Talking in the Forest

Did you know that trees talk to each other? This happens in a forest, not at the treetops, but through the roots. They converse to help each other sustain and grow. The mycelium colonizes the roots of all the trees and plants in the forest to connect them, just like the Internet connects all of us.

T’ai Chi Chih is like a forest of trees. We help each other sustain and grow. In a forest the hub or mother trees are the wisest. In our TCC community we have lots of hub trees: in Northern Colorado, we have a number of TCC teachers who take leadership responsibilities and nuture and teach us. When one of us has a weakness or is struggling, they, like the trees, give us more help and strength, so we will grow to be stronger learners.

As a single tree, a student is vulnerable to everything, but as a forest of trees, students have the protection and guidance of all the hub trees. As a seedling, I was withdrawn and weak, but I had potential. TCC has been my little forest: it has made me stronger, brought joy to my life, and given me a practice that relaxes my monkey-mind and a movement I can do even when in physical pain. I stick to my roots, but I have branched-out too. Thank you to the TCC community of Northern Colorado that continues to nurture me.