Holistic Energy Routine 8:45-9:45 a.m, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Rear Studio Entrance Walker Guitar Studio
Listed below are some of the similarities between playing music and practicing Tai Chi as discussed in the book, The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi. Awesome book by the way if you’re interested. In fact, it might just blow your mind!
“If you like music you will probably like Tai Chi. You can learn to tune into your body and know what that means. When you learn to do Tai Chi well and correct your form, your whole body resonates. You can feel your body in tune, opening, and the Qi flowing. This dynamic expression of the moment is also what musicians strive to achieve.”
“It’s no accident that many Tai Chi masters also study music. The right-brain, non-verbal, sensing patterns and the forms of expression are similar in both. Both involve fluidity within structure. The more fluid you become, the better you can sense the vibrational qualities. Musicians are tuned into a kinesthetic style of learning, and they are familiar with the complex and dynamic process of learning new skills.”
“Many similarities exist between music and Tai Chi. Both need a body that is full of energy yet soft. A musician must let go of tension to play well, just as Tai Chi will not flow with tension. Both music and Tai Chi require physical, mental and emotional balance, as well as centeredness and focus. A musician strings together motifs and phrases, just as a Tai Chi player links movements in the form. Proper body posture and alignment are important to both.
“Tai Chi Breathing can you help you to relax. Doing tai chi exercises is a super way to warm up for a performance. Already, before you begin to play, you are in the flow. The experience of just having done tai chi makes you more centered, more open to the music you are performing.”
“Long practice hours, awkward body positions, repetitive movements, and the stress of performance and competition can take a toll on a musician’s health. Musicians are at a high risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders. Researchers at California Medical Center and the University of California San Francisco School of Nursing recommend that musicians take up body posture work, such as Tai Chi….” “These techniques can help musicians indentify their strength and flexibility, improve their posture, and learn to be more. Mindful/aware of how working with their particular instrument plays out in their whole body.”