Faulk TaiChi

Learn the beautiful, flowing movements for health and relaxation.

Learn Something New

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2013 December Des Moines

While sorting through papers this week, I was listening to the radio, as I often do. Recalling this particular situation reminds me that doing more than one thing at a time can improve efficiency(maybe), but we can’t have our full attention on any one thing.

The discussion on the radio was about a new study recently published on memory as people age. I didn’t catch details about the study, nor the researcher, because I didn’t fully devote my attention to what was being said. What triggered my stopping to bring full attention to the discussion was this: we can keep our memory stronger by learning something brand new. Yes, it can be helpful to continue with crossword puzzles, Sudoku, chess, etc., but even better to challenge ourselves to something we know nothing about. Sounds like good advice for adults of any age, doesn’t it?

This point came alive in my new tai chi class series this week. In this second week (so just two hours of class), a student said she couldn’t remember anything we had done the first week.

“That’s not unusual,” I said. “The movements you are learning are not familiar. With repetition and time, your mind and body will start to remember. We’re learning patience.”

I added,”That’s the good and bad news about tai chi. The good news is that the movements are not familiar so everybody is in the same boat and doesn’t know anything. The bad news in our culture is we want to ‘get it’ now. We are impatient.”

Faulk Tai Chi Heartwood

Good lessons. Learn something brand new to stimulate our brains and keep our memories strong. The brand new something may and will take time. Learning to be patient and kind to ourselves takes time. Tai Chi helps us do both.

Starting to Let Go

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“When I’m at home wanting to practice tai chi, I can’t remember what we did in class.”

Some heads nodded at that comment by a tai chi student in class this week. They want to practice. The desire is there, but they feel some frustration because they don’t know what the moves are.

I had previously sent the students a YouTube link to watch Cheng Man-ch’ing doing his short Yang 37 form, the one we’re learning in class. I asked them to watch the ease at which he moved, rooted in his feet while lifted at his center. Powerful, yet light. Focused.

“Great to watch but there wasn’t any instruction,” another student said. They were in their heads, not in their bodies.

I shifted to talking about relaxing and being patient with ourselves. Hard to do, to slow down and give ourselves permission to take whatever time is needed.

“It’s hard to slow down, even if we want to,” I said. Lots of heads nodding ‘yes’.

“Two things I’d like you to do this summer” –

Arlene Faulk tai chi outdoors

1. Do some tai chi walking underneath or close to a tree.

2. Walk in the grass in your bare feet.

The energy in the room shifted to ‘calm’:

“I can do that.”

“What a nice thought.”

And as class ended, a student commented “I’m looking forward to sleeping tonight. I always have my best sleep the night after I have my tai chi class.”

Yang form tai chi

They are starting to ‘let go’. It’s a process. . . a little at a time.

Like-Minded People

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tai chi workshop

How wonderful it is to be around like-minded people, who desire to have strong bodies and minds, who work towards a balance between ‘doing’ and ‘being’ everyday, who insure they have some quiet amidst the noise, who enjoy and live peacefully with nature, who nurture cooperation and acceptance of others.

Such was that experience at the week-long Tai Chi workshop in Connecticut three weeks ago. Master Trainers taught, students learned and together we questioned, gained finesse and laughed at ourselves sometimes. If there was any competition it seemed to be individual, within ourselves. Why can’t I get this move better? Why do I seem to be slower at learning than my classmates? In our culture, we not only want to ‘get it’, but we want to get it ‘right now’. A reassuring principle of Tai Chi is allowing and letting go. Gaining patience. We try to let go of tension, expectations, perfection, comparing with others. It’s a process. It takes time. It takes committing to a discipline of a new way of thinking and new ways of moving — slowly and with intention.

That commitment to a new way of thinking and moving may require a change of our patterns and habits. Taking the first step towards change is critical. Sticking with it is the challenge.

Thinking about Feet

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My mother says “when your feet hurt, everything hurts.” Mothers have said that for generations. They are right.

Our feet hold all our weight when we stand. Our toes bend and flex when we walk, run, skip and climb. Our heels help steady us. Our feet are an intricate masterpiece, with so many bones, ligaments, nerve endings, all working together to help us navigate through our day. We don’t think about our feet much. Most of us take them for granted. . . until something goes wrong.

A corn, cramp, bunion, stubbed toe or fallen arch, hurt and remind us that we need to take care of our feet to feel good in the rest of our body. High-heeled women’s shoes wreak havoc on feet. “Wear sensible shoes”, our mothers tell us. They are right. How about the current fad of flip-flops as the every day “shoe” for children and many adults? No support and having to squeeze the first two toes to walk up or down a step can’t be great for foot health. We go for what we like. . . until something goes wrong.

I’ve been thinking a lot about feet the last few days. Taking a late summer break from teaching Tai Chi classes, it was a perfect time to get rid of some plantar’s warts I had on my left foot. Researching all  treatment possibilities. I chose one from a podiatrist, using acid to eat away at the warts. My big toe blistered, to the point that I couldn’t put any weight on that toe.  I placed my weight on my heel, then on the outside of my foot. Over a few days, my foot swelled up and I could hardly put any weight on it at all.

No break, but lots of swelling. I’m wearing a boot to stabilize my foot. My leg tires easily. I think of placing my legs and feet hip-width apart, standing tall, in proper alignment. I can’t do that right now, so I’ll visualize it as though I could.

I’m reminded of how important the Tai Chi principles of proper alignment and weight shifting are, for good energy flow and good health. Patience is another important principle of Tai Chi. I hope to be patient to return to proper alignment.

And, I look forward to a healed foot, because “when your feet hurt, everything hurts.