Freedom: An Inside Job

It’s my belief that everyone seeks freedom. At the end of every conversation I hear, that’s the one constant: If I do this, it will free me from ignorance, hard work, boredom, or pain. In a hopeful way, it tells us that most people believe that freedom is possible. I believe that most things a person attempts will give them a certain amount of freedom. But on close examination, each step usually leads to more bondage. As an example, you would like financial freedom so you get a better paying job to pay off your car and other debts. But now you find yourself in bondage to the good paying job. How many people beginning with a goal of financial freedom find themselves more entrenched in debt? The new job may require more time at work and require higher expenses (in order to appear “right” for the job.)

What I have seen in over 30 years of doing T’ai Chi Chih is that TCC doesn’t have the drawbacks of most other ways that people choose to get unstuck. This is because TCC isn’t based on any outward orientation. Rather it brings us back to ourselves, and that is the beginning of the road to freedom. I hear people say, “There are many ways to go inward. Why should I choose TCC?” That’s a good question. As we go inside we find that we awaken a power, a desire to know more about ourselves. It’s not just about becoming quiet and feeling peaceful. It’s about finding out that life is about more than worry and busyness.

TCC not only takes us inside of ourselves, it also helps our outsides. Many of us have heard about the UCLA study on shingles, which shows that people who do TCC are half as less susceptible to getting shingles than people who don’t do TCC. Justin Stone has said, “You can’t appease the hunger by reading the menu.” Why not try TCC or practice what you have come to value and see what it does for you? Find freedom. Learn to love and share the Chi.