As we have embarked on self-practice over these past months, I have been practicing  Taoist Tai Chi® arts every day. It has become one of my favourite daily activities.

I am a teacher, and before my classes resumed, I was enjoying my practice outside in beautiful settings: under big trees, beside lakes, on a gravel road with deer observing me. They were quiet moments with nature.

Now that I am back at work, I am more pressed for time. However, my living room, sunroom, backyard and the school library can all provide enough space if I arrange it just right. Sometimes I have to alter the number of moves or do a little shuffle to make room.

When I do my Taoist Tai Chi® practice, my world opens again. My shoulders drop, my spine straightens, my breath reaches my belly, and I feel the pressures of the day ease. After doing a set or some moves it is easier to smile, it is easier to breathe, my head feels clearer and more capable of decision making. If I do my practice in the late evening, that feeling of light relaxation and optimism guarantees me a good sleep. I do not always fit in a full set, though that is my preference. Sometimes I do the first 17 moves several times, or the foundations. Whichever self-practice I do, it makes a notable difference in my mood and how my body feels.

I am appreciating this path of self-practice as time goes on.

~Susan, Grande Prairie