Tai Chi Camera – Rachel’s Reflection’s and a Beautiful Photo!
This is a self-portrait I took early 2019. Ever since I moved to the United States over 10 years ago, I have been thinking about my old/new life. What am I? Life is different here from back home in Taiwan. In pondering about what I am, this image came to my mind. That Spring, the beautiful weather, the evenly light, and the time, urged me to grab this picture.
What we are is always organic and changing. What we do and what we think, defines who we are. The question is, are we ok with the actions we take everyday? I recently read in Hoffpost.com that each day, an average person generates 50,000 thoughts per day, some researchers reported 70,000. And according to a medical research by the University of Maryland School of Medicine, 80% of our thoughts are negative, and 95% are repetitive thoughts of the day before. That’s a lot of negative thoughts we have each day! Therefore, it’s of paramount important that we watch who we become! What do you decide to do? What are you thinking?
Now, you might ask, what does it have anything to do with the title, “Tai Chi Camera?” And “What are you talking about?” It has everything to do with Tai Chi Camera! It all started with my husband.
Not in a million years did I dream of being a Tai Chi teacher, I hated exercising! I grew up in a time, place and culture where for women to look fit really was not a thing. So, I spent time doing all other thing, but exercising.
I, however, learned the necessity to exercise, the importance to move our body the hard way.
I got ill a few years ago. I became weak very quickly. I didn’t have energy, couldn’t do anything productive or fun, in addition, I had these horrible lumps popping up my eyelids that wouldn’t go away. My various doctors were shocked and didn’t know how to treat this condition except for performing procedures to remove them, again and again. The process was painful. Everyday I lived in fear, I would check myself in the mirror, worrying if I was going to find another lump. And that chair…thinking about that cold and solitary chair where I was put in so many times just gives me the chills! “Do I need to schedule another appointment to be in that procedure chair again?”
One morning, as usual, I felt the need to go back to bed after being up for a short one hour. I looked out the window, it was a beautiful, sunny day. But I was feeling frustrated, emotionally and physically in pain; I was not able to enjoy what’s thriving under the sun. The colorful flowers were waving at me, and the birds were chirping away with lively melodies. The bright, beautiful day was a contrast to my dim, lifeless, physical condition. My chest was feeling tight, hard to breathe, and my mind was producing garbage with a lightening speed contaminating my spirit. Just then…a humming bird hovered over our Jasmine bush right outside my window. He looked at me with his beautiful, shiny, bright red, feathered outfit, took a sip of the Jasmine nectar, looked at me again, and then swiftly flew away. “Wow! He’s so cute and lively busy working about! And I am feeling so tired and slow!” I then remembered something I read – We are what we do, and what we think! Thinking “My putting off my personal care time, i.e. exercising and resting is NOT important” was exactly how I arrived at such poor health condition. Life always gives us a choice. Robert Greene said that there are two type of time, alive time and dead time. One is when you wait until things happen to you. The other is when you are being proactive, when you are learning and growing. Are you taking “alive” actions to feed your life? Or “dead” actions to smother your life? The answer was clear to me then – I want to be “alive”. Most people think that the future happens to us. But is it so? Or is it something we have a certain degree of control? I decided to make my own future.
My very loving husband, during this dark period of my life, patiently taking care of me, allowing me to heal. He gently nudged and guided my Tai Chi and Qigong practice. One time, my husband was guiding and watching my practice. After centering myself, I slowly and carefully executed my moves, coordinated my breathing with my movement. Gradually, my mind got quiet, my chest felt open, and my body finally felt relaxed. “Ah! Now, I understand why we practice!” I said. “It feels so good!” I felt light, both physically and emotionally! I then fell in love with Tai Chi and Qigong. To build strength, my husband then started teaching me Tai Chi Sword and Immortal Sword. As I practice each of these classical health exercise sets called “forms”, I tasted the different energetics of each one of them. Tai Chi, Qigong and Sword became my regular practice. As the result of my “alive” actions, my health became alive.
Tai Chi Camera is a result of who I am today. Tai Chi gave me back my health, and photography helps me see the world in a different light. I hope you like my self-portrait, my expression, my Tai Chi Camera Form!
Tai Chi Camera to your Health and Happiness!
Tell me what you think! I’d love to hear from you! – Rachel