How T'ai Chi Builds Awareness (1) Calm Focus

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To learn T'ai Chi well, we have to focus.  Your instructor may take an holistic approach (i.e. demonstrate the movement in its entirety) and-or a piecemeal approach (i.e. breakdowns or segments of movement).  Regardless, we as students must concentrate on what he or she does, and follow suit, even though it may feel rather self conscious or awkward in the initial stages.  So part of building awareness is converging attention onto particular postures and movements.  In T'ai Chi, we pay attention in calm, purposeful ways.