Seijaku & You: A Long Time Ago

When I was accredited in Seijaku in 1999, we were told we could only teach it to advanced students. So I kind of let it go, practicing a little while trying to understand this holding fast and letting go stuff. I understood it to be more pushing with the upper body.

I was blessed to attend the post-conference intro class with Bill Moore, since it is challenging to learn from the notes of another. We need to practice it, share it, teach it with other teachers to learn our own verbiage, and experience the feeling of “holding fast” (keeping our feet flat on the floor longer) and “letting go” (having some tension in the upper body), moving through the tan t’ien moving downward in the legs and feet.

Bill invited us to start out with a primary intention. Just notice, he’d say. The best teacher is the practice, allowing whatever flows from the scared place in you. It can be customized, reflective and carefree. Reflect on not bad or good, just better. I love that.

We’ve heard this before: Seijaku informs our T’ai Chi Chih practice. I have been teaching Seijaku since I returned home (to longtime students), and I can see their TCC practice improve. The purpose of Seijaku is to further deepen and enhance the flow of the Chi. I am experiencing Seijaku differently this time and I am just going to go with the flow, trusting the Chi. Let go and flow. Our approach – whether in softness or using the holding fast-letting go principle – is simply to be aware, very present and feel in the moment. There is no judgment or expectation. We are met with whatever we need in the moment of life. We trust and are guided accordingly.

Release and return to Seijaku. Thank you, Bill, for continuing to share the gift Justin left behind. As for me, when the student is ready they will hear what you are saying. As Justin said, “The ocean is waves, the essence is water.”