The Mindfulness Habits of a Tai Chi Master

What mindfulness habits do you have during your day? If you'd like to learn more with Master Gu, I think you'd really enjoy his free wellness wisdom course. Over 70,000 people have joined it. Click here to learn more 👉 www.taoistwellness.online/free-course

“When you drink a cup of tea just enjoy the tea” Honestly a good little mantra for life. That tea is that moment you should be in.

George, this video could not have come at a better time! I didn't sleep well last night and woke up in a bad mood because of past occurrences. I watched the video twice and I feel better now. Thank you, George and my thanks to Master Gu as well.

This video made my morning coffee more mindful and enjoyable! Thank you George

Thank you for this video, George! It's so nice to be back to the Woudang Mountain! To partake of this natural beauty, pure poetry! Xie-xie 🤜🤛

The BEST way to go Tai Chi walking is to ditch the shoes and hike barefoot in the mountains! Shoes act like a shield to all the senses that come through your feet and so having them on when walking in nature and trying to identify with the sensations, is like trying to meditate while the TV is on. It's not that it can't be done, but you're really cutting off the primary sensations you can get by feeling direct contact with the ground. Your bare feet are tougher than you think, and this really feels amazing once you get over the fear of hurting yourself. I did a hike two days ago and didn't wear my shoes the entire way up, walking over every rocky surface you can imagine. Big rocks feel so nice under your skin, and it's almost as if you are absorbing the electric energy through your toes (maybe you actually are!). Being barefoot also focuses your attention because you do need to be very mindful of where you place your foot on the ground, so you are less likely to have your mind wander. I started doing this years ago and will never go back. One thing i do recommends is to always have a lightweight pair of shoes as a back up if your feet get sore, the trail gets too rough, or you want to run (I use Vibram 5 fingers and attach them to a belt loop, so i don't have to carry them). I love running down the mountain, but that's way too hard on my bare feet. This truly is one of the best ways to feel connected to nature directly. We've cut off this ability to sense so deeply by wearing shoes so the time. I think most people get a taste of this at the beach, where it's intuitive to ditch the shoes, but it feels great in the mountains too, and generally, the more big rocks in the trail the better (little gravel is the more painful thing to avoid). Would love to hear from anyone who gives this a go. I can tell you it's been a game changer in my own life! Oh, and you will want to be washing your feet after a day of this lol!😂

You are a good man George, thanks for keeping it up with your Taoist postings

Great video George and Master Gu! I think this is very much how human beings are meant to be living. Slowing down to "smell the coffee" is so vital to experiencing true peace and harmony in life. I think it's unfortunate however, that most people can't live this way. We've built an entire culture on values that are toxic and tie people in jobs and distractions that mean we have little time or awareness available most days. While i do appreciate that we can "be the change," I don't believe that is enough to truly unlock this potential for us all to live life like this. I think we need balance, and this is a place to begin, but i also see a world slipping into chaos that simply cannot be healed by us checking out and seeking our own personal enlightenment. If we really want to shift society, there is much work to be done in so many different facets of life. This way of living provides a great example of how we can be and what we should aim for, but it doesn't actually get the majority of us there. I guess what I'm eluding to is more of a bodhisatva mentality. That once we've experienced this peace in life, we are obligated to "rescue" the others from our brainwashed western cultures. Most won't just look at us and follow along. We have to actively be seeking to heal the terrible wounds our society has accumulated. This means putting ourselves back into "the matrix" to communicate and share the wisdom. It's not easy and tends to try to corrupt our minds all over again. At least, this is where i find myself dancing between heaven and hell these days. It seems you do too, George, with making this videos and having to be on a laptop to do so. I hope you find some ease in dealing with the inner citric and other voices, and can instead focus on all the other challenges society is facing. The real puzzle is so much larger than ourselves (which is truly hard enough to navigate), as we face so many global crises, from climate, to capitalism, to war, to meaning itself, and even potential extinction, should we not return a balance to our relationship to nature (which we are part of) and each other. I can't believe I'm saying this, but it seems we've developed such deep judgment and hatred that we are once again flirting with nukes, as if that doesn't mean all this mindfulness will immediately get vaporized. I don't have a solution to the meta crisis, but I do know that these practices will help. We also have to remember though, that they are not sufficient to heal everything. We will need to use our minds and communication skills within the social matrix to really bring sense back to society itself. I think this is where i stray most from my own Taoist inclinations. I don't think we can ignore the society level predicaments to just seek our own peace, because the very ability to do so is threatened by the misguided culture that has taken over. We will all have to work together if we want to survive the next decades and centuries and to transition to a world where mindful living is once again the norm. I am really hoping we do so because life is so beautiful when we can connect with nature and ourselves in these ways! Cheers, fellow humans! ☯️✌️❤️🙏

Lovely video and good reminders! Thank you.

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When sitting just sit, when walking just walk, but for goodness sake don't wobble!!