Tai Chi is often called ‘meditation in motion’. Like meditation it keeps our mind focused in the here and now. Achieving that focus in Tai Chi actually comes easier to me than in meditation because I have more things to focus on (the movements) and my mind is less easily distracted by other thoughts. I simply don’t have the bandwidth to think about other things.

In Tai Chi we focus on our breathing, the specific movement, the sequencing in the form and the underlying principles. Most days that is enough to chase away other random thoughts, like what we still need to do at home, the person on the street that really bothered us, or any number of other distracting things.

Being focused in the moment and on what we are doing right now calms us down. It restores our mental balance.

Through practice we learn to enjoy the NOW. To relax, to keep your sanity and not to fret about the past or obsess about the future.

Tai Chi is no magic cure, but it helps us practice that focus and calmness, and to bring it over to our day-to-day life one step at a time.