At PTC, we don't think there's such a thing as a "bad time" to practice Tai Chi! But what's the best time, for optimal benefit?

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Christian from Athens, Greece asks:
"When is the best time to practise Tai Chi and where?"

Dear Christian,

I have two answers to the first part of the question. Professor Cheng said two different things at different times, but they may not have seemed different to him, This is because what he said was: The best time to practice is at dawn. Then he also said, the best time to practice is when you first wake up. So to him, both of these may have been the same. For me, they are quite different. I rise before 9:00 AM most of the time but not always. I almost never rise at or before dawn.

However one thing he was adamant about was to not do anything else when you arise, just get to the morning round of Tai Chi. Personally I need to brush my teeth when I first wake up. Then I dress. But then I do my morning round of Tai Chi. Professor Cheng said that he would gladly miss breakfast if he had to choose between breakfast and Tai Chi.

Where to practice Tai Chi is another of those questions that have several answers. Professor Cheng said to practice in non-rubber soled shoes, on the grass or the ground. However even when practicing in a building, he was against the use of rubber soles because he said it would insulate your foot against the chi of the earth.

To use Tai Chi to change your life, practice morning and evening all the days of your life.

In Tai Chi,
Bill

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William C. Phillips began his study of the martial arts in 1965. He currently holds a 7th degree black belt in Karate, and a 5th degree black belt in Ju Jitsu. He began his studies of Tai Chi in l967, studying with Prof. Cheng Man-Ch'ing from '70-'75. He became the most junior student ever to become a teacher in Cheng Man Ch'ing's New York school, the Shr Jung. Sifu Phillips became interested in the field of holistic health in the early 1970's, when a lifelong allergy problem was alleviated with Chinese herbal medicine. Since then, he has studied widely in that field as well. Sifu Phillips is available for seminars, lectures and demonstrations. He has produced two very successful Tai Chi DVDs, and is currently working on a book on Tai Chi form and a third DVD.For more information...

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