Stress Defense®

TAI CHI

FOR HEALTH, HEALING & PERFORMANCE

“If you want to succeed and enjoy a long career, you will need to be physically healthy, emotionally stable and mentally sound. Tai Chi provides the performer with the necessary tools and more.” - Ron NaVarre

TAI CHI

ABOUT THE CLASS

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  • What is tai chi?
    Tai chi is a Chinese martial art, health and meditation practice based on the Taoist principles of balance and harmony. Tai chi has been an integral part of Lee Strasberg’s Method for training actors for over fifty years. Tai chi practice supports and compliments Method acting training, as they both share a foundation based on relaxation, awareness, and intention. Understanding how to create an effective action; an action that fulfills the intent set or given with the least amount of effort, is one of the goals of tai chi. Through the physical practice the student develops a greater understanding of how focus, intention, energy and effort affect performance.
  • Is tai chi difficult to learn?
    Learning tai chi is an investment of time, effort and energy. It teaches one to be patient, to tune in and to listen to the action and flow of the present moment. It requires repetition and consistent practice to understand, to apply and to master. Tai chi is more than a form of exercise and a martial art, it is a profound skill set that can be applied to all of life.

    Approach the learning process with gentle curiosity.

    Your first lesson in tai chi is a lesson in frustration. Learning tai chi is akin to learning a foreign language, in the beginning it is a slow, tedious process and is often awkward and frustrating.  The language of tai chi is a non-verbal language of the body-mind, It is a language of sensing, feeling and being. This can be very frustrating for intellectual types who tend to live more in the realm of thought and concept than in the body, and for people who need to know "the what and the why" before they allow themselves to commit to experience.  It is an immersive experience that requires one to open all of the senses in order to keep up and go with the flow of the class. Some students find this approach comforting, others find it frustrating and burn with questions such as, "what is this? and why do we do that? and what does this mean?" 

     Frustration is an opportunity not an obstacle.

    It is an opportunity to observe your habitual nature, how you react to your unfulfilled expectations of self and performance. This is not easy or comfortable for most people and as such they often resist the opportunity to see themselves more clearly. When i ask  a student why they are frustrated they will often reply; "because I don't understand what I am doing?" Rarely do I hear some one say "because Im not good at this" or "because I feel awkward and I don't like that feeling".  Why would you expect to be good at something you have never done before? Were you good at riding a bike the first time? Did you feel adept and comfortable your first day of work or school? Of course not and yet we often assume that proficiency in one area of our life will automatically transfer to all areas and experiences. The fact is, no one feels confident and secure in the beginning, that is a given. Accept this and allow your self to feel uncomfortable for a while without becoming self-indulgent and you will begin to understand the true value of patience. Patience is the cornerstone of self-mastery and the foundation of self-cultivation. It is an exercise in self-acceptance, perhaps the greatest lesson tai chi has to offer. 
  • How can tai chi help with performance?
    Performing at your highest level with consistency requires a very high level of physical fitness, mental stamina and emotional balance. Balance is the key to longevity and success. Knowing how to balance yourself at will regardless of the circumstances or environment is essential, whether it is knowing how to return to neutral after an emotionally charged meeting or letting go of and detaching from past results and performances. Balance is a skill every one needs to master.

    Stress Defense tai chi can be practiced as a physical exercise and as a preparation for performance of any kind. It trains the individual to GROUND, CENTER, BREATHE and BALANCE     at will, on demand and under pressure. An essential skill for an unpredictable lifestyle and for the rigorous demands of high performance.
  • How can I learn the physical practice?
    Start with the free Learning Effectively video. Then watch the free Basic tai chi form video and become familiar with the first thirteen movements of the form. A full tai class video is available for purchase if you wish to immerse yourself in the practice in the comfort of your own home.

    Check out the     Events page for a schedule of online and in person classes and workshops as they become available.
  • Are there any special vocabulary terms?

    YES, AND HERE THEY ARE



    Tai Chi: roughly translates as Grand Ultimate Terminus or Supreme Ultimate Way. Tai chi as a philosophy dates back some three thousand years. Tai chi as a martial art is only about four hundred years old.

    Qi Qong: Qi (breath energy) Qong (training), also known as Chinese yoga, is an ancient Chinese health and meditation practice as well as the foundation for internal martial arts such as Tai Chi Chuan.

    Wu Chi: Before separation, the neutral state of total acceptance. Listening without judgement. 

    Dan Tien: Center of energy point. There are three major dan tiens in our practice. The upper dan tien located in the center of the forehead (third eye). The middle dan tien located in the center of the chest (heart center) and the lower dan tien located about 3 centimeters below the belly button. The lower dan tien is the main center and is used as the object of attention for meditation in the beginning stages of tai chi and chi qong energy cultivation. 

    Sinking: to bend the knees and drop ones center of gravity into the ground. 

    Grounding: to connect to the earth/ground by dropping the mind/awareness into your root. Grounding is a continuous downward flow of awareness and intention. 

    Centering: physically aligning the head, shoulders, and hips over the center of the foot. Being aware of ones center of energy (dan tien) and gravity.Centering and anchoring the mental body to the physical body with breath awareness.

    Inner Smile: a soft focus in the eyes, to observe lightly, to be receptive with ones focus. 

    Good Breath: a full diaphragmatic breath with an inner smile.

    Sung:     to sink and expand simultaneously. To drop into your root and fill the space with awareness and intention.
     
    Command: to lead/direct with clear intention. 

    Listen: to observe with all of ones senses without judgment or expectation. The absence of inner dialogue.

    Chakra: energy center/vortex. There are seven main chakras: Crown (top of head), third eye (middle of forehead), throat, heart (center of chest), solar plexus ( just below the sternum), Naval (belly button) and root (bottom of the pelvic bowel).  

  • What else will I find on this website?
    There are many tools and resources available on stressdefense.com for health, healing and performance. There are free videos on the TOOLS PAGE as well as on the BLOG. There are additional tools, techniques and courses for purchase throughout the site.

    Below you will find more information about your instructor, several instructional videos, PDF files and audio files to help you learn the material.

PREVIEW SAMPLE OF FULL CLASS