Alternating Currents Of Giving & Receiving

BY PETER GREGORY, CROWN POINT, IN

The first time I sat down to write about openness, I knew I would have to hit some walls, dredge up old behaviors for reflection, and share with others about myself. I responded like the groundhog confused by his own shadow: I put down my pen and took a nap!

I have no business writing about openness. I’ve been the small, conflicted hermit for much of my life. Before TCC, openness eluded me completely. I mean, I could see it or describe it in something else, like cooking or music, or the deep gaze of a Compassionate Sage. But the capacity to live and let live against a backdrop of openness was beyond me.

I believe we all experience neurological disorders in our evolution. It’s a matter of degree, and of which shallow grooves become habitual patterns, which in time create our deepest tendencies. When exaggerated or prolonged, these mis-firings grow stronger, and an absurd turmoil naturally ensues.

What kept me from embracing openness was the development of Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder (OCD). With OCD, you quickly get Stuck on Stuck, with rapid recurring thoughts convincing you that impending doom is around the corner if you don’t follow through with a repeating message. It’s like a high stakes game of Simon Says. As a child, I was a cross between a vaudeville mime and a third base coach in baseball. Winking, blinking, tapping my left wrist between the eyes, jumping in place without being noticed, pulling my hair out, on and on. Every activity had a sequence of useless gestures that had to be followed before I could begin. What was first experienced as pleasant and/or harmless would become routine and normal, then rational and necessary. As I got older, this progressed to consumption. Sugar, fat, caffeine, or alcohol, the result was the same: guilty pleasure becomes routine and normal, then rational and necessary. It was like having a sixth wavelength in my brain. There wasn’t much space for openness to flourish in my “hard-wired” chaos.

But somehow it did, like a lone flower in the desert, and I began learning and practicing T’ai Chi Chih. Justin’s suggestion, to let go like a man who has no job, home, or partner to hold onto, was especially liberating. Being able to complete full practices without any OCD flare-ups was like a daily karmic bonfire, revealing more and more openness every time the smoke would clear. Thank you, Justin. Thank You.

In my practice, I regard openness as an alternating current of giving and receiving, leading to wider paths of less resistance. At rest, I’m most mindful of the angle of my feet, the looseness in my wrists, and the slight elongation of my spine. In motion, my potential for openness rests in my ability to move from the T’an T’ien, to abide in the hub and not the spokes.

I see openness as dynamic, like a dilating pupil, discerning darkness within the darkness. It is both the means and the end, to understanding the mystery of the Supreme Ultimate.

Transition With Ease: How TCC Parallels Life

BY MARGERY ERICKSON, HANOVER, PA

After 22 years of teaching special education for one public school, I decided it was time for a new challenge. I was ready and open for it. Balancing the logic of having a secure job, with the willingness to let go and find a new direction, was an easy choice. The process began six months before the new job actually materialized. First came the mental image: teaching math to learning support students in a high school setting. Second came applying and interviewing.

Daily TCC practice was at the center of this transition. Practice provided me with confidence, clarity, and quiet assurance. As I look back the change went very smoothly. I am very happy in the new school. I am teaching high school algebra to students with emotional and learning disabilities. What I enjoy most is connecting with the students by providing support, kind words, and even some positive Chi.

This recent shift in my life brings me back to T’ai Chi Chih. What are the actual benefits to daily practice? Perhaps they include a healthy body, inner serenity, and mental (math) clarity? Being open within the TCC form creates a willingness to be open to new ideas and new challenges throughout the day and life.