the three principles
The three principles, learned in the first lessons, evolve as the understanding progresses through practical experience of the physical movements. Their implications for the integration of the whole being and the benefits manifested thereby become more evident as the sessions proceed, but accrue from the very beginning.
These principles are, first, to relax everything and to move only one thing at a time (as in not raising the shoulders in the first movement when raising the arms); second, to shift the weight completely to one side or the other, and to have the side with weight not move and the side without weight move (as a cat puts its' paw tentatively down without weight, retaining its' balance before shifting its' weight); and third, to have all movements originate from the center, which is the spinal axis, and includes the hips at the lower end and the shoulders at the upper end
(The arms and legs act as extensions of this center, and not independently). These should be taken as practical, and not theoretical or philosophical observations.
generalization of the three principles
Each of these principles is generalized by the brain and applied to more than the physical body. Thus, as we learn to move only one thing at a time, and relax everything else, other automatic connections are also weakened. When we find we can raise our arms without automatically tensing and raising our shoulders, other automatic connections, emotional triggers such as "When someone yells at me I get upset" also become weaker.
When we learn to move in balance physically by not shifting our weight until after placing the weightless foot (once again, like a cat), we are also learning not to throw ourselves into emotional situations, but to move forward in a state of emotional balance. And most importantly, as we learn to originate our movements from our center in a practical physical way, with all the parts working together, we begin to find all our parts working together and helping each other on other levels as well. Our bodies draw on all their resources to fight off a cold or disease. Our minds draw on all their abilities to solve our problems, not just our conscious resources. More and more, our bodies, minds, emotions, and spirits work together and help us in all our tasks.
As we learn to move more efficiently, and train our physical parts not to fight each other but work together, the same things take effect mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. This generates a lack of internal inconsistency which allows us to grow and accomplish all that we are capable of as human beings.
It has been said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Just so, the simple changing of physical habits (the first step) is all that is required for our eventual transformation, and the actualization of all our potential as human beings. This process doesn't require the memorization of facts or the skill of an acrobat. It does require patience. We are changing a lifetime of habits, and this doesn't happen instantly. Every non-functional habit we carry once served a purpose, and sometimes these are hard for us to let go of. With patience, however, much can be attained.
strengthening the attention
T'ai Chi is an exercise of the mind and the body. Even more important than the physical aspect, we learn to pay attention in a new way as we learn T'ai Chi. As in the building up of any muscle, the strengthening of our attention muscle takes time. Also, just as lifting weight or running can strengthen muscles for other tasks, just so, exercising our attention muscles in one way can strengthen our attention for other tasks. Paying attention to not raising our shoulders when we bring our arms up will enable us to better memorize the later parts of the form, as well as giving us better attention skills in other areas of endeavor.
Paying attention, like anything else, is a learnable skill. The more time we devote to anything, the more attention we give it. If we take one fourth of a second to raise our arms, we will probably raise them in the same way every time. If we take three seconds to do the same movement, then we have time while we are doing it to observe ourselves and, if we wish, to make any beneficial changes that may present themselves. Often this involves not only repositioning, but just relaxing parts we become aware are tense. This slowing down and paying more attention becomes easier as we learn to relax into the movements. It takes time to be able to slow down. Once again, we are changing a lifetime of habits. As we do, our T'ai Chi becomes more and more meditative and subtly permeates many other areas of our lives.
A second consideration of the strengthening of the attention muscle is that practicing the parts of the form that you do remember will prove advantageous for learning other parts which you have difficulty with.
