By Shaikhah Al Tamimi (OCA Young Reporter from Kuwait)
Hangzhou, China, September 25, 2023: Making it just in time for the performance of the first contestant on Monday afternoon, as a first-time spectator I found myself immediately allured to the graceful orchestration of swift movements, agility, music and choice of colorful Taijiquan clothes.
With little knowledge about this specific discipline, I found myself wanting to expand my knowledge of it by attending the event to allow myself to engage with the zone the artists represent in their choreographed routines.
As the acts went on by, I also couldn’t help but find myself excited to perhaps venture and research this discipline myself one day to beable to further grasp and articulate the emotions risen from witnessing the swift movements, flexibility and embodied dedication by the athletes.
I was captivated by how an act performed in a relatively short time invoked feelings of peace, bliss, serenity, calmness and for some reason hope by seeing how the athletes beautifully portrayed their inner awareness and mindfulness to the judges and audience.
The adoration within me was immediately drawn to all of the performers’ own portrayed mental state and process while I eagerly soak in their sublime movements, imparting their own devotion to the discipline to the spectators.
Even the colorful sparkling silky uniforms worn by the athletes narrated a beautiful internal narrative, further expanded and vocalized as soft power, wisdom and courage.
The courage I speak of is to fully trust one’s own body to be able to move and sway in complete synchronicity with the practitioner’s mind and thoughts to increase coordination, balance and force.
The Gold medalist of the Taijiquan Talou’s competition wasn’t the only one who gained something valuable today as I now gratefully have the imprinted memory of how beautiful it is to be able to move your body in such ways that are both soft yet strong and mighty.