| #ffffff;" /> | | | | enjoying part of the mind. This is the part of the |
| According to a twenty-year study by Kaiser | | | | mind that smells the flowers, not to analyze the |
| Permanente, between seventy and eighty-five | | | | smell, but to be filled with its beauty -- and this is |
| percent of illness is caused by stress, meaning | | | | the part that has been left behind in the digital |
| that in the U.S. alone stress is costing us about | | | | world. When we go to the cyber mall, for |
| one-trillion dollars per year in healthcare costs. | | | | example, our right brain doesn't get to play. The |
| Since most absenteeism is due to stress, US | | | | cyber mall is a wonderful thing that saves us |
| business is losing upwards of $300 billion per year. | | | | time, money, and gas for our cars (and thereby |
| On a more personal level, it is disturbing to realize | | | | saves the environment), but there are no Auntie |
| that aging is accelerated by stress, and stress is a | | | | Anne's Pretzels to smell in cyberspace, or warm |
| growing issue with all of us. Studies show that | | | | sunlight streaming in through the big skylights. |
| change is stressful, even "good" change. So as we | | | | So what do we do? We get the best of both |
| computer jockeys settle into the saddle of a new | | | | worlds. T'ai Chi is a series of exercises to balance |
| age of rapidly changing information, we need an | | | | the mind. T'ai Chi teaches us to experience life for |
| edge that can help us stay healthy, sane, | | | | sheer pleasure, thereby creating balance in our |
| “younger” and more vibrant, even | | | | busy "get things done yesterday" world. If you |
| as we are often at the very center of the | | | | learn T'ai Chi and practice in the morning before |
| hurricane of modern change, such as keeping up | | | | you sit down at your computer, your right brain |
| with new hardware and software. | | | | (the sensing and enjoying brain) will be turned on |
| Ironically an ancient mind/body tool provides the | | | | more. You will feel the texture of your computer |
| perfect balm for our generation's modern | | | | keys. You will remember to take the time to get |
| problems -- it is called "Tai Chi" (pronounced | | | | a nice cup of green tea or herbal cinnamon spice |
| tie-chee). T'ai Chi is a gentle series of relaxing | | | | tea, and you'll interrupt your staccato keyboard |
| motions that cleanse the body's tissue of | | | | occasionally to smell the tea's rich aroma, feel the |
| accumulated stress and, by doing so, boosts all | | | | warmth in your hands, and breathe the breath of |
| aspects of our health systems. According to | | | | life deeply into your lungs. |
| emerging research boosting the immune | | | | Although you are at the cutting edge of the |
| system’s strength dramatically, while | | | | information age revolution, you are also in the |
| reducing the incidence of depression, anxiety, and | | | | garden of life. This will give you an edge in the |
| even reducing chronic pain conditions, are just a | | | | long run. Why? Because chronic stress diminishes |
| few of T’ai Chi’s myriad benefits. | | | | our cognitive skills and therefore, our creativity. |
| What makes ancient T’ai Chi the perfect | | | | Einstein said, "Creativity is more important than |
| modern balm is that it doesn't require special | | | | knowledge." Even if we have the world's |
| facilities or clothing, and doesn't even make you | | | | knowledge at our fingertips, if we are too |
| break a sweat, meaning you can do it in office | | | | stressed out to use the knowledge |
| attire in an empty boardroom just by kicking off | | | | "creatively,” we are much less effective. |
| your heels. Yet, it provides the same euphoria of | | | | Plus, we're not as much fun! |
| a long run, the cardiovascular benefit of moderate | | | | The bottom line is T'ai Chi is a set of exercises to |
| impact aerobics, and burns nearly as many | | | | practice enjoying life. It's not enough just to say, |
| calories as downhill skiing. | | | | "I'm going to enjoy life more." We actually have |
| Our time is filled with paradox. A problem in this | | | | to practice mind/body tools that can positively |
| modern age stems from the great promise of | | | | affect our brain wave activity, in an integrative |
| the information age -- a tidal wave of data being | | | | way, as T'ai Chi is proven to do. |
| created by and offered to our "left brain"; that | | | | T'ai Chi is an extremely sophisticated mind/body |
| part of our minds that is analytical, calculating, and | | | | science that evolved over millennia, and is now |
| categorizing the world. Of course, this is a | | | | being made available to all of us after centuries of |
| powerful and important part of who we are. This | | | | being closely guarded secrets in China. Even |
| is the part of the mind that gets things done, | | | | though the practices are ancient, they are in |
| pays the rent, builds the houses, and makes the | | | | many ways just as cutting edge as the |
| cars. Our "right brain," however, is getting left | | | | multi-gigabyte computer. |
| behind in our rapidly changing techno-world, and | | | | Don't just be "cutting edge" with your left-brain. |
| this imbalance of thought processes is at the | | | | Go all the way and stretch the envelope with |
| heart of modern stress. | | | | your right brain, too, by weaving T'ai Chi into your |
| Our right brain is the feeling, smelling, sensing .. . | | | | life. |