Tai Chi – Hang Gliding Inspirational Message
By De Anna Beasley
Photo courtesy of Leigh Sheridan
I remember years ago at a workshop, someone asked Master Sbarge how one masters Tai Chi. His first answer was one we’re all familiar with: don’t quit, but it was his second answer that really got me thinking: practice something other than Tai Chi.
At first I thought he was saying to be a well-rounded person, to allow your Tai Chi to grow and mature at its natural pace and enjoy the process; all good things to keep in mind when training in an art that take years to master. But I’ve come to appreciate Master Sbarge’s advice from another perspective.
I recently started my training to be a hang gliding pilot. My friend introduced me to the sport and I found that I enjoyed the physical and mental challenge so much that I wanted to pursue it for myself. Right away I saw many similarities to my Tai Chi training when my hang gliding training began.
Before going to the hills to practice, they urge you to develop a good stretching routine. Running downhill with a glider is brutal on the body and it is not uncommon for people to have to cut their training short because they pull a quad or hamstring muscle. Thankfully, I didn’t have to think too hard on a stretching routine: I simply did our active stretches every morning. And while my muscles were sore and fatigued, they were not injured and I never missed a day of training.
But my Tai Chi really came through every time I prepared for launch. Eyes on target, relaxed, loose hands, move from your center, stay connected, allow the glider to fly. All were concepts I was familiar with and I quickly realized that I was merely practicing Tai Chi principles in a different way. Once that clicked, I was able to relax and enjoy the training by focusing on the same principles I’ve been practicing everyday for over five years.
So I urge you not to leave your Tai Chi behind when you leave class. These principles are universal in how to effectively move and interact in space: whether it’s walking down a flight of stairs, dealing with a difficult coworker or running with a hang glider. Once you become aware of these principles in your everyday life and start to apply them, you are well on your way towards mastering the art of Tai Chi!
So give it some thought. How will you use Tai Chi in your everyday life?
– De Anna Beasley is a postdoctoral research scholar in ecology. She’s been studying Tai Chi for six years.