The Journey Begins

There it is again in my mailbox, the familiar catalog from the local junior college. Perhaps this year I will actually take something. The pages are more like newspaper than a glossy magazine, not very inviting, but I peak inside anyway. The journey I’m undertaking this year – to change my life – requires me to try new things, to reach beyond normal, and to scratch out the essence of me.

As a creative person who works in the textile medium, I’m always finding reasons not to create. My daughter needs a new dress for a dance; the laundry has reached Def-Con 4. Anything will do when you feel blocked. I knew help would be good. Springtime causes us to begin again. What courses to take? Sketching, yes. Fabric dyeing, absolutely. And perhaps something out of my range: T’ai Chi Chih. I had a vague recollection people doing something in unison in a park on a summer day. Maybe this can help me unearth who I am.

Our teacher embodies the passion and skill to teach. The T-shirts she wears from conferences and retreats are a testament. She has a calm and accommodating persona, soft movements, and a wonderful twinkle in her eye. She wants us all to succeed, to get it.

Class begins: move your body, soften your knees, just breath. The first night I felt like I was run over by a truck. How could that be? We weren’t doing aerobics or calisthenics. The next morning was better, and as I practiced that first week, something started – an inner reflection began. A small span of time began. A calmness began. An ability to just be in my own mind began. Over the next few weeks, moving became easier then more difficult. Then I noticed I was sleeping soundly each night. That hadn’t happened in months. I began to feel more balanced in my gait. I began to feel the slightest tremble in my fingers, the heat of polarity, and the balance in Cosmic Consciousness.

This week, six weeks into the term, was our first test. I knew the material but woke up with a headache and nausea. I went to class thinking I might have to leave early, but we formed a circle and practiced a bit before the test. My headache and nausea were gone. Could balancing and circulating my energy really make me feel better? It did! My journey has only just begun.

T’ai Chi Chih & Me

Tony Botting, Libertyville, IL

I have always tried to remain active with many sports, but as I aged I began to suffer from arthritis in my feet and knees. As the deterioration progressed, my lifestyle became increasingly sedentary. Recently, I was told that I needed full knee replacements, but I wasn’t quite ready to take that step.

I’d heard about T’ai Chi Chih from friends who practiced it, and I’d also come across some articles on the subject. But I’d never really looked into it seriously. It remained filed in the back of my mind for “someday when I have time.” I signed up for a beginner’s class without any preconceived notions or expectations but with a sense of curiosity and the hope that it might somehow prove beneficial.

That was six weeks ago and I am still very much the novice. But in this short period of time I have developed an enjoyment in the simplicity of the movements. At first it was difficult to remain standing for any extended period of time. I could not take all the weight on my right leg as I tried to shift my left foot forward. Now I can go through ten movements without having to sit down, my right knee pains me less, and it doesn’t buckle when I put my weight on it. I have discovered something I can do without suffering great pain in my feet the next day.

Whether these improvements, or the increased energy and freedom of movement that I experience on a daily basis, are due to TCC or simply because I have become more active again, I don’t know. I am inclined to believe it’s the former, and I’m well on my way to making TCC an integral part of daily life. I would like to thank my teacher, Donna McElhose, for her understanding and guidance as I embark on this new phase of my life.