I was up late working on this painting, titled “Black Pillar”, and I think it’s coming along nicely. My morning tai chi routine was lackadaisical as a result: one qigong form done, then a bit of a walk around the apartment, then the other qigong form, then a bit of cleanup in the kitchen, then the tai chi form. There may have been some cleanup of the art supplies and drafting desk, too, although more remains to be done to clean up this house after the last few weeks of crazy. A lot of it will get done this week… Probably once the painting is finished.
I’m conscious that in the two months since my tai chi practice passed the year mark, that it’s been less and less interesting to me. Don’t get me wrong: it’s still hard to get up and do the work; it’s still hard to convince myself that I should do it. The Dweller on the Threshold still gets me front time to time, and I delay getting up and getting started. But sooner or later, I get up and out of bed, and I go do the tai chi.
But the actual tai chi is less interesting. There are fewer complications, and fewer barriers to success. There are times when I forget my place in the form, or I have to do a sequence over again — but I find that there are few parts of the work that cause strain or physical challenge. Which is sort of the point. I want to experience fewer physical challenges as I get older, and I want to remain flexible and mentally alert. And I’m getting those benefits. But there’s less to say about the work itself. And I wonder if that will continue to be the case, or if I’m only on a current plateau in my practice. Or if there’s a third option? Again, I don’t know.
