Dịch
By Peter Schwartz
Patrick Watson, the founder of our tai chi school, was fond of saying, “Whatever you do in life, tai chi can help you do it better.”
If you sing, tai chi can help you sing better. If you dance, tai chi can help you dance better. If you’re a mountain climber, tai chi can help you climb mountains better.
I’m not sure he would have applied this principle to writing novels or solving scientific mysteries, but he might well have.
Patrick’s earliest students found this principle to be true. And even new beginning students without much tai chi experience, who have never heard this principle, have discovered that tai chi markedly improves their lives in all kinds of ways.
They are more sure-footed when they rock climb. Conversations with their partners about difficult subjects have become easier. Their breathing is deeper and fuller. Their knees feel better than they have in years. Of course, not all tai chi practitioners report experiences like these, but many do.
Now, it seems, the U.S. Men’s Halfpipe Snowboard team discovered this principle for themselves by performing an ancient Chinese energy practice closely related to tai chi: qigong.
“I’ve been doing a bunch of qigong before riding this whole season,” says Chase Blackwell, from Longmont, Colorado, in one report. “Qigong is a form of meditation in motion. It gets me in the zone, calms the nerves a little bit, and gets me fired up to go send,” he says.
In fact, the whole team has been practicing qigong. Watch them doing the “tiger,” an exercise found in the Five Animal Frolics, one of the oldest forms of qigong (click here to view).
How does it work?
“You’re collecting the energy, harnessing that universal power,” team member Chase Josey says. “Then you can go out there and push your own body to extreme limits in the halfpipe, and ideally do it gracefully and smoothly and land on your feet.”
They’ve even got their coaches doing “cloud hands,” a sequence from the tai chi form. “In moments of high pressure, you can block out the noise a little bit, just breathe.”
How did the team do? All three members advanced to the finals in 2026, reportedly one of the highest-level halfpipe contests in Olympic history.
Patrick Watson might have said, “I told you so.” *
* Patrick would also add that nothing helps improve your tai chi except more tai chi. He would point to stretching as an example. Yoga adepts have wonderfully stretched out muscles, but they’re hard when you squeeze them. Much the way a rubber band stretches when pulled, but is hard when pinched. Food for thought. What do you think?
***
Stay on your game with the Tai Chi Foundation
Whether you’re a career athlete or a Monday night football fan, you can enhance your health and well-being by practicing tai chi and qigong.
Learn more by exploring the various offerings of the Tai Chi Foundation (TCF). TCF provides live online courses, allowing you to engage in guided sessions in the comfort of your home. These virtual classes offer unique opportunities to connect with experienced instructors, ensuring that you receive personalized guidance and feedback. Additionally, the Tai Chi Foundation offers Teachable on-demand classes, providing a flexible and accessible way to learn at your own pace. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced practitioner, these online resources present a wealth of knowledge to enhance your tai chi journey. For those seeking a more hands-on experience, be sure to check out the in-person course offerings of TCF’s affiliated local schools.
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