Christian from Athens, Greece asks:
“When is the best time to practice Tai Chi and where?”
Dear Christian,
I have two answers to the first part of the question. Professor Cheng said two different things at different times, but they may not have seemed different to him, This is because what he said was: The best time to practice is at dawn. Then he also said, the best time to practice is when you first wake up. So to him, both of these may have been the same. For me, they are quite different. I rise before 9:00 AM most of the time but not always. I almost never rise at or before dawn.
However one thing he was adamant about was to not do anything else when you arise, just get to the morning round of Tai Chi. Personally I need to brush my teeth when I first wake up. Then I dress. But then I do my morning round of Tai Chi. Professor Cheng said that he would gladly miss breakfast if he had to choose between breakfast and Tai Chi.
Where to practice Tai Chi is another of those questions that have several answers. Professor Cheng said to practice in non-rubber soled shoes, on the grass or the ground. However even when practicing in a building, he was against the use of rubber soles because he said it would insulate your foot against the chi of the earth.
To use Tai Chi to change your life, practice morning and evening all the days of your life.
In Tai Chi,
Bill
