You’ve Always Had the Power

We have been sold a bill of goods. When David-Dorian Ross stood up at the Minnesota Conference in 2019 and declared, “There’s only one way to teach Veterans, and I’m the only one who can show you how,” most of us (me included) bought what he was saying hook, line, and sinker.

Six years later, however, I’m here to say how much this whole experience reminds me of The Wizard of Oz. Remember at the end, when Glinda tells Dorothy, “You’ve always had the power, my dear. But if I told you at the beginning, you never would have believed me?”

Here’s the thing: what I’ve learned with certainty is that there is no other T’ai Chi or Qigong (TCQ) practice more appropriate for Veterans (especially those with PTSD, or really anyone with PTSD) than T’ai Chi Chih (TCC).

There are many reasons why — including the fact that TCC is the only TCQ practice which is, at essence, nothing other than a moving mindfulness practice. But here are my top three reasons:

• TCC’s rhythmic and highly repetitive movements (also completely unlike all other TCQ practices) instantly calm the amygdala, the gateway to the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) and help regulate SNS activation. In many ways, this mirrors the effects of evidence-based Rhythmic Sensory Bilateral Stimulation (RSBLS) “treatments” for trauma (like EMDR, etc).

I could dive deeper into the neuroscience here, but that’s best left to our community’s experts on the research behind mindfulness, RSBLS, hypnosis, and trauma — Dr. Anita Vestal, Bruce Eisenmenger, and Dr. David Parish. The main thing you need to know is this:

The moment one begins their TCC practice, they’re sending a signal to the brain: “Nothing is wrong here.” The brain then responds by releasing all kinds of calming neurotransmitters and hormones, which then send signals throughout the body that it’s time to relax. So, instead of the usual negative snowball effect that trauma creates, TCC initiates a positive feedback loop, immediately soothing both body and mind.

Perhaps nothing sums this up better than the opening statement of Dr. Peter Wayne of Harvard Medical School and the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, delivered at the 2023 Science of Tai Chi & Qigong as Whole Person Health Conference: “What starts in the mind doesn’t stay in the mind, and what starts in the body doesn’t stay in the body.”

• TCC is easier to learn than any other TCQ practice. (It also gets to the heart of the matter faster.)

• TCC is the most adaptive TCQ practice out there.

For the past couple of years, the Veterans Administration has been touting a new “adaptive” T’ai Chi practice for the wheelchair bound. As someone with an extensive martial arts background plus teaching certificates in three additional T’ai Chi and Qigong practices, I can tell you that this new “adaptive” program is one of the most complicated things I’ve ever seen.

If I were a Veteran confined to a wheelchair, why on earth would I choose a practice that could easily take years to “master,” when instead I could do simple TCC movements (even intentionally, if that’s all I could manage) and start feeling better in just a couple of hours?

There’s been hubbub in recent years about whether we should be giving verbal directions (or corrections) to Veterans. That conversation likely applies far beyond Veterans. I believe that even simple corrections can sometimes land like criticism (which can be triggering, especially for those living with the aftermath of trauma).

In my experience, the most compassionate way (which may also be the most powerful) to help a student refine their practice is to offer general class-wide suggestions, gently guiding everyone without throwing anyone under the bus.

If you leave with nothing else from this, let it be this: If you feel called to work with Veterans (or if that opportunity finds you), please don’t shy away because you feel unqualified.

You already have all the authorization you need. The moment you were accredited to teach TCC, you were fully equipped and encouraged to share this practice with anyone, including Veterans and those with PTSD. Please don’t let anyone get away with trying to tell you otherwise. And if you ever hear such a thing, please don’t believe it.

All that’s required to work with this special population is:

• A solid working knowledge of TCC

• A willingness to share that knowledge

• A commitment to the continual deepening of your own personal practice

Because with all that comes:

• Wildly enhanced compassion and empathy

• The ability to truly listen to your students

• The capacity to meet students wherever they need or wish to be met — physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Brush up on teaching in-person and virtual students, as well as seated and standing students. While that may sound complicated, it can quickly become second nature. As Lao Tzu wrote: “We get really good at what we practice most.”