Cast On, Cast Off

I didn’t know what hit me. My body went into motion after my foot encountered an unexpected curb, and I collided with a very hard sidewalk. (At least that is what I’m told. Hitting my head wiped out memory of the incident.)

Another consequence of the dramatic, fly-through-the-air crash landing? A broken elbow. Since I lead a weekly, open T’ai Chi Chih practice on Siesta Key beach, I immediately planned for my husband and another local teacher, Pat Finstad, to lead the group. 

Home from the hospital, I resumed my practice and realized that even with my arm locked in a cast from wrist to shoulder, I could approximate most movements. After all, we never straighten our arms completely. I showed up at the beach to practice with the group and could feel the Chi flowing. 

Instead of my arm being immobilized for weeks, the cast was removed after fourteen days. X-rays showed rapid healing. Over 30 years of teaching TCC, the practice helped me recover from many illnesses. But this was the clearest example of the healing power of the Chi.