Regular practice is one of the fundamental rules of any progress.

If you don’t push yourself to follow daily routine, you will get big chance to have your life full of stagnation and bad habits controlling you.

My first Tai Chi class happened somewhere in September of 1995. At this time, I exercised typical physical basics with around 500 sit-ups daily as the main part.

Still having this background, it took me a few good years to start practising Tai Chi on daily basis.

Why?

I’m actually not sure why.

At the beginning I was more fascinated with Taoist philosophy and maybe that was the reason.

Though when I think about that more carefully it looks like it was good excuse to run away from the true change.

Because Tai Chi practice as all of the great systems changes you deeply inside. You become new person. And this is very scary thing. Most of us is unconsciously petrified of this change.

We stick to what we know even if that’s destroying our life.

 

Thanks God I hit the bottom. My personal life became one big mess and I didn’t want any more to make the same mistakes again and again and again.

So the first was the decision.

Then reality.  Looking for excuses, laziness, escapes.

In the background doing those 500 sit ups without any problem.

I didn’t give up though.

On each occasion when I missed the practice I just came back to it as soon as I was able.

And so on and so on…until I got myself to this place where it is as normal to me as daily teeth cleaning for most of you.

I’m today different person. The internal frantic spasm went away. I lived in 3 different countries, learned 3 new languages and got the control of myself.

The monkey in my head, horse in the heart and pig in my stomach don’t get crazy that easy 😉

 

All of it thanks to Father Form which is the core and base of my daily routine.

This Form is also regular beginning of out classes and workshops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

First part of the class helps to relax the tension in your body, clam your down and improve joints flexibility.

To achieve that we use so called “Father Form” which comes from San Feng Style – unique family style from Canton brought to Europe by Dr Ming Wong and taught by a few of his students. As per our knowledge Thomas Nowakowski is the only one teaching this style in UK.

“Father Form” takes around 45 minutes and goes through all of the joints starting from feet then moving step by step to upper parts.

We practice whole form in silence, concentrating on movement and breathing.

The movements are not difficult but can be challenging if it’s going about the balance or flexibility. Those challenges are quickly dissolving with regular practice. With every repeat you will feel the improvement of your external and internal stability.

Similar to a lot of Tai Chi exercises this form works also with concentration’s ability and capability of brain hemispheres’ communication.

Students stay facing the teacher and repeat his movement not like in the mirror’s reflection but in the same direction/side like teacher’s. For example: when the teacher moves right hand in the right direction, the students should do the same. This type of exercises develops neural connections and speedup the timing of reactions not only in a study room but in your daily life. You can be faster and more accurate with the decisions you need to take, your reaction to the stress situations will be controlled better.

Very interesting aspect of practicing “Father Form” is observing how much the body work influences our mental stability and vice versa. Improving your flexibility of joints will have positive impact on the way you process information. Your overall vision will be broader and more detailed which is useful in every possible life situation. From little things of no big consequences up to life’s changing decisions, clear vision and flexibility of thinking is most wanted asset.

If you want to improve your life balance or you suffer from some kind of health restrictions this exercise will help greatly.

Many students of Thomas Nowakowski practise “Father Form” on daily basis. They incorporated it in between their busy lives, work, families and all other activities because it is so rewarding.

The tension and blocks are staying with us when not dissolved and relaxed. They go deep inside into the muscles, joints and singular cells building the layers of stiffness, collecting psychosomatic “dirt”.

You can compare practicing “Father Form” to your daily shower or teeth brushing. It has the same cleansing effect except it goes much further. It purifies your whole body and mind. Makes you healthier, happier and calmer in this crazy world.

 

…and then you can easily go for push hands in Prague 🙂