Staying Focussed in Qigong and Tai Chi Chuan form practice

Staying focussed in Tai Chi and Qigong is essential. Gloria Dean.

Qigong movements are often incredibly simple, easily learnt and memorised. At all levels they are beneficial to relaxation and fitness, but it must be remembered, that it is only with many repetitions and diligence that their ‘full’ benefit can be obtained.

Staying focussed through many repetitions is the difficult part and it is easy to become complacent with focus diminishing and the movement becoming less.

To reap the full benefit we must perform each movement as if it was the ‘first time’, with the same desire to perform it to its full, focussing on the quality of the movement, to feel our bodies and the changes taking place and take time for the mind and body to adjust.

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Staying focussed through many repetitions is the difficult part and it is easy to become complacent with focus diminishing and the movement becoming less.

Staying with that mindset can be difficult and requires application;

For instance I will look at my arm whilst performing a movement and think to myself  “this is my arm” and experience it fully, this is not as silly as it may sound. Soften a hand, and see how much more beautiful it looks and also delight in the physical effect it has throughout the ‘whole’ body. 

Concentrate on the body; Are both my shoulders level? Am I standing evenly? Is there tension creeping in anywhere……………..?

Sometimes it is easy to lose contact with the body and use it unconsciously, so we need to stay present, concentrate, feel and take pleasure in ourselves… consider it like re-visiting a friend who you have lost touch with, and whose company you used to like, but had quite forgotten, just how much you enjoyed it………

                   Enjoy, Gloria

©Gloria Dean, Golden Rooster Institute of Chinese Internal Arts 2010 Penela, Portugal.
This blog was first published in 2010 on our old site. Ed.

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