Gratitude
T’ai Chi Chih is a mindfulness moving meditation practice that’s easy to learn. The series of 19 movements and one pose helps circulate the Vital Energy, the Chi. Practitioners experience peace, improved health and many more benefits. Our free monthly e-newsletter offers inspiration between issues of the TCC quarterly journal, The Vital Force, in which teachers and students tell stories about ways they’ve benefited from the practice.
“‘Softness and Continuity’ are necessary.”– Justin F. Stone, TCC Originator
From a recent issue of The Vital Force:
Gratitude: “TCC is such a nourishing, energizing and healing way to meet obstacles that come our way. Zoom classes have kept me afloat during these challenging times (during the Covid-19 pandemic). I’ve had a lot of discomfort with my hip and knee and was tempted not to teach. But when I start to move, softness and ease appear out of nowhere. My gratitude overflows for the appreciation and dedication my students have demonstrated in showing up for practice via Zoom. Their questions and interest in TCC inspire me.” – LR, Seattle, WA
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Calm: “Doing TCC remotely during the pandemic has shown me how the practice fits the different circumstances of my life. It’s also made me feel more connected to my TCC group because all of us switched to remote practice. It felt like a big sign of shared appreciation for TCC and our group. The energy and calmness from these sessions are invaluable in these stressful times.” – S, a student in LR’s Zoom class
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Connection: “In the second month of the pandemic, when it looked like we would shelter in place indefinitely, we stopped waiting and start living. Looking for blessings the pandemic could bring, we discovered Zoom. The barriers of distance, time, space and money have all but disappeared. Our TCC community has grown as we have become connected to each other and the outside world. No longer constrained by distance, students and I practice TCC six times a week and I teach four mornings a week. We attend classes with teachers in (New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, and beyond). We find new meaning in ‘social distancing’ as we connect across time and space.” – BB, Pittsburg, CA
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Flow: For the beginning student the most important aspect is to learn how to move. It is of utmost importance that T’ai Chi Chih be practiced correctly in accordance with the principles of yin-yang so that results will be maximized. Knowing where to place the arms and feet will come easily, but eager students often try too hard and use considerable effort, causing tension when TCC must be tension-free. Any tension will keep the Chi (Intrinsic Energy) from flowing freely through the meridian channels. – Justin F. Stone excerpted from the T’ai Chi Chih Photo Text, available in print and e-book formats
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Want more inspiration? Want connection with the global TCC community? Want tips for a better practice? Join us:
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