| Interview
Get the Feeling! Enjoy the Experience!
– interviewed by Instructor Lis
Quite a few couples join our Tai Chi classes. Many
continue as students for years. Tom and Dawn began in July 2001 and
since that time they have only missed one term.
Tom, who is a finance manager, was the prime mover in the
decision to try Tai Chi. He needed to do more exercise despite the fact
that they both walk regularly, for general health and weight loss. The
meditation and relaxation aspects were also interesting.
A neighbour, one of our long term students, dropped a
pamphlet in the letterbox and that was the final motivation. Tom had
also been left a small legacy from his mother’s estate and wanted to
invest the money in something beneficial rather than just spending it.
Tai Chi seemed an appropriate choice.
Both Tom and Dawn were doubtful about continuing after
their first class. “It was too slow,” Dawn said but added, “We thought
we should give it a bit longer and see. You can’t judge on only one
class.”
As line dancing was their other weekly activity, it was
no wonder Tai Chi
seemed slow! They
initially planned to keep the line dancing classes going, but Tai Chi
gradually took over. Now they attend two classes of Tai Chi and no line
dancing at all.
Dawn has always been a slightly less enthusiastic
participant than Tom but they like to do things together and this works
to motivate them
both in practice and regular attendance. “I’d feel guilty sitting
at home while
he
went to class,” said Dawn.
Despite having no real physical ailments or problems,
both Tom and Dawn report feeling looser and more relaxed, particularly
in the shoulders. They enjoy the Fa Soong Gong and the Quiet
Standing. Several times, Dawn has come to class with a headache
and discovered it has gone by the end of the session. She minds
grandchildren several days a week so quiet relaxation is important.
Memory is the biggest difficulty for many beginners. Tom
and Dawn were no exceptions. Dawn said she would go home sometimes and
think, “I just can’t do this.” Gradually with practice and time, the
form began to take shape. They both noticed the physical changes during
this early stage of their Tai Chi journeys - more joint mobility, looser
shoulders and neck, and stronger legs. Now they notice if they stop
practising for any length of time. Dawn was travelling last term so
they didn’t enrol. They both felt tighter and stiffer.
Tom practises more than Dawn. He likes to get up early
and go through the whole routine. However, he doesn’t always manage the
discipline of rising early before going to work. Often they practise
together. They always do the warm ups and Qigong before the form – “It
clears the head.”
Why do they keep coming along to class when for Dawn in
particular it would be easy to stop? “It’s non-competitive. We like
it, the feeling. It’s an individual thing we can do together. We like
the range of ages in the class and the variety of people, all sorts. We
enjoy having different instructors with different points of view. We
don’t need any special equipment or clothes and we can practise it
anywhere. It makes us get out of the house during the week when
otherwise we’d sit at home watching TV.”
At the moment, they have a daughter and her children
living with them. Tai Chi is their time away from the crowded house -
their time. Dawn thinks Tai Chi has made Tom more tolerant and less
grumpy with all the grandchildren in the house.
Last year, Tom had reason to visit a medical specialist
who advised him to lose weight and do some exercise. Tom said he
practised Tai Chi and the doctor laughed and said, “No, I mean real
exercise.”
Tom was incensed by the ignorant and dismissive attitude
of a doctor who is obviously unaware of the centuries of accumulated
knowledge - medicine, martial arts, relaxation, philosophy - in training
the mind and the body that has made Tai Chi such an enduring, valuable
and complete exercise system.
(This is an actual
interview, but the names
have
been changed for reasons of
privacy.)
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