Benefits of TCC

By (Bernard) Buddy Jacobs, New York, NY

This note was written in Sr. Jeanne Clark’s Journal Class. It is a recollection of a class experience a student in Sr. Antonia Cooper’s (Mahwah, NJ) TCC class.

It’s T’ai Chi Chih time and I head for the Grand Ballroom that graces the Siena Center Mansion. The chairs are in place surrounding the area of our standing exercises.

I take a seat to remove my shoes and socks. The stiffness in my body is reminding me of the benefits that exercise can bring to me.

The lesson has started and the Instructor’s arms are circling for the fingers to point to the sky and then to the ground. Plant your feet to the ground – you are anchored to 6 feet below the earth!

Your hands face each other – close to each other – but not touching. They are praying at your chest. You bring them forward in hip bending bow. Never bow from the head, back or neck. Take a calming breath. Do the exercise 9 times to the left – 9 times to the right. Next exercise – 12 right, 12 left, forward and back in a rocking motion, etc., etc. etc. and on and on for an hour!!!

Then back to my chair, loosened up by my movements that translated to a Vital Force and now – I put my shoes and socks on EASILY!