Refinement Questions From Conference

I spend considerable time encouraging T’ai Chi Chih friends across the country to attend the annual conference or a major workshop each year. My practice is immeasurably improved by the tidbits I pick up, which I try to share with my regular classes and with attendees at sessions in Chicago.

In 2012, I made some minor modifications based on a Chicago-area workshop with Sandy. I now flex my wrists and spread my fingers a little more, and these slight modifications seem to increase Chi flow.

I am still working on understanding and possibly incorporating some refinements suggested at the Portland conference. I’m wondering if other participants would benefit from some written guidance related to three issues below.

1. Trembling hands: One conference participant made a strong point about the importance of trembling hands during TCC practice. But I find noticeable trembling to be distracting. One of Corinne Codye’s* hands wobbled very strongly in Justin’s first DVD; the tremor later resolved itself. (*Corinne Codye was the first woman to conduct a teacher accreditation course, in Chicago, due to the unavailability of Steven Ridley, the only teacher accreditor at that time.)

In responses to questions over the years, I recall Justin saying that the hands might tremble. However, he emphasized that we should not consciously create movement in our hands or fingers. I seldom have any movement in my hands beyond a slight “resonation” in my fingers.

At the 2012 conference and in other gatherings, Antonia and the teacher accreditors all reference Justin in almost every teaching tip. Do we have detailed teaching tips from Justin on this issue?

2. Pronounced sinking and pressing down: The second issue was raised during a personal conversation. I was asked why I do not make a more pronounced sinking and pressing down with my palms when returning to pause/rest position and why I remain in pause position instead of standing in a more regular stance. I seem to remember that Justin stayed in pause position between movements during group practice at conferences. It feels more grounding to me. I would like to see a discussion of these different ways of coming to and remaining (or not) in “pause/rest” position.

3. Pelvic movement: I greatly appreciate tips at conferences and trainings that help me refine and get more benefits from my practice. At the 2012 conference, Antonia and the three accreditors all emphasized and repeatedly demonstrated allowing the pelvis to move naturally forward and backward from the neutral position when yinning and yanging. The refinement for me means allowing my tush to flow slightly back after the weight shift to the back leg is completed. This movement causes the toe of the front foot to release without any conscious leg movement. I used to do a slight pelvic tilt when in the forward yang and then maintain a neutral pelvis in the backward yang position.

I feel that I finally understand what Justin was trying to show us through the years, but then, I’ve thought I understood a subtlety before

I hesitated to raise these issues at conference because I don’t want to appear divisive in any way. But I feel we would all benefit from clarifications about what appear to be some minor yet significant differences in understanding and in movement. I would love to hear from my fellow teachers as well.

Pyramid Poems

Inspired During The Conference, by Debbie Cole

chi

dancing

balancing

from tip of toes

heart fire knows

you are

here

here

in space

with a trace

of dancing chi

melting hearts

complete

me

who

am i

without chi

disconnected

time to ground

my soul

more

mind

aware

memories

in the moment

remember

present

thought

life

is now

presently

in the moment

allowing

movement

still