Age (3)

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Emotions

Adults seldom take any real interest in their emotional states.
As they get older, emotional habits emerge and these predominate. Hence a person who is habitually annoyed and irritated falls into a routine of responding to situations in this way.
It becomes self-perpetuating.


Face your feelings

The bad news is that negative emotions are expressed by the muscles of the face.
The more limited your range of emotions - and the greater the intensity - the more likely your muscles are to 'hold' those expressions as default. Hence; a lot of people look angry all the time.
Even if they are not angry at a given moment, their muscles say that they are and unfortunately (as a consequence) the individual is significantly more likely to respond in a hostile way.
 

Most studies agree that there are a number of key personality characteristics that are important for healthy aging: easygoing, cheerful, self-confident, adaptable, active, independent, creative, happy, relaxed, satisfied, calm, open, agreeable, conscientious, sociable and having a high tolerance for frustration being mentioned most often.

The traits that lead to an unhealthy, shorter life? Being repressed, dogmatic, stubborn, hostile, neurotic, angry, guilty, sad, fearful, anxious, depressed and aggressive.

(Dr Bradley Wilcox, Dr Craig Wilcox and Dr Makoto Suzuki)

Humour makes life much better

Humour is the ability to realise that not everything in life can or should be taken seriously. This particularly applies to yourself. There is immeasurable value in being able to laugh at your own follies.
Avoid people who lack a sense of humour. They are often arrogant, boring, ingenuine and phoney. They are taking themselves way too seriously.


Laugh a lot

Laughter is a very positive approach to many situations. But not all... People habitually fall into the habit of worrying and becoming stressed.
We invest the most mundane situations with unnecessary emotions - waiting in a queue makes us tense, not finding a parking spot, speaking at a meeting, having to pay more than we want to...


Awareness

Gaining a greater awareness of your body, mind and emotions will enable the individual to take an active role in changing themselves for the better.
But it will require time, patience, commitment and humility.


Entertainment culture

People like to travel or eat at different restaurants, see shows, exhibitions etc. The underlying theme is restlessness and boredom; looking for somebody to perform for you or stimulate you.
Stop looking for people to do things for you. Become the instigator, the doer. Active rather than passive.


Switch it all off

Aim to curtail TV, PC usage, mobile phones and any other technologies you are investing your time (and life) in. You will find yourself with a lot of free time.
Start living instead of watching/browsing/commentating/updating.


Cold turkey

It is quite difficult for modern people to go 'cold turkey'. They are so accustomed to watching other people doing things with their lives that they have completely forgotten about living their own.
Try watching one movie/TV episode a week? Leave the TV off for the rest of the week.  


Hobbies

Studies have found that meaningful hobbies actively help people to stay young. The more complex the hobby, the better.


Invest in tai chi

Reading the books we explore in the tai chi syllabus will comprehensively change how you see the world.
Even the most basic exercises will lead to improvement; especially if you practice them every day in a careful, mindful, whole-hearted manner.


Form

One of the best tools for rejuvenation is 'form'. Sadly, some people have strange notions about form; and fail to understand the key role it plays in cultivating and training whole-body movement.
Real skill with form leads to a wonderful daily opportunity to revitalise your body and remind yourself what nimbleness, grace and agility really feels like.


How much practice do you need?

Students often wonder how much qigong and tai chi to do at home. This depends on you. How well do you remember the material? How fit do you want to be? How inflexible are you?
What are your ambitions? These considerations determine how much training to do. Don't be guided by notions or opinions. Be guided by necessity.


Beyond the beginning

Many people join a tai chi school with lofty ambitions only to reach a rudimentary level of skill and simply remain there.
Remaining a beginner forever is pointless. No matter how much you learn it is still at the first level of skill. Years of practice don't mean anything if you're still a beginner. There's been no progress.
If you are sincere about trying to slow down the aging process, you're going to have to keep going. Don't stop at the beginning. Climb.

Can you be like an infant that cries all day without getting a sore throat?
Or clenches his fist all day without getting a sore hand?
Or gazes all day without eyestrain?
You want the first elements?
The infant has them.

(Chuang Tzu)
 

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Page created 18 April 2005
Last updated 16 June 2023

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