By Arlene Faulk of Faulk Tai Chi
Mindfulness is a term of aspiration and inspiration. We long to focus our mind more on the moment because our mind contains a lot of chatter and to-do’s on any given day. We are inspired by people who seem to be calm, centered and have it together. But we don’t seem to have time to slow down, to focus on the moment.
How we can start to be mindful in our days filled with multiple demands on our time and energy?
Stop. Think about this for a moment or two. Maybe a class, an hour during a week to breathe, decrease stress and focus only on the moment. Start to take care of yourself. Good options include Tai Chi, guided meditation and yoga.
‘But it’s so hard to slow down. I feel uncoordinated and self-conscious’. Yes we have this little voice that tries to talk us out of trying something new, or moving into the unknown. Quiet the negative voice.
Try a class that offers tools you can use to promote mindfulness. As an example, Tai Chi helps reduce stress and anxiety and promote balance and well-being. It’s often called meditation in motion. ”With practice, Tai Chi draws your attention to the present moment and helps you develop a state of mindfulness, openness, and acceptance. Tai Chi literally fosters peace of mind.” (Peter M. Wayne, PhD, The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi. 2013).
Daily things we can do:
- Put down your cell phone.
- Turn off the TV. For many of us, the time we spend on our phone, computer and watching TV takes way more than the hour we say we don’t have for a class.
- Look at the red and yellow blossoms.
- Watch the sunset.
- Eat dinner with only good conversation and food.
- Be aware of how wonderful it is to get out of a chair, walk down the sidewalk.
The overall message is to pay attention – be aware of where you are and what is around you – right now.
Being more mindful will help us quiet our minds and generate gratitude. Mindfulness naturally generates a ‘thank you’ rather than ‘I don’t have time’.
Arlene Faulk
Tai Chi has transformed my life. I spent my first year seated in a chair, doing Tai Chi moves as best as I could. Very slowly I learned to walk again through the practice of the slow, deliberate walk that Tai Chi teaches.
In my published book, Walking on Pins and Needles: A Memoir of Chronic Resilience in the Face of Multiple Sclerosis, I tell my dramatic personal story of experiencing years of debilitating symptoms as I ascended the corporate ladder, landed on my couch for two years, then moved through a zig-zag path to find comfort and healing through Chinese medicine and Tai Chi.
Tai Chi was my guide in managing pain, increasing overall balance, strength and learning how to relax. Through the practice I discovered my calling and have been teaching Tai Chi for over 20 years.
I teach my students what continues to be life-enhancing for me: Tai Chi is not about trying harder; it’s about letting go, being in the moment, feeling balance and the fluidity of energy.