Authored by Josh Henkin
Anyone that really connects and falls in love with Tai Chi always seems to find that they change. They feel it and those around them generally notice as well. It can be difficult to explain, but I find comments such as “you seem calmer, more at peace” a common theme among such reactions.
Such personal changes often are greatly positive and something that is touted as why Tai Chi is such a impactful practice. However, explaining why or how this happens seems to be challenging at times. Trying to explain concepts like qi or going into the science can both go over people’s heads.
That is why I really appreciate books like Lou Reed’s “The Art of the Straight Line: My Tai Chi”. Lou Reed was a famous musician, even though he was bit before my time, his songs have been quite iconic in pop culture. I think having an artist like Mr. Reed write about Tai Chi is quite perfect, as Tai Chi is an art form as much as a martial art. The book is not really written by Mr. Reed, but a collection of some of his thoughts about the practice and many great stories by people that knew him well. From his wife, to his martial arts teachers, and close friends, we get to see how Tai Chi impacted him in many ways.
Why didn’t Mr. Reed write the book himself? It is explained by many close to him that it was challenging for him to encapsulate all that Tai Chi has to offer in a book. Additionally, his friends comment about a very relatable issue where Mr. Reed didn’t think he was enough of an authority to really write a book about Tai Chi. Those of us that really love the whole practice of Tai Chi (the physical and philosophical aspects) can relate to such feelings. I appreciate when Mr. Reed says he is a student of martial arts while his teacher, Master Ren GuangYi, is a martial artist. That feeling is something that hits close to home for myself as well.
I’ll admit, this book may seem a bit abstract for someone who is generally interested in Tai Chi and even some of the descriptions of specific movements may not make sense if you are not currently practicing. Yet, there are so many valuable aspects of this book it should be part of anyone’s library who is practicing and the lessons can serve as valuable ideas to share with those who are intrigued by the practice. Just like Tai Chi, you have to go deeper on the stories and ideas, seeing them more as lessons than just interesting anecdotes.
One of the ideas that kept popping up in the book that I found highly intriguing was the consistent references to how Mr. Reed wanted to learn how to fight. While it was clear that literally, Mr. Reed wanted to learn how to fight, I think there was also a metaphor for battling many of life’s challenges. Mr. Reed fought problems with addiction and seemingly emotional demons as well. Many of the stories I hear of those that start practicing Tai Chi and even myself, are people that start because they are “fighting” physical and emotional challenges.
Mr. Reed’s second martial arts teacher, Leung Shum, tells of Mr. Reed coming to him wanting to learn how use Tai Chi for fighting. The problem was that Mr. Reed was still using drugs and couldn’t stop shaking enough to learn the forms well. Mr. Shum told him unless he stopped using that he wouldn’t teach him Tai Chi. This story while a true one, I think can also be a metaphor about how one practices and why they practice Tai Chi. Unless we are willing to let go of those things that we are battling, you can’t really tap into completely what Tai Chi has to offer.
A quote in the book that struck me is “you can’t do Tai Chi angry.” Such a simple statement with a profound meaning as Tai Chi makes people go into themselves and learn to be more at peace with sometimes very difficult things. The practice itself helps that process and opens people to finding a better way of being and not always feeling the need to “fight”, but finding more joy in the present.
One of the statements that I found most true was, “Tai Chi is medicine”, I think those that not only practice the movements, but also the philosophy realize that this is very true. Tai Chi can be great medicine for the mind and the body. In fact, when one reads that Mr. Reed would practice for hours that might seem like something impossible to do in one’s own life. However, I think people should understand that Tai Chi was Mr. Reed’s best medicine for dealing with his addictions, his personal issues, and even his declining health. The idea of “grounding” and balancing one’s self is something that I believe was really behind the message of his lengthy time practicing.
There is such an emphasis on practice and being intentional that I hope people don’t get caught up on the literal aspects of the stories, but rather the meaning behind them. One doesn’t have to practice for hours upon hours to feel the benefits of Tai Chi, but they do have to be willing to practice consistently and to do so with the right intent. Very much like life, it is what we do with the time that we are very mindful that makes the biggest impact.
Maybe my favorite part of the book overall was the consistent theme that Mr. Reed wasn’t perfect. Tai Chi didn’t solve all of his life’s problems, but the practice helped him find peace, his place in the world, deal with serious health challenges, and feel more connected to people and his music. Reading that Mr. Reed was literally practicing Tai Chi as he passed in many ways is very beautiful and sums up the power of Tai Chi.
All too often death scares us, we are full of fear, often regret, and it makes that transition of life so much more challenging. However, it sounded like when Mr. Reed passed, he wasn’t feeling those things, there was truly a peacefulness and openness about dying. Is there any better example of how Tai Chi helps us live better, when it also helps us with feeling connected to life when life as we know it is leaving us? A worthwhile book for anyone who wants to improve their own straight line of life (from birth to death) and find more meaning in the journey.
About the Author: Josh Henkin is a certified strength & conditioning specialist with 30 years in the fitness and performance industry. He is a highly sought after educator and presenter in the areas of functional training and corrective exercise, teaching in 13 countries and many national conferences. In addition, Josh’s work has been published in over 20 national publications including Men’s Health and the Wall Street Journal. The past couple of years Josh has practiced Tai Chi to help manage an aggressive form of degenerative spinal disease and is fortunate to be a student of Violet Li.