Although in introductory Taijiquan classes the instructor would often tell the students to just breathe normally, proper breathing techniques are very important as one goes beyond the introductory class. Since beginning students already are very much pre-occupied with trying to learn the various Taiji forms and also trying to relax their bodies and minds, requiring them also to learn when to breathe in and breathe out would be counter-productive. There is just too much to learn, and adding the requirement of breathing would just cause them to tense up and forget the forms they are trying to learn.
Before I continue, I want to emphasize that there is not necessarily just one way of teaching breathing in Taijiquan. As a matter of fact, different instructors may teach it differently. In the rest of this article, I just want to discuss my interpretation to the approach of integrating breathing techniques in learning and practicing Taijiquan. I certainly don’t claim to be an expert on this subject, and I welcome the readers’ comments, criticisms, and suggestions on this article.
Retiremeent: Opportunity for Rebirth
After working for 35 years, I recently (at the end of January 2006) retired. Actually I was laid off, and that made my decision to retire slightly early a very easy decision. During the last 10 months, I have really enjoyed my retirement. As a matter of fact, I found that this past year since retirement is probably one of the best years of my life.
If one can satisfy the requirements of good health and financial stability, then retirement provides a golden opportunity for rebirth. By that, I mean that one can do the many things that one really enjoys doing, but never found enough time to do before. Of course, what one enjoys doing varies with the individual.
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