Random thoughts, from the inside...
Doing the Taiji form is not so much about an external result but an internal process. We must be present throughout the entirety of the process. When we start to skip ahead of the immediate movement at hand it brings an immediate disconnect from feeling and being present through the internal process to an external focus on results ("completion of posture"). When this occurs the “spirit is no longer being gathered within”,  or to put it another way, ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building.

From Trish Tan
A short lecture by Kristin Neff. Please follow the link below (click to open in a new window).
Video: Resilience and Self-Compassion 

This research reminds me of why we need to live gently and be more compassionate towards ourselves. She talks about having an open heart – very much an art in itself. Accepting and letting go, all a part of practising Taiji Quan.
- Trish Tan