Developing a Home Practice
Learn how to create a safe and peaceful home practice space. All On Path Healing Arts videos are specially designed to make your home practice easy.
Learning Tai Chi, Qi Gong, or other energy, mind, body practices online and through video is possible, reliable, and effective when keeping a few principles in mind.
Above all, it is about how this makes you feel and how it affects your health, healing, and mobility. As most of these ancient traditions and practices can take a lifetime to master, it is more important to enjoy what you are doing. It is about allowing it to serve you and your level of fitness and mobility above " making it perfect".
Each of us, in-person or online, will have varied starting points, learning styles, and skill levels with these practices. The most important thing is that we are up, moving our body as best we can, breathing, and relieving stress and tension. This will serve us far above "getting it right".
This is not a “no pain no gain” practice. We are actually after the no strain and no pain experience. You can’t break it so long as you are not causing yourself pain. Sure there can be some soreness with exercise, however, it is important not to push ourselves beyond what is reasonable for where we are now.
Take it in your own way, take it slow in the beginning , and listen to what feels right to your body. This is about participating along with and creating balanced lifestyle practices that serve you for your lifetime.
There are many studies on the benefits of these types of practices and meditations, however to me, the proof has always been in the pudding. It comes down to how I feel in my body, my disposition, and my life experience. For me, I can tell and feel a significant difference in my daily life when I am participating with my practices or if I have let it slide. If I allow life to distract me or allow circumstances to prevent me from practicing; I can always feel the difference in my energy, stress level, and quality of life experience.
I simply return to my practices that suit my current state of being best and before long I am stronger, healthier, happier, and getting wiser every day.
Move Your Body, Free Your Mind, and Energize Your Spirit.
Seifu Andy
Check out more helpful tips below
Helpful Hints to Guide Your Practice
1. Create a safe and peaceful practice area.
Choose a spot that makes you feel comfortable and relaxed. Make sure it is free of trip hazards and obstacles. Claim a meditation and exercise space that you can call your own (or for sharing).
2. Modify your movements to suit your area.
You may need to step in place or skip movements from time to time if you run out of space. Trust that you will find a way to make it work best for you.
3. Start each exercise slow and easy.
Develop body awareness and learn to take it slow and listen to what your body needs in the moment.
4. Always practice in the way that is comfortable and safe.
We are not in the same body that we were born in and nor are we even the same body as yesterday, take your time to get a feel for how your body responds to your exercise in today’s body.
5. Adjust and modify the exercises to best suit your body and range of motion.
Exercise patience and nurturing care with yourself and body. Participate at your level and allow yourself time to build coordination, flexibility, and strengthen. We can always practice with a lighter stance, shorter step, or without deep bends.
6. All exercises may be practiced from seated, stationary standing, or simplified positions.
Give yourself the freedom to choose what level of intensity and way to practice. If today’s body needs to take it easy, go ahead and practice from a chair or simplify your movement to suit you best.
7. Listen to your body and use wisdom when exercising.
Even after you have mastered something or gained a high level of performance, it is still helpful to pay attention to your movements and level of intensity. This allows us to adjust in the moment and prevent injury.
8. Seek medical advice if you are not sure if Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Kung Fu, or other practices are right for you.
9. Participate at your own risk, however, Tai Chi and Qi Gong are known to be gentle exercises.
10. Above all, you are your own highest authority.
Do only what is right for you.
11. Participate in the warm-up, practice, and exercise videos as best you can.
If you find a video or practice too challenging at this time, simply revert to an earlier video or participate in another practice instead. There are many videos to choose from, pace yourself.
12. Revisit the videos that you like the best and repeat them to get the most out of the exercises.
Once you get the hang of it, then you can take your personal practice with you wherever you go, practice at the park, or during breaks at work.
Enjoy Yourself!