[Emphasis added.]"Tai Chi and Qigong will play an important role in global awakening"
June 25, 2008
In his latest book, "A New Earth" visionary Eckhart Tolle writes "Tai Chi and Qigong will play an important role in global awakening." Eckhart Tolle proposes that "transcending our ego-based state of consciousness is not only essential to personal happiness, but also the key to ending conflict and suffering throughout the world." As evidence that Tai Chi and Qigong are now reaching the mainstream, Oprah Winfrey offered a 2-part program about the benefits of Tai Chi and Qigong on the Oprah show in Nov. 2007. The book "A New Earth" quickly became the New York Times #1 bestseller and the #1 bestseller on Amazon.com, so this positive message is reaching far and wide to the general public. You can expect to see some new faces in Tai Chi class.
Is this really such a good thing?
So much of this type of hype ends up as a trend or fad that eventually dissipates into past memory as a newer trend/fad replaces it. Just look at how many personal/life coaches Oprah has been through over the years herself. Isn't Mr. Tolle just another in a long line Oprah has espoused as being "the next one"?
Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy to see some positive light shed on the practice of Tai Chi, but won't turning Tai Chi into an Oprah trend/fad hurt Tai Chi's reputation in the long run? Won't the "new faces" in Tai Chi class leave as soon as Oprah finds something better?