Searching for balance in lifeBy Geoff Jones When I arrive at the park gate at 5：30 a.m.，my tai chi teacher Mrs Kang is already there.Moments later，the others arrive and our training session begins.Even though I have been practising tai chi with Mrs Kang for several years，I'm still amazed by her smooth，effortless movements，and it's hard to believe that she's actually 68.We are about a dozen people doing tai chi together with her every morning.This simple routine has become the most important part of my day；I'd go so far as to say that it has changed my life. Tai chi is a series of postures and motions that develops one's strength and flexibility through careful，flowing movements and focused breathing.Each posture slowly transforms into another，and we gradually need to shift our weight to maintain balance.At the end of the form we return to the starting position：in other words，the movements are all connected in an endless，unceasing flow. The practice of tai chi is rooted in traditional Chinese philosophy，particularly the ancient concept of yin-yang.The tai chi symbol，or tai ji tu，shows yin and yang together：yin symbolizes the dark，female force in nature，while yang represents the bright，male force.Yin cannot exist without yang，and yang cannot exist without yin.Tai chi aims to achieve balance between opposites in life：yin and yang；soft and hard；mind and body，and so on.At the heart of tai chi is the concept of qi，which roughly translates as"vital energy".The different exercises help move the qi through your body，which in turn has positive effects on one's mental and spiritual health. A few years ago，I would never have seriously considered doing tai chi，but then a crisis came which forced me to rethink my lifestyle：I had a heart attack at the age of 49.Fortunately，a friend asked me to come along to a tai chi lesson，which turned out to be exactly what I needed to get my life back on track. The first training session was incredibly challenging，and I was embarrassed to discover how clumsy"I was.Luckily，during tui shou，you need to keep your feet on the ground while carefully following the flow of your opponent's movements，neutralizing their force. Over the years，I've learnt a lot from the daily tai chi practice，both in terms of physical fitness and state of mind.Once I start performing the form together with the group，all my worries disappear，and I become one with the movements.I feel happier and more relaxed afterwards，and it is interesting that tai chi is also described as a form of"dancing meditation".The biggest change，though，has been on a deeper level.It has taught me self-discipline，and it has also made me reflect more on the things that really matter. The principles of tai chi can be applied in everyday life.There is often no need to be aggressive or attack a problem head-on；I could gain some immediate benefits，even though I was a complete beginner.My body felt a lot more relaxed after the lesson：I slept like a baby and even woke up the next day feeling refreshed.That was enough motivation for me to continue. When you see a tai chi master perform the routine，it looks extremely simple；it is when you try it yourself that you realize how hard it is.Some of the movements are very difficult，and I have yet to master them：the kicks are particularly hard，and I often struggle to get my legs sufficiently high up in the air.Another challenging exercise is tui shou，or pushing hands，which is done in pairs with the aim of developing your balance and stability：we can often attain our goals and achieve more through indirect methods.Tai chi is often compared to water，which is able to change its shape and flow past any barrier，and I believe this approach is useful whenever we are faced with difficulties. Water also instantly finds its equilibrium wherever it lands，no matter how uneven or hard a surface is；and tai chi is a method of achieving a similar level of physical and mental balance，regardless of what the surrounding circumstances are. In short，the daily training sessions in the park help me channel my energy in more productive ways，and also provide me with the focus and the peace of mind to better tackle the challenges of the day.1.Read the passage and answer the questions.（1）What does the concept of yin-yang mean？ ____ （2）What is the central concept of tai chi？ ____ （3）What is the fundamental aim of doing tai chi？ ____ （4）What is the writer's experience with tai chi？ ____ （5）What are some of the difficult parts of tai chi？ ____ （6）How does the writer benefit from doing tai chi？ ____ 2.Read the summary below and fill in each blank with a suitable word based on the language of the passage.You may change the form if necessary. The writer started doing tai chi at the age of 49 when a heart attack forced him to（1） ____ his lifestyle.He was（2） ____ by the tai chi teacher's smooth and effortless movements.It looked extremely simple at first，but when the writer tried it，he realized that it was incredibly（3） ____ .He thought the kicks and tuishou exercises，which aim at developing balance and （4） ____ ，were especially hard.Fortunately，the（5） ____ of doing tai chi were fairly obvious：after the session the writer felt relaxed and（6） ____ .He has been practising tai chi with a（7） ____ people every morning for several years.This simple（8） ____ not only allows him to develop his physical （9） ____ ，but also enables him to（10） ____ the challenges in life more easily.