Thinking Body, Dancing Mind

When I was in my last semester in college, my ballet teacher Shayla had us study from a book called,"Thinking Body, Dancing Mind" by Chungliang Al Huang and Jerry Lynch.  This book focuses on the concepts of using Taosports for extroadinary performance in athletics, business and life.  This book made such a difference in my dancing and I remember I felt a renewed self confidence in myself.  The concepts especially helped me in my pirouettes (turns were never my favorite). 

Fast forwarding now two years later, I have forgotten the ways of the Taosports and how it can not only be used for athletics, but also in every aspect of your life.  After a recent trip last week to the emergency room for terrible headaches that had been building up for three weeks and discovering that they were "Tension Headaches,"  I decided it was time to pull out the old book and focus on relaxing my brain.  So, to keep myself calm and relaxed, I have decided to read one chapter/concept a day and to share it.

Today I will share the "Preparations for the Journey."  This chapter mainly discusses what the TaoAthlete is, how to use the concepts, and what you hope to gain. To give you a little background of what I'm talking about, a TaoAthlete is:
-an individualistic;
-has courage to risk failure, learn setbacks, and forge ahead;
-possesses a multidimensional approach to competition;
-focuses on how the game is played (process) as opposed to outcomes (product);
-uses the event to gain greater self-realization;
-trains the mind to see through the complexity of outer trappings of athletics into its essence;
-knows his or her vulnerabilities and trains to strengthem them;
-creates balance, moderation, and simplicity when possible;
-sees competitors as partners who facilitate improvement;
-sees success as one part of the process of sports;
-understands that performance is a roller coaster and had the patience to ride the ups and downs;
-blends with forces so as not to create counterforce;
-has vision, and dreams things into possibilities; and
-enjoys sport for the pleasure it gives.

That's all for today!