Practice Makes Perfect

Every weekday morning from 8:00 to 10:00, the tai chi group with which I practice meets in the large hallway of a big local mall before the stores open. Members include men and women in their 20s to their 80s, although most are retirees in the 60+ range (like me). Most members are Asian but there's a fair-sized non-Asian group as well. We practice both tai chi and qi gong over the course of our two hours.

I call this group the best kept secret in Edmonton, because it is absolutely free! There is no cost to participate or learn. The group's founder, his wife and the other group leaders are dedicated to making tai chi and qi gong freely available to all for improved mental and physical health. And they have no other agenda, which is refreshing.

There is a teaching element to the group as well. Lessons usually run for about half an hour. In the past year and a half, I've learned Wu style tai chi, several Yang style routines, a sword routine and a fan routine.

And believe me, none of it came easily! I am not a physically adept person, not an athlete, not a dancer. As Jenn from Coffee on the Porch with Me said in a previous comment, tai chi is like "learning a dance routine for weeks and weeks, bit by bit and then it all coming together." Very true! My initial challenge when I first started was telling my left hand/foot from my right. D'oh!

My next tai chi post will be about the fan routine. It nearly killed me, but I learned it! And it only took five months!