Relaxing The Stiffness In My Mind

Since practicing T’ai Chi Chih, I am better able to realize and accept that there are times my mind and its thinking is rigid and stiff – like the hard oak tree versus flexible bamboo. And, I have come to appreciate my mind is no different than any other stiff muscle. If I perform some sort of physical activity when I am not prepared and warmed up, my muscles will sooner or later protest. That’s why professional athletes spend time warming up and staying limber – so their muscles won’t get stiff and injured.

Likewise, I sense a mind that is not warmed up can also be stiff. It can be resistant to new ideas, impatient with difficult people and situations, and in denial that it is creating its own burdens, pain, and suffering. The result can be tension, anxiety, impatience, difficulty sleeping, ill health, and readiness to blame anything but itself for its problems. For me, TCC is like a warm-up exercise for my mind that gets me prepared for the day – similar to stretching before physical exercise. It helps my thinking become more flexible like bamboo, and I avoid becoming an unwitting accomplice in creating my own trials and tribulations.

Somehow in today’s culture we have acquired the idea that the mind works best when it runs at top speed. Yet just like with automobiles, operating all out at maximum speed is not healthy. A mind that is always racing lacks time even to complete a thought, let alone to check on the quality of its own thinking. It just coughs up whatever thoughts it can – the more the better. And the faster it cranks, the more likely it is to overheat, misfire, jam, and even shut down.

For me, regularly slowing down my mind means better quality thinking, improved health, sweeter relationships, and actually getting more done. Juts as there are certain exercises for improving a particular set of muscles, TCC has become an exercise that improves my thinking. My mind totally clears when practicing TCC, and I seem to emerge with greater love and wisdom. I can better see the problems with some of my old behaviors and gain the strength and humility to rise above my poor thinking habits. Even tasks previously considered tedious and unlikable become pleasant.

I am beginning to appreciate what is meant when TCC is defined as “joy through movement”… and it is sweet!

flow

let go

openness

becoming one

on the path

of our

life

– Neal Roy

feel

spirit

uplifiting

touches others

harmony

circle

love

– Lee Brownell

we

all die

we are all

reborn to new

life. essence

renewed

bloom

– Beth Stibora

one

foot in

one foot out

I’m glad you stayed

your mission

is still

here

– Dianne Moody

wise

teacher

showing us

by example

guiding us

with love

Chi

– Sheryl Adair

Pyramid Poems

he

looked at

me and the

movement changed from

moving to

flowing

ease

– KG

wise

beyond

what most men

can understand

he came only

but to

share

– Jerry Granok

one

man who

listened to

the universal

energy

gave us

Chi

– JerryGranok

can

any

who does not

listen with the

heart hope to

ever get

him

– Jerry Granok

stern

hawk-eyed

watches all

aware in tune

seeing deep

teaching

me

– Cynthia Winland