Tai Chi

Connecting mind, body, nature and silent sports

by John Burns

 As silent sports enthusiasts, we relish the time we spend training, competing, and, for that matter, simply playing. Our affinity for the outdoors and connecting with nature is not a new human phenomenon, though. This desire for health, fitness and wellness – without being confined indoors and affixed to various exercising contraptions – has been part of human nature since ancient times.

The basic primal instinct to follow a more natural path was expressed and choreographed a long time ago. Those principles can still prove beneficial to silent sports participants. Here I'm talking about the philosophy and dynamic movement strategies of what I consider to be the original silent sport: tai chi.

Tai chi translates as "the supreme ultimate." This is not a redundant statement. The word tai, or supreme, reflects an understanding that we all possess a supreme potential. The word chi, or ultimate, reveals the natural path or way a person can experience, develop and reveal one's supreme potential.

According to tai chi philosophy, you can only realize your supreme potential and reveal yourself to the world by following a natural path. This natural path requires action or movement along a chosen path that recognizes and utilizes the ultimate source of energy, or the source of energy that supports and sustains all of nature, every cell in our bodies and the entire cosmos (chi).

This philosophy is the basis of many religions by recognizing an ultimate source. However, tai chi is not a religion. As the basis of all martial arts, it is a quest to develop one's supreme potential – physically, mentally and emotionally – by engaging in natural or purposeful movements.

No matter what your chosen silent sport, you must first learn the purposeful techniques or muscle recruitment strategies of that particular sport. This is true whether you are first learning how to ski, paddle, cycle, hike or run to the best of your abilities. However, to perform any silent sport efficiently and efficaciously, you need to integrate mind and body.

Unfortunately, as a physical performance and agility trainer, I see too few people making the mind-body connection, resulting in uncoordinated or physically forced and emotionally frustrated technique. Any technique will suffer when a person tries to perform while physically tense and/or emotionally stressed. This is because their movements lack optimal neuromuscular and emotional control. Until their technique is corrected a person will never be able to reach his or her supreme potential.

The lack of mind-body and emotional control is due to the fact that most silent sports participants are self-taught. But to coordinate one's mind and body requires awareness. As it happens, the first movement in tai chi is called "preparation."

In this first movement, one is asked to heighten their sense of awareness of the connection between the mind, body and emotions with the environment so as to facilitate being able to perform in a more unified or holistic manner. This act requires silencing or quieting the mind and relaxing the body to allow somatic sensations or body positioning and movement sensations. To experience a systemic calmness is to take control of one's intentions. The contentment one experiences when reconnecting mind, body and emotions to nature – the ultimate source of energy or chi – is something silent sports enthusiasts can relate to and appreciate all to well.

Energy is needed to execute any muscular contraction. This energy I am referring to is not only the energy associated with the metabolism of macro- and micronutrients. It is also the energy or nourishment we derive from being in nature and away from the emotional triggers that cause muscular tension and emotional stress. However, the vital energy stores we accumulate through food and nature are exhausted more quickly when a person uses less than optimal technique or tries to perform while feeling fear, anxiety or frustration. It is for these reasons tai chi can help everyone gain greater control of their physical and emotional actions and reactions.

Tai chi is the quintessential silent sport or mind-body exercise. Mastering the movements of tai chi provides the foundation for mastering any technique. Tai chi is not "practiced." It is considered play, just as children need to play to develop neuromuscular control and psychosocial emotional skills.

You can learn the following from playing tai chi:

• Center yourself and improve dynamic balance by enhancing awareness of your physical presence in nature.
• Utilize your intentions and the integration of mind and body to relax your muscles and resolve emotional stress.
• Develop core-directed muscle recruitment strategies to improve whole-body coordination for the optimal execution of any and all techniques.

So if you are looking for a "supreme ultimate" endeavor, take a tai chi class in your area or purchase a tai chi video. From there you will follow a natural path that can help you reveal yourself to yourself and to the world through all of your silent sports.

John Burns MS, PT, LAc is a physical performance and agility trainer who teaches Tai Chi F.I.T. at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He also leads a Tai Chi F.I.T. hike for athletes at Lapham Peak State Park in Delafield, Wisconsin, and has produced an instructional Tai Chi F.I.T. DVD. His Tai Chi F.I.T. program is a 15-movement form geared for endurance athletes. He can be reached through his website, www.tao- well.com, or via email at jburns8@wi.rr.com.

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