The martial art of Tai Chi offers many well-documented benefits. Now that I’ve been practicing the Guang P’ing form for a year, I can point out those I find specific to inline skaters:
- Balance – slow and constant motion, many one-foot stances
- Coordination – complex transitions involving every body part
- Strength – the knees are always bent, loading leg muscles
- Flexibility – everything from wide lunges to high kicks
- Mind-body – moving meditation, mindful breathing
Master David Bernhardt is at far right
What attracted me to Tai Chi? Mostly the last bullet above, along with the coincidence that just as I’d begun to recognize Tai Chi would be a timely addition to my active lifestyle, I met Sifu David at my day job.
I reached a milestone age last December. While I am (probably overly) proud of my fitness level, I will admit to some creaky body parts that demand extra TLC. As for brain fitness, those closest to me suggest my enthusiasm borders on the obsessive. While the ability to get things done can be great (and lucrative), those spinning wheels in my head become habit-forming and make it hard to relax and just be.
Poetry in Motion
With Tai Chi, I find that spending the necessary time to add each new move of the 64 that make up the Guang Ping form of Tai Chi is fun and relaxing, even though I am in constant (slow) motion.
But Master David has taught me that memorizing the choreographed sequence is just the beginning. Opportunities abound to achieve the precise kinetic, timing, and directional requirements of Tai Chi. Someday I hope to attend the Guang Ping Yang Conference and see what it’s like to join a large group of fellow practitioners.
For now, though, I am grateful to be learning each move at my own speed through private lessons and by watching David’s DVD — over and over! I love that the names of some moves are quite poetic. For example, here are the ones I have been working on in the past month:
- Golden Cock Stands on One Leg
- Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain
- Part Wild Horse’s Mane
- Beautiful Maiden Weaves with Shuttle
Health and Longevity
Learning Tai Chi is not a short-term thing, nor is it like other fitness activities where you leave it behind after a session. My goals go beyond the skating and physical benefits: I am in it for the long haul, knowing its value to my ongoing process of aging gracefully.
“Regular tai chi practice enhances health by activating the mind, by calming the nervous system, and by keeping the joints flexible, the muscles toned and the internal organs invigorated.”
— Excerpted from Chi and Tea, David Bernhardt’s web site