1 - Tai Chi

Because I'm kind of mentally ill on a lot of fronts - lacking in both self-discipline and body awareness, being overly self-conscious - after some research, I decided that one of my new things would be to take a Tai Chi class at the local community centre. Practicing Tai Chi is supposed to increase your ability to position your body, breathing and posture, while also helping to develop a more disciplined mind. Chris signed up for the class with me, in spite of not being mentally ill, cause he's into the trying new things thing, too.

I gotta say, I think it's going to work out. Our teacher has been practicing for 18 years, and seems to be very capable and comfortable in the instructor role. She was good at pointing out mistakes without making anyone feel like a tool, and took things slow and easy for the first class. There are only 12 people in the class, and it's in a great big classroom, so no one was in danger of being whacked in the face by someone's (my) flailing arms. Just kidding. There were no flopping limbs. Just a lot of controlled movements (18 of them in fact - going to have to practice before next class, several times), and some breathing and stretching at the end of class.

I found the experience very positive, because

A) While I'm doing it, I'm not thinking about anything other than what my body is doing. And that feels awesome.
B) I felt more focused both while I was tai-chiing and afterwards.
C) I was definitely more in touch with my body, how it felt and how it moved.

Anyone looking to improve fitness through Tai Chi might want to consider a different martial art. From what I can tell so far, Tai Chi will improve balance, posture, and flexibility, but I could have worn a coat and long underwear and still wouldn't have broken a sweat. My heart rate probably peaked around 100 bpm, and other than a slow burn in my thighs while doing some front/back movement (not nearly as exciting as it sounds, though it could certainly end up that way if you found someone to stand behind you and follow your movements -- oh, inspiration!)
I didn't feel any strain on my muscles whatsoever, so it's unlikely to make any significant improvements to muscle strength. However, I do think it could cause significant improvements to the strength of a certain large and wrinkled organ, and said organ's ability to stop being such an isolated fucking snob, and connect with.... everything.