Flow Softly

“Flow softly” should be the first command a teacher gives a new TCC pupil. Not “move from the hands or feet” and not “try hard – it’s exercise,” but “flow softly.” If the student understands that, and tries to do it, there will be no other problems. Even a child can learn how to place the hands and feet.

Softness is important because of the meridian channels, thru which the Chi flows. If there is tension or any strain, such as muscular effort, the meridians will contract and the Chi will not flow freely.

Correct shifting of the weight, proper yinning and yanning, circularity – these are all important, but they come after the student has learned how to move properly. If the student, after a few lessons, is not making progress, it is best to tell her or him to forget what has been learned and go back to learning how to move properly. Many teachers have not really learned how to move from the T’an T’ien, and they should be anxious to bring themselves up to par. This can be done by auditing Teachers’ Training courses and coming to the Conference, where there is much practice of the fundamentals.

Trying hard causes the student to tense muscles, and this defeats the very purpose of TCC. “The effort of no effort” is a phrase the teacher should remember and frequently use. If the teacher does the movements well, and explains them well, the student will tend to follow in the teacher’s footsteps and, over a period of time, gradually sink into the Essence of T’ai Chi Chih.

Spirituality

by Justin Stone

When I write about Spirituality, I am certainly not talking about Religion. The latter brings to mind an institution with dogma and doctrine, ceremonies, belief in a personal God, all sorts of assumptions, and a somewhat fabricated history. Finances often play a large and necessary role. Religion brings great comfort, sometimes with bigotry, to many people.

Spirituality has none of these, and authority plays little part. To me it means an inner search for the Real, the lasting, and the effort to live and accord with that Reality. Sometimes philosophy is mistaken for spirituality, but the former is cerebral and deals with theory only, not actual experience.

T’ai Chi Chih practice has nothing to do with religion. The believer who practices regularly – and correctly – will get the benefits of TCC practice, as will the non-believer who practices the discipline regularly and correctly. Swimming in circulating Chi, one could not better accord with Reality. The spiritual person is usually the happy person, but he or she many not be religious.

One can only be a truly guiding teacher of spiritually if he or she has the inner experience of Reality. This is usually accompanied by gratitude, the way to happiness. Where there is sincere gratitude one can experience a fulfilling life. Can money by itself bring this joy? A thousand times “no.”

Editor’s Note:

Many of you have said you want “more Justin” in the newsletter.

In recognition of the fact that many subscribers are new(ish), and that Justin has written compelling articles for The Vital Force since its inception in the mid-1980s, The Vital Force will reprint older article(s) that is/are of vital interest to the community of practitioners.

Besides, some things are timeless.