Sunday 11 May 2008

Positive Psychology down on the farm


This is the most off the wall application of positive psychology in business I've come across yet - who would have thought that performing Tai Chi in front of cows would improve the quality and quantity of their milk?

Devon farmer, Robert Taverner, says that not only does performing Tai Chi together bond his workforce, the fact that it makes them more relaxed and happy has a positive knock-one effect on his 250 dairy cows, which results in them producing higher quality milk. You can watch a video of various members of the farm's team performing a different Tai Chi ritual for every day of the week on Robert's website.

For a quick (3 minute) insight into Tai Chi for cows, listen to Robert on BBC Radio 4's Saturday Live programme yesterday morning (10 May 2008)- it starts at about 6 mins 45 seconds into the programme.


Image: WukieGrl

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am a student of Chi Gong, and I think I will try this on my children. Not for better milk though.

Bridget said...

Hi Mike, I'd love to hear how you all get on.

BTW an art teacher recently told me that watercolour painting has a more therapeutic effect than e.g. oil painting or drawing, because the movements that you have to make to paint watercolours successfully are very much like Tai Chi - broad sweeping movements from the shoulder, rather than from the wrist.

Bridget