Last Wednesday I got to the Kwoon stressed, tired and overwhelmed. I had overdue schoolwork pilling up, my basketball playoffs were right around the corner, high school registration was freaking me out, and just really wanted a good nights sleep. Even though it was only Wednesday, I felt it had been an incredibly long week, and I was ready the weekend to arrive.
But once I started my Tai Chi class, all of that stress disappeared. I didn't have to worry about any of it. I didn't let myself worry about any of it. I felt like I could finally breathe. I was able to stay in the moment, and be calm and peaceful. I was merely existing.
In all my previous classes, when I did Tai Chi, I could rarely feel my Chi. I would feel it in the warm-up during 'grinding corn', and sometimes in the form during parts like 'grasping the birds tail'.
During last Wednesday's class, I decided to try something different. I tried imagining my Chi. I pretend I could see it. I pictured it like the air from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Like when Aang would make a ball of air and sit on it. It looked like that. A blueish, transparent, animated looking thing.
The weird thing is, once I did this, I felt Chi throughout the entire duration of the form! (Although, during some parts the Chi was quite weak). It was incredible!! It was so cool! And I'm not sure me feeling the Chi is related to me imaging the Chi, but I'm going to keep doing it until it doesn't work.
Anyway, after Tai Chi I felt very relaxed and calm. Obviously, all my stresses and responsibilities didn't go away. Just because I wasn't thinking about them, doesn't mean they don't exist. But I was able to look at all of it logically, and with a clear head. I am very grateful Kung Fu has given me these tools that I can bring with me into my everyday life. I wish other people could have them too.
