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Memory | ||
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Memory problems
A lot of adults worry about problems with
their memory.
Sometimes they may have legitimate reason to be
concerned.
However, the problem often lies with
expectations and use of the brain, not with the
functionality of
memory itself.
Familiar
Memories are recorded all the time.
It is an involuntary process.
The more frequently you perform an activity or a
situation, the more readily accessible the memory
will be.
We are checking our smartphones on
average 221 times a day. Recent research found that 80 percent of
millennials look at their phones upon waking; this addiction is a strong
one. As a result, our cognitive processing has become shallower and we have
become so distracted that we play directly into the hands of the autopilot.
Digital devices are the modern day equivalent of tranquillisers. They instil
a trance-like state almost immediately as they are anchors for our
subconscious to take over.
(Chris Barez-Brown)
Expectations
People have naive expectations regarding
memory.
We usually remember what we need for day-to-day functionality.
The name of somebody we worked with 10 years ago is
simply not relevant since we do not encounter them with any regularity.
What did you eat for your evening meal on the 15th of August three years ago?
Unreliable
Scientific studies have proven that human memory is far from reliable.
Even events that we imbue with great significance are always remembered
partially.
Plus, we change.
How we see the world alters as we grow, experience,
reflect and re-evaluate.
Could the viewpoint of a child conceivably be compared to that of an adult?
Are your childhood memories remotely accurate?
Compartmentalising
Most people compartmentalise their
tai chi training.
They attend one lesson a week and do no training at
home between lessons.
Sketchy
When the student thinks about class on the day of class their brain
begins to refresh the components associated with the tai chi
class.
By the time the individual arrives at class, they are once more
familiar with tai chi, the class and what to
expect.
But the memories from the previous week are a little sketchy.
Cheating
One danger in a tai chi class
lies with copying other students or seeking to copy the
teacher. This is a major folly.
Copying is lazy.
You are relying upon somebody else's memory rather than
exercising your own.
By cheating you are not
learning or
understanding anything.
Daily practice
A tai chi student who trains every morning
between lessons is far more likely to remember the Art than a student who only
practices once a week in class.
The movements and exercises are familiar because they do them every day.
Frequency creates habit patterns in the body.
Muscle memory
One
major advantage of consistent on-going
home practice is the cultivation of
muscle memory. Rather than having to recall every
movement, the exponent's body knows where
to go and what to do.
This is the first step in
moving in a taijiquan way...
What's the catch? To accomplish this, frequent,
mindful practice is needed. There's no other way to
attain this skill.
The more often your body performs taijiquan movements, the more likely
it is to remember them automatically.
Autopilot
High repetition of qigong and tai chi
movements results in muscle memory.
The muscles are familiar with how and where to move and the
brain directs the action.
It will feel as though they moved by
themselves.
This is essentially no different to what happens when you drive a bicycle or
a car.
However, with tai chi you are learning long, complex sequences of movements/combat
drill/applications,
so the challenge is greater and more diverse.
The advantage of muscle memory is habit.
You do not have to think as much.
You can become immersed in the
event itself.
Class time
The student who practices on a daily basis does not attend weekly lessons for a
reminder/refresher.
Instead, they seek new material,
corrections, refinements
and insights.
Each lesson is deeper and more productive.
Presence
Class time can be used more productively when your mind is actually on
the task at hand.
If you are worrying, watching the clock or
thinking about something else then your brain is
not going to be remembering things too well. Meditate. Bring your mind back to what you are doing.
If your brain is anticipating something or you are daydreaming, what exactly
are you trying to remember at a later date? The activity itself, the train of
thought or the daydream?
Study
Reading The Tai Chi Classics and
more challenging theoretical books such as The
Art of War, The Way of Chuang Tzu, Tao Te Ching,
Tai Chi Theory & Martial Power, The Book of Five Rings will prompt your
brain to engage with the tai chi to a greater degree.
You invest more time and energy.
By thinking, contemplating and seeking to
incorporate discoveries into your tai chi, the Art occupies a larger part of
your memory.
Not only is memory involved, but the also problem-solving part of the
brain. Over time, your consciousness
changes and you begin to see the Art quite
differently.
Research
Beyond study is the pursuit of specific lines of
inquiry.
You scour the web or read your books seeking a particular piece of information
(i.e. what is peng?).
Or you want to compare different
approaches, insights or practices.
Once again, this process of engaging
more fully assists in both your
learning and your recollection.
Anecdotal stories
Anecdotal stories provide an
opportunity to look at taijiquan/martial arts practice in a more entertaining way.
Rather than study in earnest, you can read quite
casually and just enjoy the story.
There are lessons to learn, things to avoid and ultimately your knowledge may
deepen in scope.
Examples: There Are No Secrets, Steal My Art, Gravity Never Stops, Zen in the
Martial Arts, The Power of Internal Martial Arts, Chinese Boxing and Moving Zen.
Application in daily life
The strongest way to help your memory recall the tai chi is to take the
principles and insights
into your everyday life.
Make use of the Art.
Do not compartmentalise it.
More...
Page created
18 March 1997
Last updated
07 November 2018