Page 81 - The Art of Learning by Josh Waitzkin_Neat plip book

It is Chen’s opinion that a large obstacle to a calm, healthy, present existenc e
is the constant interruption of our nat ur al breathi ng pat terns . A tho ught or

ringing phone or honking car int errupt s an out -br eath and so we stop and
begin to inhale. Then we have ano ther tho ught and stop before exha ling. The
result is shallow breathing and de cient fl hi ng of carbo n di oxide from our
systems, so our cells never have as much pur e oxygen as they coul d. Tai Chi

meditation is, am ong other things, a h aven of uni mpai red oxygen ation.
Whether or not imperfect breath patterns or just plain stress was my
problem, my quality of life was greatly impr oved dur ing my fi st few mont hs
of Tai Chi practice. It was remarkab le ho w developi ng the abi lity to be

physically introspective changed my world. Aches and pai ns di ssolved with
small postural tweaks. If I was stressed out , I di d Tai Chi and was calmed.
Suddenly I had an internal mechanism with whi ch to deal with externa l
pressures.

On a deeper level, the practice had the effect of connect ing di spa rate
elements of my being. My whole life I had been an athl etic guy who pr acticed a
sport of the mind. As a boy I had been devoted to my love for che ss, and my
passion was so unfettered that body and soul were uni ted in the task. La ter, as I

became alienated from chess, my phy sical instinct s were worki ng in oppo sition
to my mental training. I felt trapped in a cerebral bubbl e, like a tige r in a cage .
Now I was learning how to systematically put tho se elements of my be ing ba ck
together. In early 1999, Master Chen invited me to begin Push Hands pr actice.

I had no idea that his quiet offer woul d ch ange m y life.

I. Tao Te Ching, chapter 4.