TAI CHI APP ~ ISSUE 208 ~ APRIL 12, 2016

By Diane Gold

BOCA RATON WORLD TAI CHI DAY APRIL 30 – 10 – 11:30 AM – DETAILS HERE!

TAI CHI APPS DEFINITIONS (AND CHI KUNG, TOO)

Tai chi is a system of movement that entails the ability to flow like water. We move our bones, muscles, tendons – from the inside out – in unison with the skin that covers them and the mind that accompanies them. The joy and the challenge are to notice the movement as are doing it. To do so requires us to experience the relaxation for which it is famous.

Chi kung is similar in nature; it moves the organs from the inside out through static posture and limb and body torquing.

Apps are applications; they are ways to apply method, often, but not necessarily always, digitally formatted.

THE APP

The tai chi and chi kung app to which I refer is the application of the principles of the systems and is not digital. There are some free or not so free apps that can be very helpful if you have a device that can stand upright on its own. If you have to hold it, you are doomed.

THE QUESTION

I have one question and one question only: if we could do a simple body movement for 30 seconds or more a day that could be done in any location, in any clothing, that could instantaneously take us to a joyful spot, could reduce sickness, develop health, provide youth while it lengthens life, is fun and makes us feel ecstatic and balanced; why would we not devote 30 seconds a day?

CONCLUSION

The question is for each of us to answer, whether to do it or not. Tai chi and chi kung make us better, happier, more well, stronger. Doing these arts for 30 seconds a day can matter. Doing any mind/body work on a consistent basis helps considerably.

Please consider the tai chi app, the one that is available to each of us just by moving slowly with arms extended to the side or to the sky.

ACTION STEPS: COOL EXERCISE!

1) Spend 30 seconds a day standing with feet shoulder width apart, each arm out to the side.

2) Bend the knees a little bit as you tuck the butt without leaning backwards or forwards.

3) Slowly extend the L arm further to the L.

4) Slowly, without stopping the movement, come through center.

5) Slowly, without stopping the movement, extend the R arm to the R.

6) Slowly, without stopping the movement, come through center.
7) Repeat steps 3 through 6 two more X.

8) Sink the elbows so that the arms hang to the sides.

9) Relax with knees bent for one slow breath in and out through the nose.

Bam! Energy With Tranquility!

Check out the roots of this type of exercise.

WORLD TAI CHI DAY, April 30, 2016, 10 – 11:30 am, http://dianegold.com, OR look up an event near you at worldtaichi.org.

If you wish to share your story, leave it as a comment under an article at https://warriorsofweight.com/issues. or even better, write your own article and put it up on a free wordpress site (https://wordpress.com), or post it on a social media site. Share yourself.

If you need habit help, check out warriorsofweight.com/consulting.

Know that you can reach out to a fellow human, probably to the person right next to you. If that interaction works out poorly, do it again. It’s worth it, since most people are nice and want to connect with you.

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Thanks.

 

DIANE GOLD, PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR

Diane Gold, Founder of Warriors of Weight, Turning Habits Into Health, has been a mentor in tai chi, kung fu and meditation, has been a music, fitness and stress expert, dedicated mom, studying peaceful conflict resolution, habit replacement and has been certified in plant-based nutrition.

She believes tai chi can be a life changer. She says,

“Tai chi makes us pliable. Being plaible makes us flow like water. When we flow like water, we can adapt to what is and what is to come. How cool is that!

“It is one of the only arts that can be done with massive effect by taking a tiny amount of time consistently. Who wouldn’t do it? Access the tai chi app within.

“And, in doing so, we get to take overall good care of each other and ourselves – including loving ourselves and our fellow beings at all costs – because we are all always worth it.”

EXERCISE OF THE WEEK:
DO THE INCLUDED ACTION STEP EXERCISE, AT LEAST, ONE TIME.

EXERCISE OF THE MONTH:
DO TAI CHI ON THE LAST SATURDAY OF APRIL.
DETAILS HERE.

7 REASONS FOR WORKOUT BURNOUT: THEN DO TAI CHI (ISSUE 125) April 15, 2014

By Diane Gold

How often do we get workout burnout and why do tai chi to avoid it or to fix it?

We are all about getting ourselves in shape, greedy to feel great and look spectacular. This is a good kind of greed because it keeps us healthy and our country flourishing. But, in my over 15 years of teaching martial arts (of which tai chi is one) and all my life watching people and their workouts, I have heard story after story about people’s workout history. There are only a few stories, even though we all, as individuals have our own.

1.  My Workout Is  Boring.

2.   I Feel Empty And Disconnected From Myself When My Workout Is Over.

3.   My Mind Is Not Relaxed  After My Workout.

4.   My Motivation Is Gone.

5.   My Muscles Are So Tight From Working Out, I Move Like A Robot.

6.   I Feel Totally Selfish When I I’m Finished.

7.   I Want A Workout That Builds Me Spiritually.

These reasons may sound familiar. We can give ourselves reasons to quit or continue.

 (1) If our activity doesn’t keep our attention, we quit. We usually are not taught the merits of follow through and perseverance, so we quit.

(2) If we don’t feel as if we have done something important, we quit. We usually don’t take the time to examine importance.

(3) If we are jittery and unrelaxed, we are forced to stop the behavior that’s causing it. We usually don’t know how to make the small adjustments needed to relax the situation.

(4) If we’re not motivated, we quit. Even if it’s one time, so often one missed session is enough to end the habit of working out.

(5) If our muscles are unnaturally tight, we may see it as counterproductive and quit. Most everyone has not been taught how to keep loose or to get loose.

(6) If we feel selfish, we may not like the feeling and we quit.

(7) If we see our workout as devoid of anything spiritual, we may feel plastic, unsubstantial and quit.

ENTER TAI CHI.

The art of tai chi is a system of movement that uses wave-like, circular patterns of moving the body, arms and legs. Its purpose is to connect everything that we do with the body with our mind and our spirit. It’s not a magic potion of movement; what it is is a very slow moving discipline that, because of its slowness, allows the mover to connect the movement to the mind. Its purpose is to teach the mind to act fluidly like the body movements. The physical moves are tools to connect us to ourselves.

Here’s something to think about. When I am doing tai chi, the speed at which I am moving allows me to focus my attention on my movement. The movement allows me to focus on only 1 thing. This focus allows me to follow each body part, 1 at a time. I can, as well, connect my motion with the heat and the balance of my body, the expansion and compression of my lungs, the flow of my blood, and the space in which my body exists. I am in moving, martial meditation.

Picture the adventure of a dandelion seed, using the fibers of the dandelion flower to keep it airborn, and it is whisked away by a fluid stream of the wind. The ride is smooth with no sudden movement other than what the airstream provides for it. This fluidity likens it to the journey of tai chi, where we learn to follow the line of movement of one body part from its beginning to its end which leads it into a new beginning of the next body part. This rolling rhythm that is tai chi allows us to translate our wave-like action of our body to our mind, reducing or removing jerky decisions, panic or despair.

And yet, the standard joke in tai chi is this:

“If tai chi is for the mind, why are my legs shaking?”

The true answer is that tai chi uses the body to teach the mind. And the shaking will pass. It’s only mild discomfort on which we are not focusing.

When people do tai chi, they move throughout the session. So tai chi has the advantage of allowing the blood to continue flowing throughout the session, permitting easy self-monitoring of the body so that there are no strains and there are enhanced respiration and circulation without any impingements from closing the body off in any way.

Further, tai chi works to relax every muscle, tendon and joint by teaching focus on one movement or body part at a time. Eventually, the goal is to move while looking at nothing at all. But that takes time.

The very nature of tai chi, that we move everything simultaneously, that we focus on one body part at a time, that we feel our blood moving around in our body and learn to picture the air that surrounds us makes it ideal for someone who is looking for something more. The blood’s moving is our life energy or chi that we hear so much about. The slowing down of movement, the reduction of thought to only one thing (and then “no” thing) and our being able to feel our chi moving up and down our bodies and limbs allows us to have a spiritual, meaning part of ourselves, experience. We know we are not doing traditional working out because we feel especially tuned in to our bodies and our own essence at the same time.

For those special reasons, tai chi helps us to avoid workout burnout. Tai chi is always new because the moves we do reflect the way we are in our lives on that particular day, and we are always feeling a physical connection to our feet, our hands, our bodies, our fronts, our backs and heads when we do it. We remember more as we train ourselves to notice more. The fact that we are able to establish a strong foundation for ourselves allows us to see others in a compassionate, even protective, way. This foundational root takes away the feeling that we are doing our workout just for ourselves, alone, since we start to become kinder and wiser the more we do it. The objection to our doing a selfish workout dissolves, and we evolve.

For all the reasons that we don’t burn out when we do tai chi, this old and sophisticated art offers solutions to people with a huge list of physical and emotional issues: memory disorders like Alzheimer’s Disease, muscle disorders, like Parkinson’s Disease, Anxiety Disorder, Chronic Organic Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PSD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), cardiovascular disease, balance disorders, diabetes and more. And it’s a martial art that teaches self-protection, one-pointed focus, stress-free living and how to maximize health.

 

ACTION STEP

Consider doing tai chi. The training teaches you to move every part of you at a time. It’s always new because your movements change with understanding.

Go HERE to begin the inquiry process.

If you wish to share your story, please hit reply in your email program to be contacted.

FEEDBACK

We value your feedback very much.

Please leave  a comment below.

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Thanks.

DIANE GOLD, PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR

Diane Gold, Founder of Warriors of Weight, Turning Habits Into Health, is a mentor in tai chi, kung fu and meditation, a music, fitness and stress expert, dedicated mom, studying plant-based nutrition and habit change.

She is excited to share some insight about workout burnout. She says,

“I have watched and experienced over and over the cycle of getting into a routine or habit and then, because of missing one instance of it, dissolving the routine for a new one. When we skip an activity or class once, we are beginning a new habit, that of feeling what it feels like to skip the activity and doing something else with that time. This starts the beginning fibers of a new routine which replaces going to the activity or class. When we skip the activity or class two times, it is sooooooo much easier to skip and put less importance in the third time and the fourth time. Pretty soon, the class is out of sight, out of mind; and we are on to the next routine.

“This is OK, as long as we know it is our choice and that is the right choice for us. If it is laziness, stop skipping, and get back to the original routine. And may the force be with you.”

HOW PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT CAN CHANGE THE WORLD (ISSUE 111)

By Diane Gold

When one person betters herself, the world is better by one person. When many better themselves, this is multiplied. Therefore, personal development changes the world, one person at a time.

But, we may say, personal development is evolution of the individual, and changing the world requires understanding government, corporate and independent machines and acting upon given situations. So how can working inward affect working outward?

The main thing to remember is that we are not stagnant beings; we grow in one direction or the other, so when we cultivate ourselves on a regular basis and facilitate our own flourishing, we are, in essence, changing and improving the world.

PRELUDE TO BEGINNING OR NOT?

Before we can work on ourselves, do we have to stop any downward spiraling that exists from any part of our lives or from any self-limiting beliefs? ABSOLUTELY NOT, NOT NECESSARY, BARRIER THINKING, NO.

There is no need to work toward beginning. We just begin. Yes, in order to be able to pass a standardized test, we may have to take some courses to qualify. But, this is not a prelude; beginning constitutes beginning from wherever we are, so that we can go from there to achievement.

Let’s bold this rule to live by and make it an action step.

ACTION STEP

BEGIN FROM WHEREVER WE ARE. It makes no sense in comparing ourselves to someone else, because we are not someone else. We will always be ourselves, so let’s begin from where we stand. We can learn characteristics and skills of others, but we will always be ourselves and available to become higher humans.

TYPES OF PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Let’s look at some of the different ways people develop themselves.

Some of us read books. Many of us believe we are helping ourselves by the mere fact that we have purchased and read a book from the self-help section of the book store (the placebo effect). That’s a good thing, though. It promotes balanced people which creates a more stable world.

Others of us mingle with great humans and take on a little of each of them through every connection.

Others of us go to support groups or prayer groups, where there is a leader. The leader discusses, speaks; hopefully we get a chance to speak. Definitely we get the chance to learn to learn.

There is also the newer group model for creating a solution, where there is no leader for an agenda-driven gathering, but participant’s input creates the solution.

Another type of personal development fortifies us by our absorption of the very method we are studying. Tai chi, the other martial arts, free dance, meditation, yoga are disciplines in this mind-body arts category. Music, visual art, poetry are in the creative arts category. By studying any of these methods, we consume a system of learning. This system develops who we are. This development fortifies the world.

MY RECENT PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE AT  5-RHYTHMS’ DANCE SESSION

I had the pleasure of attending a 5-Rhythms’ dance session on Friday, January 3, led by Amber Ryan, in Miami. The purpose of the session was to spread goodness, to cleanse the body, mind and spirit and resonate with learning about ourselves. The ultimate goal was use the dance method (which is a method of doing your own steps with a little bit of guidance) to shake off all our own personal garbage so that we could let our own inherent love shine through.

What is important to me about this session is that we are not told what to do or what step to dance. This freedom allows me to learn and grow. The instructor guides us on what part of our body on which to focus. Most of the time, though, we are dancing freely, with no instruction, just moving to the music, between 100 and 126 BPM (beats per minute, which you may remember from some of my other articles or from your own knowledge base – for reference, the heart beats at about 60 or 70 BPM). It is the least egocentric dance discipline I have seen. That’s because people are busy getting to know themselves, rather than comparing their dance moves to others. There is a guide, but there are no leaders.

I was very involved in the dance. But the word love came up several times. One of the other partners in the event kept expressing how she felt “so much love;” whether this was inside herself or from the group, I will not speculate. Although I could speculate because I felt some kind of love-y feeling inside, radiating out to the group and back to me. Nothing ethereal, I was heated from dancing. I was happy from releasing the tension in my body through dancing. I was dancing with others, one of my favorite activities. And I was socializing with people who had nothing, at that moment, to prove.

EUREKA

I realized that developing this positive inner feeling was personal development at its finest. If everyone were developing this joyous feeling within, we would be employing the changing the world principle, making positive humans, one individual at a time. By multiplying one times the number of people working on themselves, the world became kinder, more confident, more respectful, more social in a gentle way, with better human beings.

TAI CHI ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I know this EUREKA PRINCIPLE to be true from tai chi, also. Because of the biological effects of doing it and the concentration required to execute it; we feel balanced, moral, cleansed, helpful to others from the inside out as well as the outside in. And, here, I can clarify that the dancing I mentioned earlier uses the same principles to move the arms, the body, the legs, the head and to personally develop the self.

CONCLUSION: HOW PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT CAN CHANGE THE WORLD

We know that personal development is individualistic, but individuals make up the world. We know that if we develop ourselves through certain disciplines, we will become spiritually rich humans and contribute good acts in the world.

When we as people become better rounded, we contribute good deeds. Lots of individual good deeds changes the world, as the more personal development we do, the more our generosity prevails and the more, we contribute 1 individual at a time.

When we as people become better rounded, we contribute good deeds. Lots of individual good deeds changes the world, as the more personal development we do, the more our generosity prevails and the more, we contribute 1 individual at a time.

ACTION STEPS

Here are several steps that might be of interest to further our personal development.

1)   Choose a discipline to do on a daily basis. (It works best if you are receiving non commercial gain from said discipline. Example: this is not about painting a picture in order to sell it.)

2)   Decide on an amount of time to which you commit that is comfortable to you: 10 seconds a day or 15 minutes a day. Once you pick a number, it cannot decrease. Also, take note: once you increase your time on any one day, your increase now becomes your new daily duration of time for the discipline.

3)   Do the discipline every day before the end of your day (works best in morning, if this works for your schedule).

4)   After 30 days, decide whether you are a better human being because of this discipline.

5)  No matter what the answer, do it another 15 days. Remember this can be 10 seconds a day or 15 minutes.

6)   At the end of the 45th day, decide whether it is making you peaceful, happy, relaxed, creative, motivated, balanced. If yes, keep going. If not, go to 1).

RESEARCH NOTE

According to neuroeconomist, P.J. Zak’s research, we do good acts to maintain our position in the community because we are social creatures and wish to stay in favor in our society. When we have our food and shelter, it’s easy and we produce an adequate amount of hormone oxytocin, which gives us our generosity. When we have no food, we are out of balance, will not produce enough oxytocin  and will do anything to survive, thus lose our generosity. This research also mentions the 5% of people who are in great socioeconomic situations but do anti-generous things like take billions of dollars in Ponzi schemes that hurt others. And another 5% of people who renounce their good socioeconomic status to be generous and Mother Theresa-like to others.

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FEEDBACK

We value your feedback very much.
Please leave  a comment below.

Please LIKE us on the website and at WarriorsOfWeight on Facebook. Thanks.

DIANE GOLD, AUTHOR

Diane Gold, Founder of Warriors of Weight, Turning Habits Into Health, is a mentor in tai chi, kung fu and meditation, a music, fitness and stress expert, dedicated mom, studying plant-based nutrition and habit change.

She believes that, in order to change the world, we must first change from the inside, each of us, individually. She says,

“Each of us needs personal development, be it tai chi, music or weekly self-help meetings. In order for us to accommodate our own changes and grow ourselves, this is best done on a daily basis.

“If we all do it, we will all become better people. If we are better people, we are changing the world for the better.”

DEMYSTIFYING TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE (ISSUE 95)

By Diane Gold

Tradition Chinese Medicine needs to be demystified in the United States. Through my years of being around both Western and Eastern Medicine as a music therapist and tai chi mentor and school owner, I have seen lots of confusion when it comes to understanding Eastern Medicine. My purpose is to bring people closer understanding Traditional Chinese Medicine so it can be used with confidence.

 

My interview demystifies. It is with Doctor of Oriental Medicine, George Love, licensed as a primary care physician in the State of Florida since 1986. He has extensive background in acupuncture, massage, herbology and nutrition. Parts of the interview are in dialogue, other parts in narrative.

DIANE

Can you talk about people’s perception of Chinese Medicine when they really don’t know anything about it. What do you think people see and how can we bring people closer to it?

GEORGE

Number one, it’s called attitude, perception and perspective. We grow up thinking everything American is great and wonderful, and the rest of the world doesn’t know anything. And obviously that’s not the case.

Number two is that anything we don’t understand immediately upon hearing it cannot be good.

And number three, our perspective, is that we live in a country where A follows B, and everything is linear thought.

ATTITUDE

America is a very young country; we don’t know much. Therefore, we have to look at ancient cultures and what worked for them and try to adapt the ancient …

PERCEPTION AND PERSPECTIVE
     … we look at acupuncture, and we perceive that acupuncture is Chinese Medicine. Acupuncture is only one tool in a tool kit that contains at least 14 different tools. The number one tool is the understanding that blood and energy flow together. … The reason people get sick is that blood and chi become stuck or stagnant.

If we look at arthritis or pain or any muscular pain or any digestive pain or any respiratory distress, the blood and the chi are stagnant; they don’t flow. The purpose of Chinese Medicine is to move chi and to move blood. The purpose of chi kung and tai chi is to move chi and to move blood. So, therefore, tai chi and chi kung are actually part of Chinese Medicine.

DIANE

Can you differentiate … between moving chi and moving blood?

GEORGE

Chi moves the blood, and the blood pumps the heart.

DIANE

OK. Great.

People are in the habit of going toward what they’ve heard of, what they know and what other people have told them, social proof. If we’ve been around Chinese Medicine, then we think it’s normal. If we’ve been around only Western Medicine, very often, we don’t understand Chinese Medicine. And we shy away from it thinking we know what it is.

DEMYSTIFYING CHINESE MEDICINE: THE PROCESS

When you’re short of breath, you know when you’re short of breath. (George pants and says,)

“I’m short of breath.”

If you run across the street really fast or … you … run up a flight of stairs really fast, you know you’re short of breath.

If you see somebody sitting in a chair and they’re slumped over, you say,

“Hey, what’s wrong with you? You don’t feel well?”

Or if you see somebody sitting on the edge of their chair, their back is straight and they’re smiling; you say,

“Wow, what’s going on with you? You look really energetic.”

So, it is literally visible if somebody’s chi is strong or weak.

DIAGNOSIS

HOW WE GET SICK: THE CAUSES

So what we want to know is why do people get sick, how do we get sick, and how do we get well?

So, how do we get sick? TRAUMA, INSUFFICIENCY, TOXICITY.

TRAUMA

 

Either you have a car accident, you fall down the steps, you fall out of a tree, you get run over by a car, whatever that trauma is.

 

There’s also emotional trauma. So your emotional trauma is abandonment, rejection, betrayal and abuse. Your emotional trauma is anger, avoidance and addiction. Your emotional trauma is your victim story.

TOXICITY

Now we have toxicity from overeating the wrong foods, eating the bad foods or getting an infection.

INSUFFICIENCY

Insufficiency would be not enough love, not enough laughter, not enough relaxation, not enough exercise, not enough water. That would be insufficiency.

DIANE

This sounds very, very simple and something I can understand.

 

HOW TO GET WELL

GEORGE

So, this is our framework. These are our tools that we need to look at how we get sick.

How do we get well? You reverse the trauma.
Reverse The Trauma

PARTIAL LIST OF TOOLS OF CHINESE MEDICINE

GEORGE

That [which what would reverse the trauma] would be massage, … acupuncture, … physical therapy, … yoga, … chi kung, … tai chi. So there’s any number of tools at your disposal to reverse trauma. Breathing, meditation, internal exercise.

TOXICITY

So toxicity, well, we want to detoxify the blood.
So [for] inflammation or infection, you want to take herbs, or you want to a juice fast, juice feast.

You want to restrict  caloric intake. You want to take herbs that purify the blood or cool the blood. And that’s how we reverse toxicity.

INSUFFICIENCY

And, insufficiency, you want to eat super foods. You want to take herbs that give you energy. And chi kung or tai chi would be appropriate also for insufficiency.

THE REST OF THE LIST OF  TOOLS OF CHINESE MEDICINE

What we call Chinese Medicine, they (the Chinese) call meridian therapy. There’s breathing, there’s meditation, there’s internal exercise, there’s food, there’s herbs. Then there is heat, pressure, sound, magnets, electricity, red light, laser light, suction, scraping, and, oh, by the way, we’ve got an acupuncture pin, also.

In the west, our perception is that acupuncture is Chinese Medicine.

 

DIANE

Absolutely right. And many people don’t even know the word acupuncture…
To understand that there are all these other therapies that are Chinese Medicine is very interesting. And, it makes people understand how Chinese Medicine came about. Because not everybody needed a pin, and some people needed a pin. And there were so many other ways to move the blood and the chi. And these are the ways of the Traditional Chinese Medicine.     Traditional Chinese Medicine Caduceus

THE DIAGNOSTIC GRID

NARRATIVE

I ask George to complete the diagnostic grid and talk about the categories that make up the diagnostic grid.

GEORGE

OK, we have the emotional, physical, nutritional and energetic. That’s gonna be the rows on the left.
And then your columns are going to be trauma, toxicity and insufficiency.

DIANE

So when I asked you how you diagnose, you said to me,

“You ask why is someone here, or why do you have pain or who is giving you pain.”

I thought that was rather telling …

GEORGE

WHO is the pain in your neck?

DIANE

It’s very true. Pain can be emotional pain and can be caused by a particular being.
So what we talked about today seems like very [systematic] medicine. It doesn’t involve putting someone on a particular medicine and keeping them there without looking at other factors.

NARRATIVE

Traditional Chinese Medicine is integrative. It makes me smile that there is a fairly new Western Medicine specialty: Integrative Medicine. It seems like a bridge to join medicine from the East and medicine from the West.

CONCLUSION

We now have a transparent way of looking at Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is not a mystery any longer. Our interview guest, Doctor Of Oriental Medicine has demystified it. He has talked about how to diagnose by asking, not only why you are there, but who is giving you pain. He mentioned how many tools there are in the arsenal of Chinese Medicine.

We wanted to show how medicine is profound and vast. The connection between Western and Eastern Medicine is the fact that people do want to heal. The person who goes into the field of medicine wants to heal. Sometimes, as in any area, people can get distracted by money, power, fame, opportunity.

It’s all about balance. balancing the finding of a cure with the money expended for drug research or balancing one’s emotional life with work and family.

The information we have offered has certainly demystified Traditional Chinese Medicine. We hope it has helped to outline its backbone in a way such that its systematic approach is easier to see, easier to validate and friendlier to use.

ACTION STEPS

Here are some action steps that may be useful. They are simple techniques that can be achieved with little effort.

1) Consider what you have and rejoice.

2) Pick one thing out that you lack, even if you have some but not enough. George mentioned love, laughter, relaxation, exercise, water, for starters. You might also include music, health, creativity, skill, talent as your item of which you want more.

3) Add this item to your life. If it something like water, drink more (and be thankful for our water supply). For laughter, make sure to laugh at least one time a day more than you do now by reading a joke or looking at a comical photo. It’s up to you as to what you choose. If you need more love, give it to yourself. Go to the local library or cafe and just say hello to someone. Contact usually changes perspective and, often, strikes up interesting communication. Or go make a friend by listening to music in the park.     Massage For Relaxation

TIP

If you have any doubts about the action steps, go watch this: 21 Second Motivational Video.
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FEEDBACK

Please leave  a comment and LIKE.

DIANE GOLD, AUTHOR

Diane Gold, Founder of Warriors of Weight, Turning Habits Into Health, is a mentor in tai chi, kung fu and meditation, a music, fitness and stress expert, dedicated mom, studying plant-based nutrition and habit change.

She is fascinated by any method that can achieve personal development success. She also loves clearing up misconceptions. She says,

“Medicine is a systematic approach to healing, no matter which approach is taken.

“The discussion of Traditional Chinese Medicine in this article gives an excellent overview of what is its scope, how diagnosis is approached and the vast number of techniques in the tool kit. I am excited with the information provided from the interview and am hopeful it will be helpful in the quest for healing.”

WHAT MARTIAL ART IMPROVES BALANCE, GETS RID OF STRESS, FEELS LIKE DANCING AND HELPS CHANGE A HABIT? (ISSUE 72)

By Diane Gold

Okay, you knew. It’s tai chi, the system of movement that looks like rolling liquid that never stops. It teaches personal protection and awareness, creates relaxation of both mind and body (yeah, spirit, too, but there are too many discussions and interpretations on that subject that we won’t mention again in this piece), improves health, feels good and looks good.

In order to talk about how tai chi helps change a habit, let’s define the different aspects of the training, similar to what happens when someone joins the United State Military Service or a dance troupe.

According to Staff Seargent Curtis Osburn, USMC, San Diego,

“…from the minute recruits get off the bus, they are guided through physical challenges, mental challenges and moral challenges.”

So far, this sounds like any martial art. We get strong  of mind, body and moral fiber by going through the physical demands of the movement system. The physical regime prepares us to be flexible of mind as well as body.

According to New England Journal Medicine, Feb. 9, 2012, tai chi helped Parkinson’s patients with balance more than stretching and weight training.

But tai chi has other functions. There is scientific evidence that tai chi also improves flexibility, focus, respiration, muscle response, memory, mental attitude.

To the tai chi player (as the rest of the world says it), it feels similar to dancing or swimming because each movement is connected to the previous. I like to call it “air surfing.”

So, how can this change a habit?

Okay, remember that we build habits by receiving some signal (THE CUE) which leads us to do the same BEHAVIOR over and over to receive a REWARD. We eat 3 pieces of pie so we can say,

 

        “Yum.”

 

We take chemical or recreational risks because we like “the instant stimulation or rush” or because someone prescribed it. Sometimes we get stuck repeating the behaviors over and over again in a habit.

Where it used to be unusual for us to eat 3 pieces of cake, now it is normal to do so and seemingly impossible to stop. We crave it regularly.

Where it used to be occasional to drink champagne at New Year’s Eve, now it is normal to skip dinner and drink alcohol. It is seemingly impossible to stop. We crave it regularly.
The once exceptional event has become the standard way to act. Those brave souls among us who want to change a habit to support their lives in the best way possible want to reverse the process.

Tai chi can help. Here’s how.

In order to learn tai chi, we have to concentrate on the actual movement we are doing. We do the same movement over and over again until it becomes familiar to us. Sounds a little like a habit, right? It is different from jumping rope, doing a dance routine, going to the gym because every time we do it, it is different. Tai chi movement involves every single part of the body. And we are different of mind and body every day. That is why it is different. As with any martial art, the movement is a tool for training and changing the mind. However, the physical way we execute the motion is related to our mood at the moment, what we choose to express, how relaxed our body is and whether we are working on warding off a potential attacker. These factors affect the movement and make it unique in the world of movement arts.

The fact that tai chi involves mind, body and the way we live our lives, but all we have to do is watch our moving hand or foot to grasp our own attention is the very reason it can help change a habit. When we get the CUE, that urge, craving, onset of desire to behave habitually, we can

CHOOSE ANOTHER BEHAVIOR!

We just have to plan it!

I’m being a bit dramatic here because this statement is all we have to do, even though thinking about it may make it seem impossible. Of course, it may not be easy or we would have done it already. But it’s doable. I’m living proof many times over.

TAI CHI AS IT APPLIES TO CHANGE OF HABIT

Here’s where tai chi comes into play. And these are the sequential steps that allow us to change a habit using tai chi:

1) Tai chi teaches us to take our time with movement because understanding the movement takes time.

2) In order for us to be successful at tai chi, we learn patience.

3) This patience with learning tai chi, a martial arts system, translates to patience in our lives and more control over what we do, including our impulses and the cravings that appear out of nowhere and demand some type of behavior.

4) This control translates into having the strength to do a new behavior, different from the old one, that also creates some type of reward.

At the beginning, meaning for 3 to 4 weeks, if possible; it’s a good idea not to look at the new reward or evaluate it or compare it to the old reward. We have to remember it took lots of repetition to learn the old behavior, so give the new behavior some time to become beneficial to our lives before deciding to judge it. Otherwise the mind will play the old trick that the new behavior doesn’t work for us (which is. most of the time, a self-con so that we can go back to our old behavior).

Just like with tai chi, the reward of a new behavior takes time to learn, time to appreciate, time before it becomes a habit.

PRACTICAL ACTION STEPS TO CHANGE A HABIT

So once we have decided that we have a habit that is not supporting our life, here are some simple suggestions to start moving toward success:

1) WRITE IT DOWN!

When you are not craving, urging, desiring your old behavior – which may only be for a quick minute at a time – get out a pen and paper and write down what new behavior you will do instead of the old one. This way, you are contracting with yourself.

 

2) GO TO THE MIRROR

Go to the mirror and tell yourself that, when you get your next cue, you will do your new behavior.

3) BE PHYSICAL

Consider doing something physically exerting for your new behavior, like walking around the closest building or house, so that using your physical body has a chance at calming down your urges through the release of new hormones or neurotransmitters that feel good to the body. to   so that It should be physical and in a different location from the one where you do the old behavior.

4) CHANGE LOCATIONS

Make sure that you go in the opposite direction from the place where you did your old behavior. Sometimes if you travel away from the source, you will be too lazy to go toward it, or, by the time you get part way toward the location of the old behavior, your urge will be gone.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE:

It’s simple distractions such as these that keep us focused on our new behaviors.

5) CALL SOMEONE

Find a friend, a stranger or an association where you can call and tell someone you are traveling away from the source, or you are walking around the building. You are more likely to talk yourself down (talk yourself out of falling back into the old behavior) if you have a supporter.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE:

If you don’t know who to call, call 211, option 3, to talk to someone. As of February, 2013, this free service is available in 50 states (39 of them with 100% coverage) and Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico (100% coverage).

CONCLUSION

Tai chi is a beautiful system of movement that makes our minds more flexible to succeed at our goals. That’s why it is so helpful when we want to change a habit. It’s also another alternative we can choose instead of our old behavior. We can write about it, do it in a mirror, it’s physical, we can do it far away from our old behavior location, and we can call someone else who does tai chi.

It’s a great preparer for life’s changes. We become rooted physically from the actual movement we learn as our legs gain strength. We begin to see a glimmer of understanding about why it’s called an art – because each of us creates our way of doing it. Our will power grows and can support us when we change a habit.

PUBLISHER’S DEDICATION

This article is dedicated to the art of tai chi and what it does for those who do it. It’s also a good place to announce WORLD TAI CHI AND CHI KUNG DAY, April 27, 2013, a free event where close to one million people all over the world do tai chi and chi kung in public events starting at 10 am local time in the first time zone and continue in most time zones across the globe to create a wave of peace and harmony.

As the organizer of the Boca Raton event, we welcome you to participate. It’s the 14th year for Boca. We’ll be in Sanborn Square, Boca Raton, Florida 33432 to celebrate. Details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/148699685298664.

If you are not local to Boca Raton (which most of you are not), we may be able to help you find an event in your city. Bottom line, If it sounds good, put it on the calendar. It’s free and fun. If you can’t make it, think tai chi at 10 am on April 27, 2013.

FEEDBACK

Please leave  a comment and LIKE.

DIANE GOLD, AUTHOR

Diane Gold, Founder of Warriors of Weight, Turning Habits Into Health, is a mentor in tai chi, kung fu and meditation, a music, fitness and stress expert, dedicated mom, studying plant-based nutrition.

She has seen how tai chi helps change a habit. She has watched people balance their weight, their emotional state, their physical habit of falling, their appetite. She says,

“Tai chi gives us a foundation, a root, like the root of a tree. When we have this infrastructure, we can require of ourselves new behavior by using tai chi principle. While doing tai chi, we do tai chi. We don’t think of shopping, finances, family feuds. In this same way, when we get our cue which used to cause the old behavior, we can do the new behavior by not thinking about it. We will just do it. That’s how we do tai chi: we just do it.If we are thinking about it, we’re not doing it. So we don’t think about it when we’re doing it.

“Similar to the scientist who can apply the scientific theory anywhere in the universe, the tai chi principle of “just doing it,” with no thought or mind deliberation, can be applied to changing a habit or any situation in life.”

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Diane Gold 2017 Boca Raton World Tai Chi Day

by Diane Gold on April 18, 2016.

Our main essay is an invitation to and details about tai chi and 2017 Boca Raton World Tai Chi Day with Diane Gold.

Also in this issue….

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Getting Rid Of Nausea – Move It! Move It!

by Diane Gold on Otober 18, 2016.

Today’s issue focuses on getting rid of nausea, a technique I rediscovered by accident.

Also in this issue….

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The One Step Technique For Imperfect Health

by Diane Gold on August 30, 2016.

Today’s issue focuses on using the one step technique for imperfect health. I get personal.

Also in this issue….

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Eastern And Western Medicine – The Hole

by Diane Gold on August 23, 2016.

Today’s issue focuses on Eastern And Western Medicine and the HOLE between them that exists because of lack of integration – and how to fix it.

Also in this issue….

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Tai Chi App

by Diane Gold on April 12, 2016.

Today’s issue focuses on TAI CHI and the upcoming World Tai Chi Day event, which includes Chi Kung.

Also in this issue….

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Rebirth – She Not Busy Being Born Is Busy Dying

by Diane Gold on March 22, 2016.

It’s doing well Diane Gold. Lovin’ it and grateful.

Today’s issue focuses on rebirth, cathartic experience, becoming new again and again and again. This one was inspired by my dancing for 2 1/2 hours at a 5Rhythms dance workshop.

Also in this issue….

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Myth Of Meditation – And The Million Dollar Secret

by Diane Gold on March 15, 2016.

Today’s issue focuses on the myth of meditation and my very small but important secret to replace the myth with rock solid evidence. I am proud to share it.

Also in this issue….

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Party Time – Saying Hello Again – Feeling Good – Out Of Danger

by Diane Gold on March 8, 2016.

It’s doing well Diane Gold, 1000% better than last time I wrote. I wanted to say hello again, thank you for reading my last issue, and let you know I am feeling good. Breathing normally and strong. Still and forever living each moment as it comes. Don’t know why I’m better; don’t know why I was sick. Lovin’ it and grateful.

Also in this issue….

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Health Care Mistakes: Our Biggest One

by Diane Gold on March 24, 2015.

Our main essay talks about the biggest of health care mistakes and includes a what if scenario to get us thinking.

Also in this issue….

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Balance In Our Lives

by Diane Gold on March 3, 2015.

Our main essay talks about balance in our lives, which comes from a systematic approach to living.

Also in this issue….

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5 Ways To Improve Your Health And Mine In 2015

by Diane Gold on January 13, 2015.

Our main essay talks about 5 ways to improve your health and mine. Each of the 5 is its own one minute exercise.

Also in this issue….

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The Airplane Workout Is Here: Stop In-Flight Clots

by Diane Gold on December 16, 2014.

Our main essay talks about the long awaited book by Diane Gold, The Airplane Workout, which helps in-flight clots and talks about how to prevent them, including one sample exercise from the book for your next flight.

Also in this issue….

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9 Ways Cacao Can Improve Our Health

by Diane Gold on September 9, 2014.

Our main essay talks about how cacao, the super food, first used by Latin Americans as early as 1400 B.C. E., benefits our health.

Also in this issue….

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The Habit Of Meditation: The True Mission

by Diane Gold on August 19, 2014.

Our main essay talks about the habit of meditation and what it truly does for us.

Also in this issue….

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Move Over Botox, Exercise To Rejuvenate Skin

by Diane Gold on Apr. 22, 2014.

Our main essay is about how exercise can rejuvenate the skin. It includes comment about injectable face fillers.

Also in this issue….

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7 Reasons For Workout Burnout: Then Do Tai Chi

by Diane Gold on Apr. 15, 2014.

Our main essay is about workout burnout and how doing tai chi avoids it.

Also in this issue….

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How Slouching Destroys Health

by Diane Gold on Mar. 18, 2014.

This week’s main essay is about how slouching really destroys our health. Who knew?

Also in this issue….

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Healthy Eating: Why Does The U.S. Fall Behind?

by Diane Gold on Jan. 28, 2014.

Our main essay talks about the United States is not number one in healthy eating and why.

Also in this issue….

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Habits In Medical Care-Part 3: Ready For Change?

by Diane Gold on Jan. 14, 2014.

Our main essay is the third installment of habits in medical care.

Also in this issue….

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How Personal Development Can Change The World

by Diane Gold on Jan. 7, 2014.

This week, our main essay talks about personal development and how it can change the world.

Also in this issue….

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Best Ab Exercise In 30 Seconds Or Less

by Diane Gold on Dec. 10, 2013.

This week, our main essay is a less than one minute exercise, in itself, along with an explanation about how to avoid injury during training.

Also in this issue….

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6 Great Reasons For Plant-Based Nutrition

by Diane Gold on Nov. 5, 2013.

This week, our main essay gives 6 valid reasons to consider plant-based nutrition.

Also in this issue….

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The Habit Of Gratitude And 100 Ways To Feel It

by Diane Gold on Oct. 22, 2013.

This week we are publishing our 100th Issue, which means we are celebrating our Second Anniversary. Therefore, we have a special main essay which is a list of 100 things that may make us feel gratitude.

Also in this issue….

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Demystifying Traditional Chinese Medicine

by Diane Gold on Sept. 16, 2013.

This week, we bring you the highlights of our interview with George Love, Doctor Of Oriental Medicine who demystifies it for all of us.

Also in this issue…

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Habits In Medical Care: Part One – What Certificate Is That?

by Diane Gold on June 3, 2013.

This week, our main article focuses on habits obtained regarding medical care.

Also in this issue…

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Guru, Master & Mentor: Are You In The Habit Of Verifying The Title?

by Diane Gold on Apr. 29, 2013.

This week, our main article focuses on the use of the words “guru, master and mentor.”

Also in this issue…

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Tai Chi, Walking & Other Fitness Training:Turning Exercise Into Habit

by Diane Gold on Apr. 22, 2013.

This week, our main article focuses on fitness exercises and how we train them. Tai chi is first in the title in honor of World Tai Chi Day, Saturday.

Also in this issue…

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What Martial Art … Helps Change A Habit?

by Diane Gold on Apr. 1, 2013.

This week, our main article focuses on tai chi and how tai chi principle can help change a habit.

Also in this issue…

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Martial Arts Of The Mind

by Diane Gold on Mar. 25, 2013.

This week, our main article is about martial arts of the mind. This article transpired as a discussion for a kung fu student who needed to understand that the physical exercises are the tools for the accomplishments of the mind. This article is a reminder of that truth.

Also in this issue…

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Change A Habit: How The Health Care System Has Taught Us Bad Habits

by Diane Gold on Mar. 18, 2013.

This week, our main article is about how the U.S. Health Care System has led us to need to Change A Habit.

Also in this issue…

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Sprouts: 7 Reasons Why. With Commentary By Jason McCobb, aka Farmer Jay

by Diane Gold on Mar. 11, 2013.

This week, our main article is about sprouting, with guidance from Farmer Jay of Farmer-Jay-Pure-Organics.

Also in this issue…

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Juicing At Home vs. Juice From The Health Food Store

by Diane Gold on Jan. 21, 2012.

This week, we talk about juicing, the pros and cons to juicing at home vs. the health food store. We also define organic vs. natural vs. vegan.

Also in this issue…

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Dancing For Weight Loss: A Fun Way To Firm It, Move It, Remove It

by Diane Gold on Nov. 26, 2012.

This week’s main article is about using dancing for weight loss with 5 action steps from which to choose.

Also in this issue…

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Fitness By Influence: How To Motivate At Home Fitness By Example

by Diane Gold on April 30, 2012.

Our main essay talks about how we can be the example our daughters need: in fitness and in health.

Also in this issue…

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Tai Chi: How Tai Chi Can Position Us To Change The World

by Diane Gold on April 23, 2012.

Because World Tai Chi And Chi Kung Day is this coming Saturday, April 28, our main article talks about its true purpose, and, more than that, the real mission of doing tai chi. This is an impactful subject, and comments are requested.

Also in this issue…

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Let’s Move, Even When It’s Hard

by Diane Gold on December 26, 2011.

Let’s Move, Even When It’s Hard, stresses the importance of moving every day. It includes a few easy 30 second movements that we can do in bed, in the bathroom, in the kitchen, in our chair. I remember when John F. Kennedy started his physical education program in all schools. And today, Michelle Obama has her letsmove.gov program, which emphasizes how crucial and how much fun it is to put movement in our lives, starting when we are young.

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TAI CHI: HOW TAI CHI CAN POSITION US TO CHANGE THE WORLD (Issue 25)

in honor of: World Tai Chi and Chi Kung Day 2012 – Apr. 28 – 10 am

by Diane Gold

This coming Saturday, April 28, is my birthday. Oh, wait. Broadcasting this fact is the very opposite of our message here: that of getting away from me, me, me. This article is about the power we have as developed individuals to make a difference on global issues.

Tai chi, chi kung and other mind/body training teach us self-cultivation. Alone, the training can make us remarkably well-tuned, aware and healthy. However, we may classify it as the “what’s in it for me” attitude if we don’t take it further. With continual training, the true goal of mind/body teachings – to inspire, cultivate and motivate change for humanity – is realized and embodied. When people dabble, they rarely learn this true purpose. So, let’s begin again.

Of interest to all is that World Tai Chi and Chi Kung Day, April 28, 2012, is a world event, the 14th annual. It is a coming together of tai chi and chi kung teachers, students and community members to do tai chi and chi kung and view lively demonstrations.

What’s bigger about it than just doing tai chi and chi kung as a group is how it can make change. Although it introduces people to tai chi and chi kung that can heal our bodies, minds and spirits; the real treasure that most people don’t get to, because they see it as an exercise program, is that the strength and understanding we get from the program gives us the power and the incentive to do good. If we stop at fixing our arthritis, our weight or our mental stability; the world is still better off because we are better human beings from the training. But, that is small scale. If, however, we take it to the next level, which comes with “time, experience and inner balance,” we will find it our duty to take humanitarian action to cause and be change.

Nicole Brochu, journalist at the Sun-Sentinel in South Florida, opens her coverage of World Tai Chi Day by saying,

“Think of it as the yoga version of a tandem flash mob.”

I like that image. Let this flamboyant vision not lead us away from the grand ultimate purpose of tai chi in 2012, which is not a display for publicity, a way to get a date, a way to be cool or marketing for consumerism; although all of these things may happen as a result of doing the training in a public place. The point is to spread peace, harmony and unity through exposing people to movement that changes mindset leading to global action. Change in mindset, as with any discipline, is a process.

Tai chi is a way of being. World Tai Chi and Chi Kung Day is an event to harness the harmony, compassion and balance of the tai chi way. What we do with the embodiment of harmony determines how and whether we will make a difference in the world. If we keep our tai chi-found bliss for ourselves, our opportunity to impact our world is minimized. We are still younger, more vibrant, happier people; but it has been scientifically shown that, if we give of ourselves, we get it back exponentially. And if we don’t, it may not grow.

When people do tai chi once, it’s rare that they gain enough wisdom and momentum from it to become landmarks of social change because of tai chi energy. With experience doing tai chi; commitment and understanding grow in a way where practitioners are more driven to help humanity. The rooting learned as a physical exercise transfers to personally ground the motivated leader.

Similarly, when we go on a weight loss program and gain wisdom through the success of action; we gain a spiritual connection with ourselves. When we choose to keep our stories to ourselves, meaning the “what’s in it for me” attitude; we have improved ourselves only. If we share what we have accomplished – our story, our knowledge – we help others.

Another example is that, when we attend a seminar, we become motivated to act. The internal motivation we get usually dissipates within 48 hours into non-action. It’s not that we are lazy lugs; it is because we need continued exposure for the motivation to stick and develop our minds. If we study the seminar subject for 3 hours every week for 52 weeks; we have an arsenal of knowledge that will stay with us.

THE CHANGE

When the physical work of tai chi causes us to become more tranquil, we have made the first change.

The second part is that we take this peace we have created and give it back to the world. This can be in a number of ways:

1)    Through being a positive influence in the world, which causes more positive energy to exist.

2)    Through being kind to others.

3)    Through mediating arguments in day-to-day life using the skills that personal balance supplies.

4)    Through teaching others how to live a harmonious existence.

5)    Through volunteering services or choosing a business that helps the world.

MAKING WORLD CHANGE

When someone has a belief system and talks about it, isn’t this a step toward change? Since we know marketing is everything, it depends upon how many people hear about the idea and its benefits.

Take any large religious group. The spread of a belief system caused changes in behavior. These changes cause mindset change. This mindset change causes global action.

Take any political system. The spread of support for a system causes change in behavior. These changes mindset change, which, in turn, cause political change.

Take tai chi. Its personal benefits help personal struggles. People minimize depression, arthritis, vertigo and anger, by doing tai chi. Without this help, people wouldn’t be available as thinking, acting, supporting, inspired individuals; they would be busy struggling. The tai chi causes biological changes. These changes cause spiritual development. This development takes us to pursue personal and global passions.

PASSION

People who do tai chi and chi kung, like many who are committed to other studies, are privileged. They can do meditation-on-demand (similar to Dish TV on demand) by accessing their own internal renewable energy. And there’s no monthly bill for the energy.

There is nothing more special than this ability to harness our own power, focus and noise buffering. We become tai chi, rather than doing it. Analogous, we go from waving hands and doing movement to becoming responsible to our world.

POPULARITY

Some of us are socially conscious leaders who have become popular. We have best-selling books, make appearances as motivational speakers and mentors. We engage the masses, command an audience and have built an access point to change the world. After all, isn’t changing the world, changing many minds at a time so that they take action and keep taking action until a goal is met? Without the popularity, we can be creative to make a global change, as long as we are heard.

If I do tai chi and teach 8 students, then 8 minds get changed. If these 8 students have 8 students, then 64 minds get changed. If these 64 have 8 students, then 512 minds get changed. If this group of 512 goes to 1 of the 300 World Tai Chi And Chi Kung Day events and mingles with the 512 students of each of 10 other teachers; that’s 5,632 minds at 300 events. That’s over a million changed minds, which is the power of community.

 

SOCIAL PROOF

In our consumeristic society, why do we hire celebrities to campaign for us? It is because listeners, buyers and joiners act because they see others acting. The concept of “social proof” is, oh, so common.

If the popular people are doing it, others will follow. If the obscure people are doing it, although it may be just as valid, others usually will look away.

Tai chi training teaches us to act based on ourselves. The knowledge of right and wrong leads to global action.

PHILOSOPHY

Because tai chi is a martial art, I will mention one tenets of a true martial artist. And that has to do with caring for humanity. Skills are honed for the betterment of the world. Martial artists train to fight for social justice, whatever brand it is, whether this means temperance and patience or assertion and mobilization. Their actions change the world.

CONCLUSION

We each change the world by the minute actions we take, by the minute thoughts we have, by our very connections to each other. We bring ourselves with us when we act. When we develop ourselves through going to an event such as World Tai Chi Day, taking a seminar or studying auto mechanics; we cultivate ourselves and bring that development with us. The more advanced we are, the higher the synergy created, the bigger the action that ensues. The more we work on change, the more change occurs.

ACTION STEP

Pick one goal related to a passion, and study it for 30 days, whether it’s saving the world or saving yourself. Write down what you have achieved in that short time and, somehow, keep going.

FEEDBACK & SIGN IN

Please leave your comments there or visit on Twitter @warriorsoweight. If you would like to read more like this,  go to warriorsofweight.com/go to get free report and regular free magazine.
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DIANE GOLD, AUTHOR

Diane Gold, Founder of Warriors of Weight, Moms For Healthy Daughters, is a mentor in tai chi, kung fu and meditation, a music and stress expert and a dedicated mom. She believes we can all make a positive difference in the world. She says, “Some go about it from the inside out; others self-develop through fixing the world. Either way its done, we are all on the human mission. Decide whether you will get side-tracked.”

TAI CHI FOR WEIGHT LOSS: PREPARING FOR YOUR JOURNEY WITH WEIGHT (Issue 18)

Think, for a minute about baking a cake without first mixing the flour and water in the bowl. The cake would end up to be a clumpy, texture-poor mess. Or imagine joining a fighting championship without every having watched or studied fighting. Or what if the doctor we entrusted our surgery to had no medical training and had never done an operation before?

All these situations lack necessary preparation. We would prepare ourselves before running off the cliff with our hang gliders, right? We practice penmanship so that other people can read what we write. We practice in the mirror before we read our essay in school. The same holds true for taking on a weight loss program that could totally empower our lives.

One of the greatest tools to put us in a state of readiness is tai chi. What is it, exactly? It’s a method of exercise that teaches us to be patient, prepared, precise and powerful at all times. It’s a mind/body program that gives us a place to begin. We build a foundation of understanding how to be stable on our journey, and time reinforces the lessons as long as we do a little movement.

We as mothers very much crave to understand what makes our daughters choose to crave foods that put weight on them. Most of us are a little concerned in what ways, if any, our parenting skills have contributed to this behavior in our daughters, out of guilt (rather a waste of time), out of wanting to be able to teach better behaviors and, most often, just to make our daughters feel happier. We would give up all our analytical curiosity and even our own brow beating in a heartbeat if we could snap our fingers and see our daughters instantly be joyous in their bodies, beaming from ear to ear.

In this article, we will pinpoint several skills that tai chi is famous for. Doing it to any extent will decrease appetite almost immediately in most people. This phenomenon has to do with focusing the attention on the tai chi work, alone, with no time to defocus the attention. This is, of course, a general consensus and can fluctuate by individual.

PATIENCE

Tai chi teaches patience. The movements are so much slower than almost any other physical system which means that, in order to learn it, we have to direct our bodies to slow down. Many systems, such as kung fu, baseball, tennis, require elements of speed.

Tai chi requires us to slow down and move like a wave in a giant ocean of water. If we imagine the lines in a profile of the ocean, we can see each line rolling into the next. This is analogous to each body system moving harmoniously with the other. Here is a graphic representation of this concept.

So, let’s take that first step. In tai chi, it’s easy, because we don’t have to do much preparing. We begin by standing still. We continue by doing circular motions. Both these activities make us feel good. In doing so, we become patient with the way we feel, act, think, look, are. What’s so cool about the tai chi is that it produces its own endorphin rush every time we do it as we are learning the slow and simple movements. As we become smoother and more flowing with the movements, we teach our body and mind to be more powerful, abundant and patient. The tai chi almost engulfs us in positive energy.

Doing tai chi is a perfect complement to the journey to weight loss because it is a physical tool that shapes, tones and chisels the body as it mentally establishes the patience we need to achieve our weight goals.

BALANCE

One of the lessons in most physical movement activities is the art of balance. Tai chi is no different and is known for elevating balance in the body and mind at the same time.

The tai chi approach starts with stilling the mind and body. The lack of demand for rapid movement is what makes tai chi a great partner for the struggles with weight. Although we don’t have to overexert ourselves to do tai chi, the system is adjustable so that we can increase our effort as we see fit. It is a surprisingly full workout, no matter how much effort we give it.

The balance work in tai chi achieves three things:
1)    It gets us to establish a balance base line so we can see where we are to see where we want to go,
2)    It gets us moving our bodies so that we can succeed right away,
3)    It calms our mind and alleviates stress.

An example of a balancing exercise we do in tai chi is this:

The trick is to stand with a straight back, with the shoulders over the hips. No matter what else we do with the body, we need to make sure we keep the back straight. What happens to most people in most disciplines is that they are not aware when they are tipping backwards or forwards. So, once we have gone through this exercise, it might be a great idea to do it looking in the mirror to make sure the back is straight.

BIG TIP ONE: Make an effort not to judge whether you are or are not able to keep balanced during this exercise. If you are stronger and more balanced tomorrow than you are today, you have a success story.

BIG TIP TWO: If you compare yourself to yourself, you will be better able to concentrate on yourself and get caught in fewer traps.

This is a less than one minute balance exercise.

 1)    Stand straight with legs as close together as possible.
2)    Stand with heels together, toes apart, or as close to this as possible.
3)    Raise the arms in front of the center of the chest as if holding a big tree trunk or pillar.
4)    The palms should be facing the center of the chest.
5)    There should be a small space between the L and R hands.
6)    Relax the shoulders.
7)    Bend the knees a tiny bit.
8)    Keeping the back straight, slowly lift the R knee as you point the toe down.
9)    Hold this position for the count of 1, 1000, 2, 2000, 3, 3000.
10)    Slowly lower the knee so that the feet are in the 2) position.
11)    Keep the 3), 4), 5) position without dropping the arms.
12)    Repeat 7), 8), 9), 10) with the L knee.
13)    Slowly place the arms at the sides and let them hang with relaxed shoulders.

If you like the exercise, please do it daily for two weeks and let us know that you did so that we can send you a special bonus gift for your efforts.

MINDSET

Probably the biggest advantage tai chi gives to people on a weight loss path is mindset. As mentioned above, we have to prepare ourselves for the road ahead. I guess it’s akin to getting antibiotic shots when we are going to travel abroad. I was just reading about a retreat in Costa Rica where I am considering taking a group. Without the right shots, our bodies would be vulnerable to certain conditions in the area.

Similarly, if our mind is not ready, we have much less of a chance to succeed at our goal. If we don’t peel the old paint off, we don’t get a smooth new layer.

Tai chi creates a new layer, a new outlook on everything. It’s not magic; it’s effective use of our body parts. Instead of zooming through exercise, tai chi movement allows for deliberate use of every body part. That way, we don’t work out the core one day, the legs one day, the upper body one day. We work everything together with every movement. Not to say it’s the greatest discovery for womankind, but tai chi is pretty powerful because its inventors utilized movement that integrated all the body systems at once.

(Interesting note: While taking a 5-minute break after writing the last paragraph, I read an article by one of the most successful abs marketers. One of his fitness people lists 3 things I just wrote about: not isolating muscle groups on workout, not using different muscles on different days and not comparing ourselves to others. Important concepts.)

CONCLUSION

Tai chi is a miraculous invention for weight loss. There is no rush; there is no competition; the system easily allows complete adjustment on a per-person and on an ongoing basis. It works every part of us in a way that impacts the health of our mind and body without requiring our bodies to go on a roller coaster ride of endowment and deprivation as many programs do.

Tai chi is based upon ancient principles of ebb and flow. It is one of the easiest ways to relax and the easiest exercises to begin doing. It builds the foundation necessary to start an endeavor with the clear and patient mind. The physical balance it teaches translates to the emotional balance needed for a successful weight loss program. It gets the body in shape by building long, lean muscle and strengthens the joints and tendons. For further tai chi information, email me at 1 [at] warriorsofweight [dot) com. For a special discount, just mention coupon code PATIENCE & WEIGHT LOSS.

FEEDBACK

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DIANE GOLD, AUTHOR

Diane Gold, Founder of Warriors of Weight, Moms For Healthy Daughters, is a mentor in tai chi, kung fu and meditation, a music and stress expert and a dedicated mom. She believes that tai chi is important for the world. She says, “Five minutes of tai chi a day will make us powerful, compassionate, creative and healthy. Do it, at least, one time.”