Struggle is important to the personal learning process – if something is too easy we don’t bother to learn any more. If we have a sat nav we do not bother to remember routes. Like many fulfilling activities martial arts are challenging requiring a great deal of practice to achieve. As human beings we respond to long term repetitive action. Over time the cumulative effort and repetitive patterns are assimilated by our subconscious presenting as change. The physical effort leads our bodies to grow, develop and adapt. The emotional and intellectual effort has a similar effect in those areas leading to an overall evolution of integrated skill in the whole person.
Tai Chi seems to be unique in the way this synthesis enables individuals to create change in themselves and to balance themselves in the world.
We now recognise that a little “good” stress is beneficial for us – enhancing long term cognition for example – whereas too much “bad” stress leads to unhealthy long term inflammation – the aim of Tai Chi is to learn how to find our own balance and to maintain it in the chaotic environment of life.
