
Tai chi in Beirut (Photo: Emily O'Dell)

There is no mystique to Tai Chi Chuan. What is difficult is the perseverance. It took me ten years to discover my chi, but thirty years to learn how to use it. Once you see the benefit, you won’t want to stop…
— Ma Yueh Liang
We begin every tai chi class in Beirut with a cup of tea. It’s the perfect way (after a long day) to unwind, before practicing this meditative martial art. Tonight at tai chi, however, we were faced with an extreme meditation challenge, thanks to the deafening thunder of army helicopters hovering above–a strange soundtrack for our gentle, slow-motion moves…