The Experiences I learned Taiji in Taiwan(Laurie Battle)

The Experiences I learned Taiji in Taiwan

作者: Dr.Laurie Battle (蘿利 博士/美國蒙大拿大學蒙大拿理工學院 數學科學系副教授)                         

翻譯: 張慧齡(青航海外旅行社 台中分公司 業務經理)

I arrived in Taiwan last September to begin a ten month work experience. I did

not know anyone in Taiwan, and I did not know what to expect my life to be like here. At the time, I did not anticipate that I would find a taiji class that would add so much enrichment to my Taiwan experience. I had studied taiji for a couple of years in the U.S. However, there are no teachers near my home, so most of my practice has been on my own. I felt that I was missing the guidance of a teacher. When I arrived in Taiwan, I asked a colleague if she knew of a taiji class, and she immediately told me about teacher Lin. I joined her class the next day, and it has become a highlight of each day and will be one of the most memorable aspects of my time in Taiwan.

I want to thank teacher Lin, the coaches, and the students for making me feel so welcome in the class. My Chinese language is not good enough to understand very much of what the teacher says, and I really appreciate how the teacher has helped me a lot by demonstration. I am also very grateful for the students who have helped with translation so I can better understand the teachings. All of these actions demonstrate the kindness and welcoming nature of this class. I have been studying Chinese for a couple of years, and I wish my language skills would become good enough to understand the class on my own. I still have a long way to go, but my Chinese has improved more by taking this taiji class (especially my listening skills) than from any book I studied. This was an unexpected benefit of taking this class, and this will help me in my future study of taiji.

I feel like my understanding of the fundamental principles of taiji have greatly improved from participating in this class. Teacher Lin really emphasizes the importance of these principles, and she teaches them in great detail. She has taught several exercises to help develop these basic skills. These exercises are more simple than a complete taiji form, which makes it easier to focus on the fundamental principles. By practicing these exercises, I have developed better body structure and more correct movement. After we develop these skills by doing the exercises, it becomes easier to incorporate into the taiji form.

Some of my friends refer to taiji as “morning exercise.” By observing teacher Lin, I can see that taiji is much more than this – it is a way of life. The principles of taiji become part of who we are, and they are expressed in everything we do. These principles influence the way we stand, walk, breathe, and move in everyday life. They also affect our perspective of ourselves and how we interact with others. I am starting to see how the principles we learn and practice in taiji create changes in our bodies and our minds that make us more in harmony with nature.

Learning taiji is a life-long process. When I return to the U.S. in a few months, I will no longer have a taiji teacher nearby. I know that I will practice every day on my own, because taiji has become such an important part of my life. I will continue this process by practicing what I have learned, and I hope I will have opportunities to progress further under the guidance of a teacher. I hope that I will be able to visit Taiwan again in the future. If I do, I would love to participate in teacher Lin's class again to continue learning more about taiji.

去年九月我抵達台灣，展開為期十個月的工作經歷。在台灣我不認識任何人，也無法預期在此會有什麼樣的生活。那時候我也並不知道我會找到太極課程，而它豐富了我在台灣的日子。我曾在美國學習太極多年，但我家附近沒有太極老師，所以我大多自我練習而已。我曾覺得我缺少一位引領我的老師。當到達台灣的時候，我詢問同事是否知道哪裡有太極課，她立刻告訴我有位教太極的林老師。第二天我就加入她的課程，它已成為我每天最精彩的部分，也將成為我在台最值得回憶的事件之一。

我要感謝林教練和讓我感受溫馨的班上所有同學。雖然我的中文程度無法了解林

老師所說的一切，但我非常感謝老師所作的示範來幫助我理解。我也十分謝謝幫我翻譯的同學們，讓我更了解教授的內容。所有的作為顯示了這班的和諧及和樂的本性。我已學中文好多年了，真希望我自己可以更充分的了解所學。我仍然有好長的路要走。和從書本學習中文相比較之下，經由參加太極班，我的中文進步許多，特別是聽力方面。這是上太極課想不到的另外收穫，此點也將幫助我日後的學習。

參與太極課程大大的增進我對太極基本原理的了解。林老師總是強調這些原理的重要性。她很仔細的教導這些細節。她教授一些動作來幫助學習這些基本技巧。這些動作比一個完整的太極拳式還簡單，而且也較容易聚焦在基礎原理上。練習這些動作，我比較能發展較佳的身體結構和正確的動作。藉由這些基本動作的練習，使我們更容易融合到太極拳式裡。

我有些朋友把太極當作”晨間運動”。經由觀察林老師的教導，我知道太極遠遠超過這些。它是生活的一種方式。太極的原理已經成為我們的一部分，呈現在我們所作的每一件事情上。這些原理影響著我們如何站立、如何走路、如何呼吸和每天生活的一舉一動。它們也影響著自我的觀察力及我們和他人的互動關係。我開始去了解我們從太極所習到的原理和練習，創造我們身體和思想上的改變，來和自然和諧共存。

學習太極是一輩子的過程。在過幾個月我就要回美國了，我將不會有太極老師在身邊。我知道我會每天自我練習，因為太極已成為我生命中很重要的一部分。我會繼續練習我所學到的，我希望我將有機會在老師教導下更進步。日後希望再來台灣。如果有機會，我極樂意再參加林老師的課程，繼續學習更多有關太極的事情。