Biomechanical

The first thing you will explore is alignment. How far apart your feet are placed... What your skeleton is doing... How you stand... Whether or not you are taxing the joints...

It is important to discover how to work in a manner that is healthy and comfortable. That way, it will directly affect your everyday life, and improve your health more effectively.

 I think Sifu Waller knows more about functional biomechanics than all the orthopaedic surgeons I have met put together. 

(Dr David Cousins)

Results

Sifu Waller has been training since 1975, so is incredibly experienced. His classes tend to attract doctors and medical workers, as well as interest from hospitals. Why? Because we get results.

We aim to improve circulation, balance, coordination, ambidextrous body use, skeletal alignment and tension in the body, along with reducing anxiety by remaining rooted in the here and now.

This said, the classes aren't going to be medical or in any way 'heavy'. The exercises are moderate, accessible and can be easily performed by most adults.

Qi (magical energy)...

A lot of modern tai chi classes talk about qi... They give the impression that a magical energy is going to transform your health.

Our classes will never mention qi. We are not going to be talking about qi, auras or anything mystical. We are grounded in medically-sound, functional practice - in the physical world, not in the fantastical.

Qigong

Qigong involves very simple exercises designed to introduce the rounded, natural shapes employed in tai chi. Although qigong is quite straightforward, it does require good body awareness and patience if you are to become adept with the movements.

Some qigong exercises are static, and these are terrific for strength-building.

YES!

 Say YES to new experiences. Be willing to feel lost, awkward and confused.

It is good to be uncertain.

The journey to the self

Cultures with a rich spiritual tradition recognised that life is more than material wealth, self-importance, status, prestige.

Working, politics, family travails, gossip, the news, current affairs, sport, gadgets... all serve to distract you from the truth.

Upon retirement, people relished the opportunity to start getting to know themselves.

"I'm busier now than when I worked"

Many retired people say this. Who is it pitched at? Younger people? Other retirees? It sounds somewhat implausible doesn't it? Consider what is being said. Retiring is to cease work.

By contrast, a younger person must work to financially support a mortgage/rent, pay for children's education/upbringing, a car etc. They have no choice but to work.

The retiree usually does have a choice. And they have chosen to fill they days with activities. Pretending to be at the mercy of fate is simply a transparent ploy intended to convey significance.

Exercising when older

One avenue that many retirees pursue is exercise. This can be great if done is moderation. You may feel like you are 40 but your body is not invulnerable to injury. Just be careful.

A marathon may sound great in conversation but lying on the tarmac having a heart attack is nobody's idea of fun...

 How we move conveys energy and youth – not how buff we are.

(Anne Elliott)

Retiring in the UK

When people retire in the UK they are often encouraged to remain active. A common habit is to become embroiled in ceaseless activity. This can take many forms.

 There is no greater disaster than greed.

(Lao Tzu)

You are not your fat

A defensive person see the excess fat as being part of who they are. An outer manifestation of an inner self. In a way they are correct, however, the fat is not who you are. It is what you have allowed.

Who you are is one thing. Excess body fat is something else entirely.

"Like me for who I am"

People in modern culture are very defensive. They take exception to everything and over-react without realising it. Emotions are attached to the most trivial of things. People are very quick to anger.

Fat or obese?

Heart disease, diabetes and other life threatening conditions can arise when you ignore your body fat.

It is quite scary and sad to think that the Western world is becoming fatter and fatter, whilst many so-called 'developing' countries still struggle to maintain a basic standard of living.
A fat person has eaten more than they need to. They have exceeded their body's requirement. Considering shedding this surplus and changing how you eat.

Fat is unhealthy

It represents stored food and is a redundancy that adversely affects your health. Do not be concerned about media representations of a healthy body. They are an illusion.

A skinny person is not necessarily a healthy one. They may be anorexic or metabolically fast. Use your own judgement, but do not lie. Are you flabby? Do your have pouches of fat?
Be honest with yourself.

Youth passes

Clinging to the illusion that beauty can only be found in youth is one folly of modern society. People pay for plastic surgery and expensive cosmetic products in the hope of looking younger.

Yet, youth is just part of the aging process. Once it has gone, do not chase it. Instead of pining for what has been, enjoy what is happening now.

False body image

Many people who are notably fat genuinely do not realise quite how fat they really are. How come?

• People tend to become fat gradually
• Getting fatter is seen as a natural outcome of aging
• It is impossible to look at your own body objectively
• There are many fat people in society these days, so being fat is not unusual
• If you admit how fat you are, you may feel compelled to address the problem

 There is a time for putting together.

And another time for taking apart.
He who understands this course of events
Takes each new state in its proper time
With neither sorrow nor joy.
The Ancients said: "The hanged man cannot cut himself down."

(Chuang Tzu)

 

Right idea, wrong method?

As people age, they pine for the freedom and fitness of youth. Often, they pursue 'solutions' that are far from ideal:

1. Exercise methods that brutally punish the body

2. Aesthetic changes

These approaches fail to address the underlying issues and seldom result in a long-term positive change. The main concerns need to be: mind, body, attitude and lifestyle.