the depth and power of that river. It was deep and under the surface appeared to be moving a lot quicker than it first seemed. I observed near the river bank that the force was causing swift eddy currents around rocks –all was not what it seemed. I remembered the admonition to move like the Yang Tse river when you do Tai Chi and it made sense. Tai Chi looks simple, but do not let the apparent simplicity fool you. It has the capacity to change you from the inside out, both mentally and physically. With every passing month more and more research is proving what we knew intuitively, Tai Chi does you good in so many ways. Tai chi is not just floaty waving of your arms, it is coordinated, powerful and deep like the Yellow river. Take out the inherent power of Tai Chi and you are left with an empty shell that delivers nothing.

Combine the mind, to the exact technique and harness it to the centre and you have a recipe for good health and a calm mind. Once you have achieved that then FLOW like the Yang Tse. Miss these elements and you have a trickle of water not a mighty river.

What would you rather have?

To your very good health,

Kind Regards,

John Hine

Painful fingers are very common in the cold, damp areas of the US.  Your fingers swell and get stiff especially in the winter months.  Middle age is usually the time when these symptoms present themselves and they can make you feel old before your time.

Don’t Think This is the Start of a Downward Slope

It is all too easy to think that you are on your way down and sliding into old age or pain and suffering.  Get out of here – we won’t have those thoughts around here!  There is only a downward slope if you think there is one.  If you were twenty and had pain in your fingers would you think the same?  Of course you wouldn’t, you would think it was something just passing and deal with it.  It is just the same now.  Health starts in your mind.  What are you going to do about your stiff and painful fingers and what causes it?

Find Out As Much As you Can About the Problem

The more you understand about the problem the easier it will be to deal with it affectively.  As you are reading this blog I know that you are the sort of person who is proactive and doesn’t wait for someone else to deal with your heath issues – you look after yourself.
If you have a great health professional looking after you then follow their guidance, but here are a few ideas that I have found to work.

Exercises for Stiff Painful Fingers.

A door that is never used, gets rusty and eventually ceases up – same thing with your body.  Keep all the parts moving, every day.  Do Tai Chi, walk, cycle, and swim, if you haven’t exercised in a while take it slow and ease your way into it and talk to your health professional.  On my Pain Relief and Recovery DVD is a full, gentle warm up http://taichiworldonline.com/tai-chi-dvd-info-01/ , but here is a quick taster.

1) In traditional Chinese medicine painful fingers can be caused by a lack of circulation and energy.  To help to move circulation quicker, rub both the front and back of your hands vigorously, to make them warm and tingly.  Then, with gentle firm pressure, (it shouldn’t hurt) grasp your thumb joint nearest your wrist between your index finger and thumb, pushing the blood to the tip of your thumb.  Do this ten time on your thumb then do the same to each of your fingers on each hand.

2) Then imagine that you have a rubber ball in each hand and, with a little pressure, “squeeze” them twenty times.  It should not hurt, if it does ease back or talk to your health professional.

3) Gently close your hands with your palms down and swiftly flick your fingers in and out twenty times.
These exercises do not take long and can be done a couple times a day, just let your body tell you how much to do.

Nutrients

Exercise alone will rarely loosen up your fingers forever and your nutrition can play an important role.  Some people have gotten good results just by taking Cod Liver Oil, which has the reputation of helping inflamed joints.  It is probably best that you take it in capsule form as many people, including me, find the taste awful.  It probably comes from my being four years old and a well meaning teacher giving a tablespoon of it neat.  Yuk! I can still taste now.

Have healthy week.

Kind Regards.

John Hine

The TV news and the newspapers talk about it night and day – hardship, layoffs and financial problems. You look around and that is all you see. It is very easy to feel down and without hope, but is it true?

Yes, the world does have problems, but is it hitting everyone?

The answer is no, some people are doing very well. The obvious answer to that from many people is immediately to say “the rich are prospering while the poor suffer” and in some cases that may be true – but it doesn’t help does it?

It is very easy to be manipulated by various interest groups into looking for an enemy that you can blame for the situation – but it doesn’t help does it? It might make you feel good for a few moments, but that passes quickly too. What we need is answers, not fall guys.
We all took part in the madness in one way or another that led us to the state we are in. We bought houses we could not afford, maxed out our cards and spent like the party was going on forever, but even the best parties eventually come to an end. Now is the hangover and it is not nice at all.

Feeling Positive about the Future.

I know that is hard at the moment, but all recessions and crises do eventually pass, they always have. It is our job to get ready for when the upturn comes, not just ready to work hard, but ready to make the most of the situations that become open to us as the economy recovers. Think of all the skills you are learning now, without really knowing it, to help you to cope with a tighter budget, to become more inventive with what you do have.
What will you need to not only get that job you want, but a step up the ladder too? Think of the things you can do now to move you that step further forward? Could you start a small business to bring a few more bucks a week into your household? What do people need, that they either cannot do themselves, or do not want to do? What can you learn, or study, that will be in high demand when the recovery comes? That could be your opening to a brighter future.

You Become What You Think About All of the Time.

If you let the doom mongers get to you, they will pull you down. Surround yourself with positive people who are going places, shut out all of the negativity. Remember, more millionaires are created in recessions than in booms, but it does not make good news does it?

Feeling down and stressed can make you ill and shorten your life – you are here to make a difference so go and do it.

To your very best health and success.

Kind Regards

John Hine

Up until now most of my blog posts have centred around the profound effect Tai Chi can have on improving your health. But today I would like to look at the way Tai Chi can help you to grow your self esteem. I have been teaching Tai Chi for a long time and have taught over a hundred instructors. This is not me being boastful, I’m simply making the point that I have observed a lot of people grow mentally stronger, and more self assured, as their training progressed.

Many people come to Tai Chi because they have conditions such as backache, arthritis and stress, which Tai Chi has a well earned reputation for positively helping. Others come just because they have heard it is a fun and gentle, but effective, way to exercise. A third group are attracted because they just have the feeling of being “stuck”. This feeling of being stuck quite often happens in your thirties and forties, when many people feel they have lost their way. The old certainties of your early twenties have been swept aside and replaced with doubt about your course through life. This self doubt can leave you feeling powerless and adrift.

Tai Chi Builds Self Esteem from Within
So, how do you get from feeling self assured, in your twenties, to feeling powerless, in your thirties and forties? Life has a nasty habit of battering you into submission and leaving you feeling below par. You might think that this would leave a person introverted and submissive, but that is not always so. I had a student, who was very talented, named Eric. When he first came to my class he queried everything and was obviously not a happy person. While everyone else was excited to get started on their training, Eric just moaned and questioned. Now I have a lot of patience, but there comes a point when enough is enough, so I told him how the world spins. He was taken aback by my frankness, but strangely compliant. I think he secretly knew he was behaving badly, but just could not help himself. In his professional life he was a heavy hitter. People just didn’t ever put him in his place and sometimes you just need this to get you back on track. I assured him that we knew what we were doing and if he just let go, trust us and went with the program, he would shine.

Self Esteem Grows from Within
We run busy schools with lots of different people to teach and quickly Eric was no longer a pain that you had to deal with every lesson, but a conscientious student. Over time I forgot my initial dealings with Eric as he grew healthier, happier and stronger. Now I just ask him to assist in one of my classes and pass on his knowledge to the new comers. He does so with skill and good humour. He has become more tactful and even respected as a ‘go-to’ person. It was only when my senior assistant commented about the extraordinary change in Eric, and our initial problem, that I remembered. I joshed him about it and he shrugged his shoulders and laughed self consciously and said “I was such a chump when I first came” – I countered “but look what you turned into”. He now belongs, and is respected and admired. But that is not just in our class, but in his professional life too. He had been promoted, increased his salary and holds a senior position in his company. People like him.

Now I am not saying that Tai Chi is a miracle cure, but we have had lots of Eric’s and Erica’s who came feeling lost and insecure and have turned into extraordinary people.

So why does it happen? Inside everyone is something extraordinary waiting to get out. What you need is the right set of disciplines to allow it to happen. It might not be Tai Chi, but Yoga, meditation, mountain climbing, dancing or a million other things, but will have the same set of characteristics.

Discipline Without discipline your mind runs wild and gets you in all sorts of trouble and you start to believe you’re lost.
Acceptance Confucius said “the day you realize how foolish you are is the day you become a wise man (or woman).”
Belonging When you feel you belong to something special, no matter what it is, you feel able to grow and change.
Respect The people who do not respect others also do not respect themselves. At different times in your life, no matter how elevated your status, you must become the student again and listen.

If you feel stuck, or down, find a group who knows what they are doing and have proven results. That might be a church, ashram, Karate school or anything else, and give it a go, listen and learn, be transformed. You owe it to yourself.
Have a very good and happy week,
With deepest respect.

John Hine

In the 21st Century we have every convenience that you can think of. We can look forward to living well into our eighties, for the most part in good health, yet one in four of us will suffer from mental illness at some point. It is predicted that depression could be the scourge of our mental health in the 21st century. It is the elderly who are proportionately hit hardest by this, through either mental decline or loneliness. I would add a third aspect this, that of nutrition and exercise.

Good Nutrition
If you are not eating a good diet, supplying all of the nutrients your body needs, eventually your body will start to malfunction. The so called “balanced” diet which is derived from your food, is anything but nutritious. It has been known for decades that our food is nowhere near as wholesome as it was in our great grandparent’s day. Intensive farming all around the world has left many foods short of the vitamins, minerals and trace elements necessary for a long and healthy life. That being the case, a good knowledge of nutrition would seem to be the obvious antidote, along with taking added nutrients to help remove and deficiencies.

The Right Exercise
Exercise makes you feel good, releasing all of those anti stress hormones and increasing your circulation. Walking is good for burning off excess calories and helping you put the world into perspective. But the exercise of choice, for really quieting your mind and making you feel good, is Tai Chi. Masses of research support the assertion that Tai Chi is good for your mind and wellbeing. In a recent study researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, carried out a study to see if Tai Chi could help improve results while taking anti depressive drugs. Up until now two thirds of seniors did not achieve any form of remission with drugs only.

112 patients, over 60 years of age with major depression, were treated with drugs on their own, or drugs and Tai Chi, taking classes twice a week for ten weeks.

The Tai Chi group showed a greater reduction in symptoms, higher scores in cognitive tests and improved physical functioning. As a supportive therapy Tai Chi has a compelling part to play in supporting people with depression.

Go Out There and Do Something
It does not matter if you have been shy all of your life, go out there and join in all the activities that make you feel good. People do not like a long grouchy face, so put on that smile and make others happy. Making other people happy makes you feel good too and, as an added bonus, if you can screw up people still like you, so long as you smile. I love to walk into a store and smile and joke with all of the workers to make them feel good. This has two benefits; they give you great service and you make them feel good too. The next time you go into the store they will remember you, and that fact that you made them feel good, and look forward to serving you. Try it, it works. In stores I am really popular and you can be everywhere you go.

Have a great week, go out and enjoy yourself and make someone happy too.

Kind Regards,
John Hine

When you watch kids who are totally absorbed in what they are doing, it’s as if the rest of the world doesn’t exist for them.  All that they can see, hear and touch is the stuff right in front of them.  They are not burdened with the worries of adult practicalities yet, e.g. stopping for milk on the way home, filling the car up with petrol, changing gas and electricity suppliers etc. 

How do you stop this “stuff” from running around your head all the time?  Well, it takes practise.  You practised worrying every day until you got to this place, now you have to work at not worrying.  It is inevitable that when you practise Tai Chi you will find your mind overtaken by daily worries at short intervals.  You will, however, also find that your mind is totally enthralled in what your body is doing for minutes at a time too.

This begins as fleeting moments, which sometimes jolt you back into the reality of your surroundings, when you realise how quiet and peaceful your mind has become.  These moments last longer and become deeper with practise.  You don’t actually have to train your brain to do this, no conscious effort is required. To begin with, just concentrate on what your body is doing and let your brain wander where it wishes, do not try and control anything.

As you become used to this and become more skilled in your Tai Chi practise you will be able to monitor those thoughts as they happen, without being involved in them.  These constant flow of thoughts we call “The Chatterbox”.  It appears to be another person inside your head wanting you to worry and fret about just about everything happening in your life.

When ultimately you find that your chatterbox has hi-jacked you into thinking about something else in life else, just gently bring yourself back to what you are doing. Do not start scolding yourself for drifting off in the first place that is the chatterbox at work too.

And the added benefit?  Well, you will find that your concentration will increase without you evening noticing it.  And not just in your form, in other areas of your life too.  Concentrating intensely means that your mind becomes clearer as you deal with the task in hand.  You can then move onto the next task, without the worries or niggles of of what is to come.  Your brain becomes de-cluttered effectively making it easier to remember more.

Sometimes, when you have finished your Form, you will be aware that you had your eyes open but, you didn’t actually see anything during that time.  Just like like the kids I was referring to at the beginning of this article.  Childhood teaches us some important lessons, but they are only any good if we carry then into adult hood with us.

The Buddha said;

“The Mind is Like a Drunken Monkey Dancing on Hot Coals”, it never stops unless you discipline it.  The only discipline you require is to focus on what you are doing and nothing else.  The future does not exist and the past is gone there is only now.

May you have a happy and healthy week.

Best wishes,

John Hine

Have you ever sat in a coffee shop window or on a park bench or in the mall and watched people walking past?  They are lost in their own little worlds, hurrying around, doing important stuff.  Spot the difference between the way in which kids move and adults, young people and seniors.  There are some big variations. 

Feeling uncomfortable

Watch the way they move, walk, the way they carry their bags etc.  As you practice Tai Chi more and more, you will find your balance, co-ordination and timing improving.  As you observe people who are uncoordinated and off balance as they walk, you might just find that your body reacts to this and you feel uncomfortable too.  It’s a strange sensation but, one which lets you know just how far you have come. 

Visual copy cat

You can use this in class. Study your teacher, the way they perform a move, their whole body and then their legs, torso, arms and finally the feet, hands and head.  Now when you come to do the same move, keep that picture in your head and try to be that person.  You can play this game with any Tai Chi moves.  In fact, you don’t actually have to get up and do the move.  Close your eyes, sit quietly and imagine yourself doing the moves.   Now swap and see your teacher doing the same moves.  Keep switching back and forth until you can see yourself performing the moves in the same way as your teacher.  Now get up and do it and see what happens!

Lost in thoughts

Also, observe how these people really are ‘lost’ in their own thoughts, they are almost unaware of the world round them.  We all posses this level of concentration, absorption and the ability to ‘switch off’ as it were, from reality.  You already do this, and indeed, in time you will do so deliberately, as you perform your Tai Chi form.  Your senses will turn inwards, you will listen for the feed back from your body which will let you know what you need to do and how to adjust so that you become better balanced, coordinated and to improve your timing.

So, sit back, relax and enjoy the floor show while you’re out and about.  You are learning without even realizing it!

I love this article (link below) which appeared in Natural News.  It quotes a three month study by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School in Boston.  Participants did Tai Chi classes twice weekly and gained confidence in their everyday tasks and achieved a more active life style.  The control group was give health education classes and didn’t see the same benefits. 

As well as increases in bone density, lowered blood pressure, and improvements in the immune system Tai Chi has a positive impact on your emotional and psychological state.  Some of these benefit are usually only associated with rigorous aerobic exercises. 

That’s why I love Tai Chi.  If you aren’t into hard, sweaty exercise Tai Chi works for you.  If you like a good burn with your exercises you can add that in too – just stand lower.  If, like me, you like to vary your routine, Tai Chi works here too.  Tai Chi is so adaptable, it fits your time scale, your moods and your needs.

http://www.naturalnews.com/032269_Tai_Chi_heart_health.html

There are stages of learning which every student goes through when learning Tai Chi.  First they are excited about learning something new, trying to remember the routine and perfect the moves.  This is shortly followed by a period of trying to get to grips with it all.  A good instructor will layer the different aspects needed over the lessons and weeks so that the student keeps moving forward and progressing, rather than giving them all the details in one lesson and dampening the enthusiasm.

It is too much to expect a student to get to grips with the arm movements, routine, relaxing and perfecting weak legs all in the same lesson.  A good instructor will guide you through your journey, dispensing each layer as the student requires.  All students learn and progress at different stages and not all in the same pattern either.  Our job is to keep you focused, learning and enjoying what you are doing so that you want to learn more.  For this reasons alone you should take your time to find an instructor who suits your personality, who you can trust and like spending time with. 

Learning Tai Chi is a constant moving experience, both physically and emotionally.  You should discover yourself on both levels, as you progress.  Many, many student just rush to learn the form, they want to get to the end of it so that they can tick the box to say, ‘yep, done that’.  They don’t enjoy the experiences along the way.  It’s like going on a beautiful train journey across the Grand Canyon, amazing scenery but, only if you get your head out of your book to see it!

There are times on this journey when you will not be able to express, in words, your question.  Your instructor will understand, sometimes words are not needed but, you will get your answer.  Your teacher will be able to see what you are doing, where you are concerned and, after correction we usually find that then the student articulates what is was they wanted to ask. 

You will discover a lot about yourself too.  Sometimes it’s just confirmation of stuff you half knew already but, maybe didn’t want to admit too e.g. impatience.  Other times Tai Chi’s influence is slower and more profound.  You start to see the world differently, you take a step back from what is going on around you and see it for what it is.  This doesn’t mean you’re detached from life or friends, family, colleagues etc.  Just that you see them and their action more clearly.  You can see genuine kindness, you can see the confusion of those around you.  You now have time, if you wish to, to do something about it.  This can be a very scary prospect for most but, with the help of a good teacher you will navigate your way through.

So, enjoy what you are doing, even on the not so good days.  Know that you will get to the end of the form one day and don’t deny yourself the chance to learn, grow and change along the way.  Travel well and it will set you up for life.

Relax You Are Doing Great

Students, especially when they first begin training, often ask how well they are doing.  It’s a very common questions and quite natural.  What they are really asking is how well they are doing compared with their fellow students.  There are a lot of comments / posts out there on not to expect anything etc but, I would like to be a bit more practical here, especially for beginners. 

I will tell you what I tell all my students.  Don’t compare yourself to anyone else, compare yourself to you.  This raises two more questions – Why? And How

Why first.  Everyone learns at different rates and processes information differently.  Some students are more technical learners, preferring to pin down each move in an exact way as is possible, to ensure that they are performing correctly.  Others like to get the feel, rhythm, flow, call it what you will, of the moves in a given sequence.  In the beginning stages comparing these two types of people is like comparing chalk and cheese.  It will distort your view of how you are progressing.

The How.  How do you compare yourself to yourself?  Simple techniques work well here.  Write yourself a list of why you started Tai Chi in the first place.  Do you have aching joints in the morning, is your balance and issue, do you have a low immune system?  Detail as much as you can and then put this list somewhere it won’t be disturbed for a couple of months.  Why not video yourself too? 

Write a Wellness Diary

Give yourself a couple of months to just enjoy the learning process, relish moving your body and getting to know how it works again.  Then write yourself a list of you ailments, niggles and annoyances with your body / life, much like you did at the beginning of your training.  You may want to write a note in your calendar to remind yourself to do this!  Now, go and video yourself again.  Compare the videos and your written notes, and then you will be able to tell how well you are progressing.  You will be amazed at just how far you can come in such a short time.  By keeping a daily diary of how you feel and are performing is very enlightening.  There is a saying in business coaching that if it can be measured it can be improved.  By writing just a few short notes every day will give you the drive to keep on going when viewed back over a few months.

The Last Can Finish First

I will let into an insight I do not normally share.  Some of my best instructors were not very good in the beginning.  Yes I know it can be shocking.  When some of the students first come to the advanced seminars they will come over to me and rave about their instructor’s skills and ability.  I smile and say “it has not always been that way”.  I am not sure that they believe me.  Many of them were awkward and stiff and certainly not the best in the class.  But with regular correct training and correction can create extraordinary results.  So if you do not feel that you are doing well just think about what I have said sometimes the last today will be the first next year.

To your very good health.

Kind Regards,

John Hine