Bird Flaps Its Wings Teaches Me About Being – Part 2

How precious this movement is to me. Bird Flaps its Wings set me free, opened me up to the beauty of myself, grounded me, and led me into a life journey of spiritual development.

How can one movement do so much? The name itself leads one to the mental vision of a bird – no matter what size – flapping its wings. The polished movement has a similar substance and form. The bird’s beauty and strength flows gracefully out through the wings and down through the body, as is done in the movement.

I fell in love with this movement the first time it was taught to me. The graceful movement of the arms and hands floating slightly upward were freeing. I felt like a elegant heron lifting off from the ground. Strong yet soft – polished yet clown-like. And those wrist circles – loved those wrist circles. I could never figure out why people had difficulty with wrist circles – it just seemed to catch right on with that part of the movement. When I over analyze it, that’s when I run into problems. Bird Flaps its Wings is one of those movements you don’t want to overanalyze. Just do it! (Does that sound familiar?) Focus on the flow and the energy circulating through the body. That’s when you begin to realize the joy and awesomeness of Bird Flaps its Wings.

To change course, my plant friend, “Bird” (see Part 1 which follows and introduces our relationship), has sprouted its 19th leaf this year. He is doing well and has been transplanted into the largest pot I could find. He has had several additional grounding roots take hold and, as of this writing, is working on sprouting another leaf and grounding root. So that would take him to 19 movements and close to completing his pose. The plant continues to amaze me. We both continue to grow and realize that sometimes it’s just best to be firmly planted. And just be.

Bird Flaps Its Wings – Part 1

By Marie Myszkier [originally written September, 2005]

During the T’ai Chi Chih Teacher’s Conference in Albuquerque [in 2005], it became apparent that not everyone was aware of the New Mexico Center’s “Bird Flaps His Wings.” Yes, people knew it was a movement, but people most did not know the plant I so fondly call “Bird.” So I thought I would write about Bird and our escapades.

I first met Bird at my first class at the New Mexico T’ai Chi Chih Center in January 2000. Bird had only three leaves and was in a small pot. “The plant looks somewhat forlorn,” I thought. He needs a friend. Over the course of time when I came to class, I would say a mental “hello” to Bird Flaps His Wings. It wasn’t until my intermediate class that I named the plant. The leaves flowed out like the palms of my hands during the Bird Flaps His Wings movement I thought – hmmmm – I’ll call my plant friend “Bird.” Somewhere during my T’ai Chi Chih courses I took Bird home to re-pot him because he seemed to be getting too big for his pot. As he grew up a size, I went through an intermediate class and Seijaku. I continued my practice and classes. And Bird needed to be repotted again. Somewhere along the way – while taking teacher prep classes – Bird started to sprout leaves and grounding roots.

It wasn’t until my teacher training that enlightenment came. My plant friend, Bird, had sprouted a leaf each year of my T’ai Chi Chih training. By 2004, four years after first walking into the T’ai Chi Chih Center, Bird blossomed four leaves and was grounding himself with air roots. “What an awesome thing,” I thought, “as Bird has grown and grounded, so have I.” Bird, then with seven new leaves, was a presenter during my T’ai Chi Chih Teacher presentation. And after becoming a teacher I have taken him “on the road” for T’ai Chi Chih demonstrations. During our road time together, Bird blossomed his eight leaf.

My first T’ai Chi Chih Teacher’s Conference was an awesome experience. Meeting new people, reuniting with classmates and fine-tuning movements was energizing and calming. During the conference Bird blossoms his ninth leaf. Oh, I thought, the significance of nine.

Since the conference I have been busy with life. T’ai Chi Chih practices continue and Bird is blossoming his tenth leaf. I’m looking for a new pot for my friend as he’s starting to outgrow his pot. Our life continues to grow and expand. T’ai Chi Chih has allowed us both to blossom and, as we continue our journey together, I enjoy watching and experiencing the plant and the human linked together by T’ai Chi Chih!

Bird

Blossoms

Life’s Journeys

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