A Journey, Words & Polarity (August 2023, Part 2)

We are all on a journey, on a spiritual journey, really. We do the practice the best we can with all the principles present. Take the time to go and watch Justin. Be open to learning. He watched what was happening inside of people. He didn’t explain the movements extensively so we could discover them for ourselves, in our own time and at our own pace. There’s an evolution that takes place. You cannot force feed the truth.

Words Matter

Every word we say is a trap because it brings you somewhere else. It becomes a mental exertion. That said, I teach a lot with words and action. But first I want students to relax in their bodies. Then we can move together. I try to use Justin’s words — such as “visualizing the energy from the most distant star, streaming through the fingertips.” There’s power in those words, those exact words. 

We “come back to a graceful conclusion,” said Justin. There’s a “graceful conclusion” and we should know and experience what it is.

When I bend the knees more than a slight bend, it allows for more softness and solidity at the same time. My feet become the support and my knees turn springy, allowing the Chi to flow all the way down. Justin would always say, “Do not do TCC on a stiff leg.” What did he mean by that? 

In the side-to-side movements, my students learn how to do the “hip swivel,” which is what Justin called it. It is all circular and it’s all about letting go in the waist. I was watching Push Pull recently and Justin drops his hands to his heart. They are already relaxed before they arrive to the body. You push from the shoulder, you come back to the shoulder, he would say. But notice where he ends and relaxes. The “letting go” in the practice happens in its own accord when we’re the most ready for it, I suppose. 

Polarity

Editor’s Note: When someone asked Caroline about polarity on the TCC teacher Facebook page, this answer came to her at once without thinking.

The polarity in T’ai Chi Chih (TCC) practice is at the forefront since it is part of the principles. We pay attention to it while moving.

We do not just bring the palms together as a cosmetic gesture; it goes much deeper than that. That first relaxed manner of open hands is an integral part of the start of how to feel the energy moving between the hands. You might feel it as heat, or cold, or tingling or… (we each have own experience). But it will be a way to notice, not with the mind, but with the body.

It brings an awareness of the movement that is more subtle. It brings it out of the realm of being an “exercise.” Little by little, students and teachers open themselves to an encounter with Chi that is flowing. By paying attention to it while still being in the feet, there will be a connection to our own self. Along the way, we get in touch with the impalpable by letting it show itself in our own practice. But we have to be ready. We learn to cultivate it and we start to know that we are this Chi flowing in our own body, vibrating inside.

For this, we just have to pay attention to it and let it manifest all the way to the fingertips. We will know it is alive, vibrating inside. We will invite it by allowing it to show its presence. The slightly cupped, relaxed hands and wrists allow this process to unfold.

The Chi is shy in a way. We know mentally that Chi is activated, that it circulates, and is balanced while we do the TCC movements. We get out of our heads and bring it into the realm of the senses through the body and heart. By noticing with our heart what is going on in our body, we sync with what is expressed within ourselves.

This is my take on the importance of the polarity in TCC practice. I hope it helps and brings another awareness of this principle. Enjoy it to the best of your ability and discover who and what you are.