It’s been said that the second-best teacher you’ll ever have, is a mirror. We’ve been to classes and seen our teacher demonstrate postures and movements. We’ve done our best to imitate these. If we’re lucky we’ve had a training partner that’s watched what we’re doing and helped us through suggestions for improvement. Often the mental picture we have of our movements isn’t the same as our body’s actual movement in space. We know what looks right, but we can’t see ourselves from without. Unless we use a mirror. If we’re able to observe our own practice, we’ll quickly pick up on any number of corrections that we could apply quite simply. Of course, it’s not easy. For anyone who’s listened to a recording of their own voice, you know it’s certainly an odd sensation. Watching ourselves on a screen can just feel wrong. However, if we can get over that and get out of our own way, seeing ourselves practice is a very powerful tool for progress, especially when we don’t have access to our teacher on a regular basis. Challenge 6: Record yourself doing the foundation form. Take a deep breath, now watch it back. Watch it right through without pause, possibly two or three times. Now watch through critically. Pick the one or two aspects that present most strongly. There’s your work for the week. Enjoy!
Ross Cousens
# Tai Chi # Tai Chi practise # record yourself