Tai Chi

Three things I love about Tai Chi:

-Turning off my brain. I so often have too many thoughts, emotions, ideas running through my gray matter that I don't relax and just be. The moves for Tai Chi don't allow other thoughts in. The days when I don't focus on the moves I don't do as well and become increasingly frustrated. There is a meditative quality to this. My brain has to not only pay attention to what I am doing, but also to my body. A calmness sets in. On the days when I try to force it, or let other thoughts in, or think about the next move, are the days when I leave Tai Chi rather frustrated and angry with myself that I'm not 'better at it'. Letting the thoughts go and focusing on what I am doing each second brings peace and relaxation.

-Meeting with like-minded people. While this is true of other pusuits, I find with Tai Chi that there is not really room for too much extra stuff. See point one above. It sounds like an oxymoron, but although there is each individual's focus, there is still a warm and welcoming social aspect. And the Tai Chi-ers smile and laugh a lot.

-Being able to take the physical moves to whatever level I am needing that day. Slow, relaxing moves or the same moves that require more effort and exertion. And all of it benefitting my health - physcial, mental, emotional.