Evolving with the Chi

The evolution of chi through me has been an incredible journey. Justin Stone has consistently addressed impermanence and the importance of knowing the self. As the issues within my tissues have been gently and timely released, I have been blessed to have the experience of acquainting my self with self (a precursor for beginning to know self)—through movement. Movement of body which stills the mind and allows spirit integration and direction.

When I was first introduced to TCC through my teacher Jean Katus in 1978, I FELT and KNEW it was powerful. I immediately had the sense of clicking into the alpha brain wave pattern. In the biofeedback training I’d experienced in nursing school, it had taken 10 minutes in sitting meditation to hear the beeps that indicated transfer to alpha. In TCC it took a few moments of Around the Platter—and it clicked! At that time in my own life, this was amazing yet hard to grasp as my life orientation was busy-doing-ness. Health maintenance required a strenuous work-out, and EFFORT to acheive the goal. Thus, it was difficult to accept that there could be EASE with a movement that could acheive physical benefits that NOW (22 years later) practitioners can affirm and speak to personally.

Throughout the decades of TCC practice, I have found my own personality expressing THROUGH the movement. Going back to Conferences, Retreats with Justin, and moving with my teacher, Jean Katus, has assisted with getting back “on line” and “in alignment”!

The journey is humbling with releasing the layers of personality and ego that manifest THROUGH our movements. When we are lucky, Justin may speak to us directly and CUT THROUGH (like a sword) swiftly with a comment. It is a gift as it can sever and change one’s movement—and habit-energy tendancies—on the spot. (Chi-therapy with a karmic spin). The release of CHI and flow is instantly felt—IF the wounded ego and “I” spot is manifesting impermanence. I’ve found our conditioning with pride and self-justification with excuses—that specialty of ‘self-defense’ through a litany of excus-ology and reason-ology—can be softened through T’ai Chi Chih enough to ‘hear and take action to shift.’

The easiest way I’ve found to evolve with the CHI is to stay connected to the SOURCE. Then the FORCE IS with you and misery and drama can be dropped. It is all a choice. Daily opportunities arise to test one’s commitment. As Justin has said more than once, “No matter how many times you have made the mistake, you can make it again.” Mindfulness is required. As Rumi the Persian poet born in 1207 said, “The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you. Don’t go back to sleep.” Each of us has the KEY to our own conscious awakening and staying present—not going back to sleep, i.e. auto-pilot, or spinning. T’ai Chi Chih is a KEY that is powerful as YOU are daily in charge of attaining a state of alert mindfulness by being PRESENT to yourself and cells with each shift of the weight—forward, backward, side-to-side. With the thought, I feel the energy flow inside.

Control looses it’s power over you as internal guidance gently carries you. Trust the sense of internal chi—it is a friend no one can take from you or me! It welcomes one back with no pain or guilt, moving in sync, weaving life’s tapestry quilt.