Neither Battered Nor Elated

Justin Stone advises that, as we proceed with regular practice of T’ai Chi Chih movements, we may be surprised at unanticipated benefits. Those who enjoy regular TCC practice often attest to a “carry over” of TCC principles into their daily lives. As our practice matures, we may meet life’s challenges with more equanimity and understanding.

The softness and continuity encouraged in the movements find their way into our social conditions, so that we no longer meet life’s hurdles by following habit patterns that regularly caused feelings of frustration and disappointment.

As a cork floats on the sea, softly flowing with the highs and lows of the waves, we come to appreciate more readily the ebb and flow of things, being neither severely battered (as the “mighty oak”) by life’s tougher challenges, nor overly elated by our good fortunes and recognition. We find that by loosening the physical, mental, and emotional gripping in our TCC practice, it enhances our flexibility in social interactions. We likely become more pliable and less resolute (as with the proverbial bamboo).

As our TCC practice progresses, we appreciate letting go to a deeper degree, and this loosening of expectations may have parallels in our lives. We become less attached to these expectations; effectively, we “Abandon Hope” in the sense that we are less inclined to set ourselves up for letdowns.

As we experience the release of tensions (and the recycling of this tension into available energy?) in our TCC practice, we recognize that there is great potential for peace in body, mind and spirit. We may then understand that we can experience the same results in our outer lives, by allowing our grip on the results of our actions to loosen.

So, let us continue to practice TCC on a regular basis and experience the freedom of letting go in our practice and in our lives. As guru Swami •Satchitananda was fond of saying, “Do not make appointments and you will not risk being dis-appointed.” This does not mean to abandon making plans, of course, but as we appreciate from our TCC practice, it means to abandon attachment to results.

Released To Cherish Every Moment

By Susan Weber, Naperville, IL

The first thing I had to do to write this article was to abandon hope! I struggle to dig deeply to grasp thoughts, crystallize ideas, and then express them. Given my strong habit energy to avoid writing, I felt immediate tension at writing anything for The Vital Force. Fortunately, the theme encouraged me to start by relinquishing expectations, resistance, and tension so I could open myself to what might emerge. Once I released myself, I was flooded with examples of abandoning hope and began to appreciate how much letting go enriches life.

My older son was born with a myriad of medical issues to overcome. By focusing on the present moment and the reality of his current situation, my son was truly engaged in life as a kind, happy, loving boy. Recently watching videos of him from that time, I marveled at his joyful spirit and think ofJustin’s words in Abandon Hope, “to know, with gratitude, the Joy of Being.” My father was also living with Alzheimer’s disease. And by abandoning both past and future, I immersed myself in my father’s reality to fully connect with him. Although he became a different person, I could still sense his essence. We were able to forge a new bond and “live the beauty of the present” (as Justin writes in Abandon Hope).

I credit T’ai Chi Chih with facilitating my process of breaking free. TCC has helped me enormously, especially with one of my personal bugaboos – time. At my teacher training, I shared that a big benefit of TCC for me was “expanding time.” No longer was there a clock in my head exerting pressure to do more today to be ready for tomorrow. Letting go of my focus on time released me to cherish every moment and be grateful for the glorious value of now. The TCC movements and the resulting connection with the universe infused in me a desire to be more fully present. Initially it was in my practice; then it gradually flowed over into my life. During TCC practice these days, I feel the tendrils of peace and serenity seep in and swirl through me, expanding in ripples so that peace and gratitude replace that clock in my head.