Have you ever changed something so drastically that it threw you totally off? I was doing Tai Chi in the pool today and that is exactly what happened. I was up to my shoulders in the water and because I had limited weight on my feet, normal moves that I don’t think about on land became areas I had to stop and concentrate on for every foot pivot. At first I was frustrated and thought this was a dumb thing to try but then it made me think about moves in a different way. I had to slow down with each move or I would throw myself off balance. I could also feel when both arms were not moving together or when I was moving too fast. Transferring my weight and keeping my core engaged was vital. It was a great practice for mindfulness.
Doing knee rotations during warm up is another area that I focus on mindfulness but I focus on my feet also. If you watch, I go really slow because I am constantly asking where is my weight? Why? Can I spread my weight out over my foot? Throughout all toes? Why is a toe lifted or scrunched down? As the knee rotates, the weight slowly shifts and the questions start all over again.
Tai Chi has been my go to for mindfulness and grounding. I can’t wait to see what a few more reps in the pool will bring. Shaking things up here and there might not be bad especially when you get to a point where you don’t think and stop being mindful.
