Dance

dance

they came

emerging

east, west, north, south

unfold earth

mother

flow

The earth unfolded and I, along with many other T’ai Chi Chih (TCC) teachers, accepted the gracious invitation by the Albuquerque team to celebrate the fifty-year anniversary of TCC and reconnect with good friends and other fine people at the August teacher conference.

It had been a while since I had done a live or Zoom TCC event. My teacher, Carolyn Perkins and her beloved husband, Michael, had gone through a lot of insurmountable obstacles before, during and after COVID. For some inexplicable reason, the prajna kept telling me to lay low, drop my shoulders, bow my head, and be of service. Now that I think about it, I was practicing TCC without knowing it.

I do recall feeling like there is no time for me to reflect and that fear (false evidence appearing real) was going to be my “go to” mind state. So, I’d have to stay the course and see this through. And then, somehow, things would improve for Carolyn and Michael (and, the greater world, too).

I didn’t “abandon hope” and yet I think I know why Justin chose that title for one of his books. I had to live the TCC, not think about it or read even Justin’s words. We were all in the water for a long time. Carolyn and Michael (and Sokie, Ken, many of Carolyn’s students and friends in NYC and Cyprus, and I) learned to flow despite all the crazy. Many have heard about flow, but how many are really living it?

What I remember from those early days in North Plainfield, New Jersey, was Dan reading (probably it was Justin being provocative), “GURU, gee you are you!” I have been seeking that guru for so long. It’s taken so long to finally know that I have been seeking myself. I walked (actually, I flew on two bumpy, stressful flights) away from conference with such a nice connection to so many people. Especially to myself. With gratitude.