Saturday morning

Saturday morning! No need to jump out of bed. No alarm clocks to disturb my peaceful slumber. Yet, there is a definite change in attitude from the Saturday mornings I remember as a child.

I have traded hot chocolate and Saturday morning cartoons for chai tea and Tai Chi. I could write a whole piece on the lack of good Saturday morning cartoons. On occasion, I pull out a DVD of the Lone Ranger or Annie Oakley, just to remind myself what it used to be like to watch my heroes and heroines take care of evil in the Old West before 9:00 am. Now, I stumble into the shower, make myself a cup of tea and ride my bike to the park for Saturday morning Tai Chi.

Strange. Instead of a child bouncing on the couch with energy that knows no bounds, my get up and go is focused on slowing down. A meditative art in itself, Tai Chi can not be done quickly. This is a discipline that I have never experienced. I am always in fast mode and often angry with myself for not accomplishing the staggering number of To Do's on my list.

My beverages are all decaf. Odd? If you knew me, caffeine would be the last thing you would recommend. Tai Chi is a challenge for me, not because of the learning curve of the postures, but because I am forced to slow down to do them effectively. Each posture flows to the next and I must concentrate on my breath and balance to achieve them. Fascinating.

If you suffer from the malady of not enough hours in a day, or move faster than a speeding bullet (Yes, I have a few Superman cartoons in my DVD stash) then I highly recommend Tai Chi. I do yoga, as well, but Tai Chi has been the discipline that truly makes me stop and smell the roses. 

In a world that demands we go faster, it is a moment of peaceful resistance.

What are your favorite ways to stop your world from spinning out of control?

Images: Flicker image by DolphinDans