Tai chi in the yard

[LisaW412]

So, I've decided that this summer I am going to try to practice my tai chi out in the back yard at least one morning a week.  I generally practice in my living room during the quiet time before DS wakes up, surrounded by toys and clocks and cats, which can be distracting to say the least!  So far, I've enjoyed the sounds, smells, and feel of the grass and air at that time of day, it's really energizing.  What I do find distracting, though, is trying to "tune out"" my neighbors' houses - our yard is small and the houses are somewhat close together.  The neighbors' shades are generally drawn, but I still sometimes imagine that someone is watching.  Has anyone had a similar experience with taking spiritual practices outside? 

[skreader]

I'd recommend just to continue to try and tune it out. So what if someone is watching, if you were doing an early morning jog, people would see it too.

In Hong Kong and China people practice T'ai Ch'i in parks and other open spaces. One of my neighbors practices it every morning in front of the apartment complex's swimming pool & I pass two people on my way to work doing T'ai Ch'i at various public spaces.

Here are some vids to inspire you:

Tai Chi in Kowloon Park in early morning

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTLqofkXPo0&feature=related

- notice how people just walk right past them and even through them?

Tai Chi in Shanghai Park

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghMDeZX8ej4&feature=related

- here too, at the very end, a young couple almost makes contact   w/ one of the practitioners as they go around her

Tai Chi in Guilin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jgm3UOVYYNI&feature=related

Enjoy & keep on practicing!

[merpk]

All over the world it's in parks ... when I lived in the East Village and worked down in the courts in NYC, I often saw people doing tai chi in the park.  The criminal courts buildings are in Chinatown, and there were early-morning groups (large groups) of people in the park doing it en masse ...

[LisaW412]

Thanks for the encouragement and the videos!  I think that part of my issue was that I somehow consider my yard a "private" space b/c it's surrounded by hedges and a fence, even though it's not really.  I'm trying to rethink that, which is becoming easier as I go along.  I also really love watching and listening to the birds while I'm out there:-)