My Tai Chi practice has waned slightly over the last week or two. I haven’t rolled back to Mr Marlboro man or anything as silly like that. It’s just life throwing me new adventures to grasp onto which sometimes lets me lose my grip on my practice.
Tai Chi for Drivers
I had a wonderful challenge thrown at me last week; to drive across Europe to Italy in a transit van. This made a nice change from my usual computer screen view and was a great adventure. We drove non-stop (apart from the ferry) to Italy through France and into northern Italy. It was about 15 hours of driving from Calais to Lake Como. Luckily I had my iPod and Tai Chi for entertainment. Podcasts from Ricky Gervais and others helped keep my spirits up as did some cool music. There is no Tai Chi driving form available, but I have made my own up over the 5 years or so I have been practising Tai Chi. I sit up straight, suspended from the golden thread, relax my jaw, face, and try not to let any tension develop in my back and shoulders. I also have my arms gently curved in a nicely rounded shape, like the Wu Chi posture. Then I concentrate on my breathing (as well as the road).
Back to Blighty
After a day in Como, enjoying the most wonderful views and food (along with some heavy duty lifting), we headed back to England, leaving behind some wonderful scenery and some missed opportunities at doing Tai Chi in such a beautiful place.