So many people are stressed, that they find it hard to relax into just being themselves. There's always a deadline, or a difficult task, or demanding people; always something that works against being relaxed.

When I first started tai chi, I was extremely stressed and one of my friends asked how I could possibly manage to go out to tai chi after work, but tai chi was the only time I could just do things, just work at my own pace, just be myself. Indeed, knowing I had tai chi in the evenings to look forward to helped tremendously.


Tai chi is the art of relaxation and the more tai chi you practise, the more room you have to just be. So many people come to tai chi for relaxation and the more you relax, the better your tai chi becomes. This helps you have mental space, to then think about your values and what you really want out of life. We live in a society that is pressurised towards money and working hard, but when you're 93, do you really want to look back and say “well I earned a lot and I spent loads of time at work?” Surely there is more to life than that!


My lifestyle these days is much more relaxed, as I spend time with friends, in my garden, visiting art exhibitions and museums, reading, and of course practising tai chi. Enjoy your life, relax into being yourself!