Can She Chi?

This morning I took my first ever Tai Chi class. I'm not sure what I thought of it. It was sort of like the first time I took yoga 20 years ago. (20 years!) The Tai Chi instructor used a lot of silly names for moves which I'm sure aren't silly if you know what it all means. To someone with no background the pose names seem arbitrary. She calls out the movement White Crane Spreads Its Wings. To me it may as well be Porcupine Eats An Onion Ring or Child Tames a Rutabaga.

What inspired this interest in Tai Chi? This weekend, I'm taking a class in Chi Running. Chi Running is a modified running form that uses the principles of Tai Chi to make running more effortless. Lately, I've really enjoyed running. It's a big change from a year ago, when I found running to be a chore. I thought maybe some formal instruction on running form might be in order.

I don't know how the Chi Running concept came into my world. Last week it was just suddenly there ready for me to explore. When the student is ready, the teacher appears.