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Habit Forming
12 Jul 2010
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Do you have bad habits you would like to stop, or good habits you would like to start? They are effectively the same task; both can be handled simply, but only if you put your mind to it. Its as easy and as difficult as that.
In my recent book, Tai Chi In Your Life, I discuss eight principles of Tai Chi Chuan (taijiquan) that you can productively incorporate into every aspect of your daily life. At the core, the book is about cultivating useful traits and, you might say, de-cultivating negative traits.
One early teacher I had put habit formation like this: ideas lead to actions; actions lead to habits; habits form character. That does not tell you how to cultivate new habits, but it tells you how why it is important to do so. Our habits define who we are.
In class, students are constantly gaining new insights into movement, which makes them want to reform their own movement to perform more correctly. But how? Where does the process begin and end?
It starts with relaxation, the first principle of Tai Chi; without relaxing, you can do nothing correctly. You cant even relax your mind enough to grasp the new reality presented to you.
Next comes awareness (third principle): awareness of the correct movement, of the mistake previously made, of the need to make correction.
Your awareness must extend to the point that you accept (seventh principle) it, and yield to the reality of what is needed. In order to accept it, you must detach your ego (eighth principle) to the point that you can overcome preconceived notions and accept newer, more valid, approaches.
Now the real work begins: applying the lesson to the creation of a new habit. As you train, you must be constantly (i.e., continuously, fourth principle) alert to situations arising that call for the correct new habit to be performed.
When you recognize the situation that calls for the new habit / improved movement, you must focus (fifth principle) clearly on the correct approach. Every time you do it correctly, you reinforce the new habit. Every time you miss and do it incorrectly, you are holding back on your potential.
You form the habit by keeping your awareness continuously alive and then focusing on the correct response. Translate your mental awareness into physical action. With training and experience, your habit will become more and more a part of you, until it is what you do without effort, like breathing.
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Best Practices
11 Jun 2010
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Morning Ritual
17 May 2010
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Intention - Fantasy versus Reality
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Tai Chi Your Life
7 Mar 2010
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Invest in Silence
22 Jan 2010
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Steel Mist
13 Dec 2009
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Crutches
22 Nov 2009
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Tai Chi Recovery
12 Nov 2009
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Illness as an Investment
22 Oct 2009
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Indulge Yourself
1 Sep 2009
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Illness and Tai Chi Challenges
28 Jul 2009
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All Tai Chi Chuan is Good
16 Jul 2009
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Training with the Grandmasters
7 Jul 2009
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Zoning Out
19 Jun 2009
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Form and Practice
8 May 2009
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Tai Chi Friends Around the World
5 Apr 2009
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The Yin and Yang of Season Change
30 Mar 2009
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No Strain, No Gain
22 Feb 2009
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No Pain, No Gain?
4 Feb 2009
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Cheer Up!
11 Jan 2009
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Gong Qi and Qi Gong
19 Dec 2008
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Winter Solstice Celebration
8 Dec 2008
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Accepting
2 Dec 2008
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Acquiring without Seeking
20 Oct 2008
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How to Not Focus on Focusing
7 Oct 2008
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Elements Trump Class
15 Sep 2008
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Fall Forward: Celebrate the Change of Seasons
3 Sep 2008
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July Full Moon Observation
8 Jul 2008
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Summer Solstice Celebration Friday
19 Jun 2008
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What is Tai Chi?
12 Jun 2008
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Tai Chi: The Next Generation
12 May 2008
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Accepting
30 Apr 2008
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First Steps in Tai Chi
20 Apr 2008
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Tai Chi and Yoga
5 Dec 2007
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Avoiding Carpal Tunnel Problems
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More Power of Intention
18 Sep 2007
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Are you Continuous?
22 Aug 2007
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Tai Chi Tournaments
30 Jul 2007
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Healthy Tai Chi
2 Jul 2007
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Continuity and Perseverance
30 May 2007
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New Classes Added
13 May 2007
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Observe World Tai Chi Day at the Houston Taoism Meetup
27 Apr 2007
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Falls and Tai Chi
17 Apr 2007
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The Important of Intention: Separating Fantasy from Reality
12 Apr 2007
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"New Session"
2 Apr 2007
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Coping with Grief and Sadness
26 Mar 2007
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Missing Classes
24 Mar 2007
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Spring and the Five Elements
20 Mar 2007
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Tai Chi: Easy or Tough?
13 Mar 2007
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My First Blog: A Message to Students After Their First Class
6 Mar 2007
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