Reflection on a year of Tai Chi

This was a great school year for Tai chi and me.

• I went to more and more schools and had the opportunity to change classroom atmosphere, enthusiasm, cooperation and focus.  Benefits that carry over into many other parts of life – even outside of school.

• I had the opportunity to enjoy the peaceful expressions on the faces of children doing Tai Chi.  Kids who are used to being bombarded with noise almost constantly suddenly found moments of quiet peace.  Peace allows children to connect with themselves.    It helps them  to know themselves and understand their goals.  They begin to feel the friendship of others and to understand others  better. Peaceful moments are absolutely necessary for mental and emotional balance, at any age.  I need them too.

• When we did the bow and arrow I could observe the intense focus and concentration on the faces of the students as they stared at the targets.  They pulled the bow string back and opened their chest to take in more oxygen.  And then I got to hear the comments of teachers saying that grades were better.  Especially those students who had been having trouble focusing. These students could now answer the questions!  What a great benefit!

Here is an interesting article about  how meditative activities such as Tai Chi can reduce stress and improve performance even in sports.

Sometimes we don’t think of sports as stressful activities but they can be just as stressful as tests, public performances, special projects and social activities.

We live in a time where winning in sports is often more important than playing. Is this child really going to be a professional athlete?  It is really about developing physical skills, becoming more fit and  healthy, having FUN, and developing team spirit.

Academics are not just about memorizing facts.  Academic experiences should be developing curiosity.  Thinking about and discovering ways of solving problems is a great skill.   Learning about differences and similarities in cultures, literature, geography make us better people.

We have a tendency to make everything competitive.  Even when it should not be.

Tai Chi is 100% non-competitive.  Everyone wins because by doing it you feel better, perform better and are happier.

Let’s all work together to make life more peaceful for our children.  Let’s help them find success through useful skills that will serve them their whole lives.

IT IS WORTH IT!