Part II - Students Apply Tai Chi in Daily Life (with pictures update)

































































Jizzelle Jad (Filipina student):
Transforming the Negative Chi of Fear to Positive Chi of Exhilaration-

Going on an adventurous journey of fun in “Enchanted Kingdom”, an amusement part with challenging rides, has its moments of fear. Fear really gripped me as a roller coaster type of ride was going to the part where it would plunge into the river. The fun feeling of the ride transformed into panic and I felt my body stiff with tension, was hardly breathing and my mind just totally in shock. At that point I remembered my Tai Chi. I took a deep inhalation and relaxed my body with a long, smooth and even exhalation. I also focused not on the fear but on the fact that I was there to challenge myself. Almost instantly, I felt my negative chi transformed into positive chi. I even repeated the ride and prove to myself that I’ve transformed my fear chi to enjoy chi.


Siti (Indonesian female student):
Where is my stored chi?

We learn that we can store chi so that we can use it in the future when we need it. I did not understand exactly how this is done. One day, I felt what may be termed as depression. It came from a thought of something that would happen in the future.

I have a very close friend. We live in the same place and we go out together. I feel very happy and close with her. But I know in one month she would leave to go back to her home. This time will come when I will say goodbye to her. I could not control my tears when I thought of the loneliness that would come. I felt my chi draining away with my tears and darkening with my sadness. Just then, I realized that I have not stored the positive chi for this. I don’t have any inner strength within myself to be happy on my own and to move on in life. So now I know, I need to develop and store this kind of chi for times like this. Its all a matter of my first having the skill to transform negative chi and then store this as inner strength and wisdom that I can draw from in times like this. So this is Chi Cultivation.


Dev (Nepali male student)
Can the “three adjustments” improve memory?

I reached a point when my inability to memorize put me in trouble with my assessment. It is not that I did not work hard because I really did. But, what I studied just didn’t stick in my brain and I cannot remember them when I needed to during the examination. This made me more tense, with headache, tiredness and muscle pain. I could not even sleep well.

I decided to seriously use tai chi to solve this problem. I practiced the adjustments as often as I can. Every time I can remember, I adjusted my posture to be balanced and relaxed, I deepened, smoothened and sunk my breathing down in my abdomen, and I focused my mind that I will be able to remember what I study. Surprisingly, the answers for the exams came to me when I needed them effortlessly and without straining. Along with the chi that I was able to store in body doing the adjustments, I was also storing the information systematically in my brain.


Rama (Nepali female student):
Chi is carried also by words –

Going to a place when the language is different I realized that my ability to transmit my chi to those who did not speak my language is limited. One is limited to what is called body language for expressing our thoughts and the feelings that come from our chi. It felt like there is a block in the flow of chi between me those who I cannot communicate with. This feeling led also in a feeling that my chi is also blocked inside me. It is stagnating inside me wanting to be expressed.

Then, a friend came and offered to translate for us. Suddenly, I felt confusion was replaced by understanding and these brought smiles on our faces and our chi radiated out with harmony.


Rachana (Nepali female student):
An angel smiled and transmits magical chi -

Yesterday, I was at the Internet chatting with my sister from back home in Nepal. We turned the camera on so we could see each other’s faces. There I saw in my sister and friend how they missing me. I cannot control my heart and I just wept and so did they.

Now, I am alone in sitting by the Manila Bay, and I just want to be left to be with my feelings. A girl came to sit near me and smiled at me as she introduced herself and asked for my name. She asked me why I am alone when everyone has a family. After I explained to her that I left my family in Nepal to study here, she answered that if though we don’t really know each other, we are now having a conversation in a friendly manner. We really felt like friends talking and smiling a lot. Gradually, my heart and my face freshened up. I felt like an “angel” transmitted positive chi to transform my negative mood.


Rammy (Indonesian female student):
Creating negative chi with our biased mind –

One day back in my home country in Indonesia I was traveling to another country in Indonesia with my friend. It was mid-night and we had no choice but to ride with another passenger who was making small talk with us. He has long hair, bib body and looked like a mafia type of person. This thought made our whole trip covered with the “fear chi”, making us tense, uncomfortable and worried. Throughout we were talking to him with intention to change whatever bad intention he has with us.

Actually, that was all in mind, he turned to be a very good person who just wanted to protect us. He even brought us safe home, not leaving until we were inside our house. I just discovered that the chi we experience is something that is based only in what we believe at the moment. If we can change our belief, we can change the experience coming from that.


Jocelyn (Filipina student);
Our chi has impact, we can change people’s heart –

I am with my daughter this day and I want her to be very happy because I am leaving and I would not see her for two years. I like her to have a memory that I gave her all that she needed. In the mall, I realized I needed to go to the pawnshop to tide over my lack of money. There was none in that mall. I had to struggle through traffic to go to distant place where there is one. Finally, I got there but to my irritation the person involved was demanding for two identification cards. Actually, some do not require that. I had to run again for another pawnshop. Still, same demand. You can just imagine how I was stewing in my own stress, I was just ready to explode!

I stopped. I realized I am full of bad chi at that point. But, what to do now? I’m not only running out of money, I am also running out of time. I remembered, you can influence another person with your chi. I focused on the positive. I will plead with my chi to her. I will beg her for consideration. It worked! My chi has impact!


Dheeraj (Nepali Male Student):

Where the mind goes, the chi follows”.

These days I’m far from home, feeling homesick, missing my friends, family and country. My mind finds itself flying home, I cannot concentrate on the lessons I need to focus on. Something in heart blocks the way my where my chi is suppose to flow for me to achieve my goal in life. I cannot let this continue. I’ve learned that through learning Chi Kung, that I empower myself to not be at the mercy of my emotion. My feelings is just the result of the flow of chi. To regain my focus and strength I need to adjust my posture that could lead me to sadness. Balancing my posture allows me to be alert and awake and responsive to the task at hand. My breathing can bring more energy into my brain so that I would be more resourceful in dealing with my daily problems. My mind can be made to focus on my priorities and control the distractions that continually try to displace my direction.


Niezel (Filipina Student):
Rejuvenating through tai chi exercise -

The daily schedule of a student in the Academy is really hectic – no time for “gimmick”, extra-curricular activities. We are daily loaded up with homework that even our evenings up to the time we go to bed are for studying. If I do not conserve my energy, I would be left with nothing to store and build up my chi for times of great demand. If I do not conserve my energy, I would be using up the energy I have in store or even eating up into the energy to maintain the health of my internal organs. When this happens, I know I will eventually get sick or unable to think well and my emotion will easily be unbalanced.

Tai chi exercises allows my energy to be generated by my deep breathing and my gathering of energy from the ground, from the sky, from the trees and sea and rivers. I open up to gather them and circulate them in body, balancing the energies in my internal organs, muscles and bones. I focus my mind so that these energies are purified into positive vibrations flowing through me. This way I feel renewed everyday and ready to face a new hectic day as a normal challenge.




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