Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.

 –Anais Nin



I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

–Maya Angelou

I attribute my success to this: I never gave or took any excuse.

–Florence Nightingale

The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.

 –Amelia Earhart

The Reiki Creed
1. Just for today do not anger.
2. Just for today do not worry.
3. Earn your living honestly.
4. Honour your parents, teachers and elders.
5. Show gratitude to every living thing.
by Dr. Mikao Usui

Taijiquan makes you walk with awareness and grace. Strong yet stable and quick.

Taijiquan is not torture-cise. I see runners in the park panting, hunched over and miserable. Is this the road to fitness?

Many women walk like a cowboy or a gangsta.

Many women walk like men. As if their reproductive organs were on the outside?

There are obvious signs of imbalance in people. A woman who says that chocolate is better than sex surely is admitting to a poor sex life? Worst still is the woman who says that work is better than both sex and chocolate. This is very sad indeed and perhaps cause for relationship therapy. Perhaps begin with Taijiquan lessons.

I'm watching how other women walk in an effort to improve my own awareness.

The Perfect Fancy Dress?

Taijiquan avoids judgement and condemnation; you do what you can and that's OK. Unless You're a Master and then you must be better.

“It is a self defense exercise that can make your body strong. In the use of this exercise, there are a hundred benefits without one harm. It is a model for the whole country to follow.”

- Ts’ai Chueh-ming

I see women who buzz back and forth, back and forth like a small fly. They always look so haggard and tired and complain that they have so little time and they are so busy. This is not a Taijiquan attitude. If you behave like a fly of course you will get tired, for you are a woman not a fly.

Moving meditation sounds appealing but the actuality is hard. Most people don't want to slow down and know themselves. They'd pretty much do anything to avoid that sort of intimacy.



My Filipino friend thought the Chinese women were silly to wear thin black pantyhose beneath their Taiji uniforms and made a point of saying so. I challenged her to wear pantyhose for a day and see what happened. She did. The following day she described the almost hypnotic effect upon men particularly when she removed her shoes.

I slow down to the point where I really feel my opponent and then it hits me: I spend all my time thinking about my own body when I should be thinking about theirs.

Most women seem to have embraced a certain butch look. They don't wear pantyhose and they don't even walk like women.

Taijiquan requires integrity. This means that pride and vanity are not permitted.

I'm not so good at pushing hands. Sure, it looks real easy but it's not. I think I have got  it and I haven't. I push and then suddenly my balance is gone or I'm crumpled and I've lost.

Power? Undoubtedly!

Femininity need not be costly, elaborate or expensive.

Some people play Taijiquan just to brag to others. Why is this?

As a young woman I was taught how to walk correctly with one foot in front of the other. My Mother would listen for the sh-sh rasp of nylon and if she couldn't hear it, I was scolded.



I think that a strong woman is a woman who is not afraid to be a woman.

Correct walking is important for health and self-esteem.

Are you being direct and honest or coy and deceitful?

I have heard it said that some women don't shave their legs because they are feminists. This is not so in Asia. All modern women are feminists for we want equal opportunity in all areas of life but this doesn't mean that we discard our femaleness. Not shaving legs has nothing to do with feminism, for it reflects laziness and a disregard for personal grooming.

Socks are almost as bad as bare feet because socks are manly. What sort of woman wears the same clothes as men? There is a word for such women and I dare not say it here.

I see people using Facebook to pin their travels on a map. This is bragging disguised as being interesting. Taijiquan requires more of you than this.

Taijiquan teaches maleness and femaleness - with each gender finding balance according to it's own nature.

I found this image on another blog. It inspires me because it captures the essence of femaleness. The model's outfit is so simple and endearing. The image is romantic, soft and sensual but not sexual. There is an impression of vulnerability, confidence and strength. I like to dress like this when home because it offers tremendous freedom and femininity.

Example of mutual ego stroking:
"Where did you go on holiday?" 
      "Bali."
"Oh, I went there with my boyfriend last year. We have been 3 times already. This year we are going to Sydney..."

Femaleness is all about being true to my gender and not acting or looking like a man.

Talk straight. Don't make as if people have to fish information from you. This is phoney and fake. If you have something to say, say it.

Drag queens make more effort to look feminine than many women.

Bragging in any form is not Taijiquan.

Taijiquan encourages people to be honest and when talking, be sincere.

I see Western ladies do Taijiquan with bare feet or socks. Ugh! How ugly. Like a man.

Taijiquan can significantly boost sex drive. People like to use words such as virility or vitality but they're talking about S E X.

This is why Asian women wear pantyhose:



 

Taijiquan and menopause:

http://www.bnhc.co.uk/research/tai-chi/353-tai-chi-improves-post-menopausal-health



I like to watch runners alongside the road because they remind me why Taijiquan is superior. In ancient times Qigong was practiced as was Gong-fu and these two arts led to Taijiquan. These arts have a history of good practice and the health benefits are widely known. Running was created by Forrest Gump. OK, I joke but you see the recent nature of running. Where's it's history?