Tai Chi - Stress Relief For the Busy Mind

[Randal Nelson]

The attractive girl with the short, spikey, black hair jumped out of
her car; phone firmly glued to her ear. She came into the convenience
store, where I was deciding what to buy, and padded around, quickly
gathering various snacks and drinks, never for a moment breaking the
tapestry of conversation she was weaving with whomever was on the
other end of the line.
She continued talking as she got in the check-out line just ahead of
me, never pausing or breaking concentration even when it came time to
slide her debit card through the reader. She gathered her purchases
and exited, still talking intently. I followed her out, visually, as I
paid for my Diet Coke and watched her get in her car, maneuver one-
handed out of her space and speed off, phone still firmly affixed to
the side of her face.
As someone who spends a good deal of time with his own thoughts, I'm
still amazed when I see a person who, seemingly, has no "inner life."
By that, I mean someone for whom their own head-space and internal
dialogue is something to be escaped rather than indulged. It's as if
the reality of being left alone with only their own thoughts for
company is something that causes panic rather than peace.
Unfortunately, I sometimes suspect that the cell-phone, iPod, Gameboy
age has spawned an entire generation of such creatures - I'll call
them stimulus junkies.
Now, don't get me wrong, I love my iPod as much as the next person. In
fact, I frequently listen to it while meditating or doing tai chi,
since it helps to block out the outside world a little better when too
noisy to relax. However, I think it's important for people to come to
terms with being alone inside their heads.
I believe that a big part of stress and our stressful lives is the
failure (or inability) to slow down and quiet our minds for even a
short period of time each day. This is where I, personally, find tai
chi very helpful, but anything that slows down the breathing and
quiets the mind for a few minutes a day can be very beneficial to
mental and physical health.
I'm a big proponent of the Four Minute Fitness and Tai Chi for Busy
People DVDs put out by Dr. Keith Jeffery. These programs are perfect
for taking a short brake during the course of a stressful day to
refresh the mind and body in the time takes most people to go down the
hallway for a cup of coffee.
What? No time for a coffee break? Well, don't worry about losing out
on productive time. In fact, you may find that as you learn to relax
and let go of your tension, some of the best ideas you've ever had
will float to the surface in your newly quiet mind.

Explore The Full Potential Of Your Mind: http://legster.wizard.ro/