Home, Present & Here

I had a lovely experience recently with a class of seniors whom I have been teaching for a few years. The members range in age from seventy-eight to ninety-four. (Our one hundred year old gal recently stopped coming due to fatigue.) The class began with me talking about softness and letting go and was followed by a guided relaxation in order to see whether they could then better experience this softness in the practice. This conversation led me to spontaneously ask each what the essence of T’ai Chi Chih was for them. They had no problem eagerly and articulately sharing their feelings:

• It’s truly a moving meditation.

• My head is quiet and I am fully present, here.

• My mind is here the entire time.

• It’s a home I can go to – like when I experience music sometimes and go to this place.

• I feel peace and I feel whole and complete when I’m here.

• It feels pure.

• It’s a respite, a place to just stop and be here. No other place but here exists.

Finally, the student who has the most trouble with coordination said, “I’m going to say something that may make you laugh: I feel graceful. It’s an experience of grace but in a spiritual way.”

We had the most peaceful and soft practice after this exercise, with all of us expressing gratitude for each other and for TCC. It’s important to remember these seniors are not all doing the movements “correctly” and many now sit during class. All this does not seem to matter. They get the essence of TCC anyway.