I haven’t tried Tai Chi but recently discovered Floor Dancing which seems to have something to do with the Feldenkrais movement. Only discovered this in the last 24 hours but it’s something a little more up my alley.

I’ve always loved Tai Chi, but the problem is that i don’t really know how to learn it or who will teach me. I wish i live close to you so i will become your student :).

Thanks for sharing.

Lori, I also have a meditation practice, although I don’t do it every day. There’s a lot of research showing that meditation is very beneficial both physically and mentally.

It sounds like your spiritual practice is making a major positive difference in your life, including your writing. Keep at it!

I’m loving the tai chi stuff, John. In my own life, it’s been meditation. We belong to an Indian-based group, and we meditate both singularly and collectively. It’s the balance of mind, spirit, diet, and humanism that I love.

Beyond that, I exercise every weekday. I do intense circuit training (Focus T25), and it’s made a huge difference in my strength, shape, and endurance.

My commitment to myself is to find one joy per day and carry it forward, either into the day or into the next day, depending on when I find it. I have been committed to a vegetarian life, which I love. I’ve committed to harmlessness (the guru’s teachings) in all things.

All of this helps me bring focus to my writing. Because I get introspective in both meditation and in actively doing no harm, I’m able to reach into those same places in my creativity. It allows me to interview someone whose views are mirror opposite mine, and do so without judgment or argument.

Plus, my exercise regimen gives me the release I need to shake off the day’s frustrations.

(Everyone: Gene’s my tai chi teacher that I discussed in the post.)

Gene, I’ve been working on incorporating tai chi into all aspects of my life, with greater success in some areas than in others. As you say, perseverance is important, along with the right attitude.

And as I said above, it’s very important to have a good teacher, and you definitely are. You make yourself freely available at very reasonable rates, you have videos of all the forms and exercises, and you’ve even written a book on tai chi.

I do it by listening to what feels most deeply right, having an eye on “forcing less and flowing more”, and by practicing things like T’ai-Chi and music. The various practices that I do are actually training games that bring up my resistance to balance and hopefully invite me to safely let it go.

I’m sure this is what you had in mind when you wrote “T’ai-Chi makes me a better writer”. I just like to emphasize that the benefits come from practice, and that practice is work and can be difficult. I don’t know anyone who’s taken up T’ai-Chi and never considered quitting. Resistance is resistance you know? It’s real and it will come up. Things like good posture, moving with efficient grace, cultivating a ready responsive state of mind and body do not magically appear because a person takes a class. There are no “training montages” in real life where the hero suddenly develops skill.

You don’t have to practice like a madman though. I’ve had students who significantly improved their balance and got many health benefits who only practiced once a week in their lesson with me. It took a longer time than if they had been practicing, but the benefits did come.

It was a lot of fun to hang out at Bandon and watch you doing partner work with Andy and gratifying as a teacher to see you and Neil able to work with my teacher and hold your own, learn, and enjoy yourselves. Also, of course, a real testament to how much you both have practiced and taken the principles of the art into your lives. I’m glad you’ve been able to let the effects of your T’ai-Chi practice ripple out into your writing life John. That’s what it’s all about, not just doing a bunch of forms correctly. Good work.

Anne, walking and hiking are also very important to me. I get out on my feet at least once a day, often twice a day.

Nida, yoga is also great.

You really need to have a good instructor to learn tai chi. You can’t learn it from a video. Check out all the local teachers and then choose the one you feel will be best for you. Many will let you take a class for free, or at least observe.

Deirdre, I also focus on making sure I have a lot of time off. That’s when I’m really alive. I’m doing a lot of hiking this summer, which I count as time off even though it’s for new editions of my hiking guidebooks, and I spent 5 weeks in Costa Rica earlier this year.

I also listen to podcasts, usually when I’m doing strength training and driving.

And I do yoga for 10-15 minutes a day.