The Second Monkey

Last summer I read a magazine article that was a conversation between David Byrne (the musician) and Daniel Levitin (a neuroscientist). In it they recounted an experiment monitoring brain activity in monkeys. During the study, a technician noticed the brain activity of one of the monkeys that was waiting on the sidelines. When this second monkey would watch another take a bananna, peel it and eat it, his brain activity responded as if he was the one doing these actions.
From there, the article went on to discuss empathy and the ability for music to engage a listener's emotions. But the conclusion we should not jump to is that empathy is the same as the experience. The second monkey was no less hungry having watched the first.
So in learning Qigong and Taiji, we do need to read and watch and understand. But recognize that this is not a substitute for doing.

Repetition of form

My Qigong classes largely consist of repeating the same movements over and over. In fact, my personal practice in Qigong, Taiji, Bagua and XIngyi is the same. While it could be that I'm simply a dull, repetitive person, I like to tell myself that there is something more taking place.
The body learns through repetition. In contrast, the mind learns by grasping concepts. Having done a qigong form enough to remember the sequence the mind feels like it's finished learning. But continuing the practice beyond this point allows the learning to continue through the body. This builds the Qi of the body.
But we should remember that the movements need to be done with intention. In other words we have to bring the mind into the body's learning. The body can sense, but it is the mind that can analyse and reflect. This is what can bring depth into the practice.
In fact, it is only through repetition that the mind can slow down enough to look beyond its preconceptions and say, 'Oh, maybe there is more here than I first thought..."