Many years ago I came across an expression that said “some like to stop and smell the roses while others just want to get to Phoenix”. I have always been the latter type. I just want to get there.

I have always been an extremely organised person; careful planning and to-do lists have been what I live by.

When I go on holiday it has often been more about how and when I am getting there and how and when I am coming back. On my last holiday to Canada I made a change and focused more on each day, enjoying the events of the day without spending too much time thinking about what was happening tomorrow. It made a difference, a big
difference. My time spent is not a blur, I can recall each day much more clearly.

I have come to realise I have been carrying my forward focus and planning habits into my Tai Chi. While planning and schedules have a useful purpose there needs to be a balance. Yin and Yang in all things.

In my Tai Chi I realised I had been thinking about the next move, the next class, the next grade instead of living in the moment of my Tai Chi.

I needed to remind myself that Tai Chi is of a meditative nature. It is calming and relaxing and fosters a calm and tranquil mind and the circulation of chi within the body. It is not just a series of exercises to improve health, although this is an important part of it. To get the utmost benefit from my Tai Chi I have to “be there” in every move in my mind as well as my body. By doing this I know it is going to make a difference.

I realise that for many people this is not a new revelation, but in case there are any others that even slightly struggle with living in the moment, remember this: We don’t need to see the end of the road. We just need to focus on staying on it, taking one step at a time and live in the moment.

by Norma Edge (Berwick Tai Chi)