Finding a Calm Centre Within Ourselves

In tai chi, firstly we quieten our mind and centre ourselves. This means emptying our minds of all distracting thoughts and going within. Matty recently commented that he often finds his mind running in different directions even in stillness. In tai chi, the constant chattering we hear that interrupts us when we’re trying to still ourselves is called “monkey mind”. Rather than fight these thoughts, the best thing to do is to let them come and go. If you fight it, your body tenses up and stress ensues.

Breathe

There was a full moon last night. I looked up at the shining silver orb and sighed at its beauty. This is my idea of an ‘Aha’ moment, that slow "in awe" drawing in of the breath - THAT is what tai chi breathing is about. There are no proper steps to take or fake. You just feel a giant release. You are part of everything and everything is part of you. That is ultimately where you wish to be.

A full moon is always breathtaking

However, if you're just beginning tai chi you should just breathe naturally and normally. If you run out of breath, breathe again. There is no point in holding a breath, or making it last longer than usual. Just breathe naturally as if you are taking a morning or afternoon walk.

Taking a leisurely stroll is relaxing at any time of day

There are 3 energy centres in our bodies according to traditional Chinese medicine. The lower dantien, in the lower part of our body, is located 3 finger widths below our navel and 1 inch inside our bodies. Apparently, no acupuncture needle can reach this point.  This is the point from which we breathe in and out in tai chi. I like to imagine that this is the point where we were first conceived, where we first breathed within our mother’s womb, before we entered the outside world - our true, pure self. 

Visualize

When I first started tai chi, back when I was a young 20 year old, it was really difficult to calm down. I’d walk into class after a busy day at work and attempt to slow down, …but I was just going through the moves, not doing tai chi. My teacher said we could picture ourselves in a quiet setting such as a tranquil place in the countryside or somewhere you feel at peace. 

The countryside of Wudang Mountain in China

For me, I visualise a valley overshadowed by dark stormy clouds. The clouds then slowly dissipate until there is only a clear sunny sky. Visualisation and deep breathing is really helpful at times when we are faced with stressful situations. I once had to undergo an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). This is not an altogether bad experience, but it can be daunting as it is quite claustrophobic. Lying in the metal tube with buzzing and clicking around me, I breathed slowly and regularly and zoned out into silence. Time in the tube passed by quickly for me. This is just one of many examples where tai chi breathing itself can help slow our racing hearts and minds.

Visualising helps clear the mind

Music

Listening to music while doing tai chi also makes practice enjoyable. Many tai chi classes have instrumental music playing in the background to help people relax and less aware of their surroundings. There are tai chi music CDs you can purchase and no doubt countless places on the internet you can find some nice music. The CDs I have usually tend to lean toward more traditional music. I like bamboo flute with its quiet controlled breathing and Guqin Chinese zither (harp). But other CDS have piano rippling like water and soft drumming. The main point is there are no words, just music.

Master Chen Shiyu of Wudang Daoist Kungfu Academy playing the zither

Many thanks to Matty who brought up this topic in his comment recently.
Do you have any favourite ways for quitening your mind?