A String of Pearls

Image by Mauro Cateb Creative Commons

May I suggest a great little book I really like,

108 INSIGHTS INTO T"AI CHI CHUAN
A String of Pearls
by Michael Gilman.

"It is a fact that every action of our body requires energy. Our basic metabolic rate is the base amount of energy our bodies require to exist. When we do work, a chemical reaction occurs using stored energy and leaving behind waste products. It is like burning a log in a fire. We end up with ash and heat. Or burning gas in an automobile leaves carbon monoxide and many other chemicals. There is nothing yet discovered that will use energy and not leave some waste.

Our bodies are the same. We use energy and have waste to deal with. If the chemical residue is not eliminated, the results range from a dull ache to complete shut down of the system. Rest allows the body to move the toxins out.

T'ai Chi is designed to allow for periods of rest following periods of work, usually half of the body works while the other half rests. There are also two very important periods of rest that I call the top and bottom of a roller coaster ride. It is the moment when up changes to down or down changes to up. When Yin changes to Yang and Yang changes to Yin. It is the moment between inhale and exhale. It is the crack between the wall to the infinite, it is the moment of enlightenment. Seek this moment out and gently stretch it with awareness. Your body and mind will find renewal."