Harmonic Healing

My search for spiritual fulfillment started many years before my long bout with cancer. In the end the disease that had ravaged my body and robbed me of physical strength was powerless against my greatest fight for my life and so I won. But now my body was disconnected from the inner me; meditation only was not enough. I needed help. I was again looking for the connection between my body, my mind, and my spiritual side – so I could become whole again.

One evening, when going to hear some Buddhist monks at the Center for Spirituality and the Arts, I saw a sign for T’ai Chi Chih classes. I knew very little about T’ai Chi and yet I was attracted to this discipline. The next day, eager to know something about this form , I made an appointment to see the teacher.

Since the first few weeks of lessons and after reading one of many books written by the origination of TCC, Justin Stone, I was certain that this was what I was looking for. I had only one major problem: my legs were too weak to allow me to do the movements. In order to compensate for the lack of strength, and afraid of loosing my balance, I would keep my knees quite rigid. This, of course, stopped the flow of energy throughout my body. Time and time again I was told to keep my knees soft; it took me several years before I could.

I understood the principles of the movements, and I was trying to do my best while all the time remembering Justin Stone’s words, “T’ai Chi Chih will do T’ai Chi Chih.” It was one of the most exciting and important moments when it finally happened – T’ai Chi Chih was doing T’ai Chi Chih. Suddenly the yining and yanging occurred in my legs without effort. The balancing of these opposite forces brought healing and harmony to my body. Finally: the connection of mind, body, and soul – that which had been the foundation of my life – was happening again after so long. My very being, once more, was in total harmony.

My deepest thanks to Justin Stone for sharing all that he has learned and for leading me through my long journey into total healing.

A Reflection On Harmony

By Becky Watkins, Alexandria, LA

Music thrills me and I have always enjoyed listening to it, singing it, learning to play piano and guitar, and making all kinds of music. I love harmony and listening to groups and choirs whose harmony is so sweet and pure; it gives me goose bumps and sometimes moves me to tears.

I have a rain stick, teng shaw bells, drums, and a big gong in my bedroom. When I get up in the mornings, I strike the gong to hear the deep pure vibrations. It is my sound for waking up, literally and symbolically.

When I teach T’ai Chi Chih, I begin each class by striking a little brass bowl with a small wooden stick to produce a sound bath in the room and helping to quiet the mind chatter. It is the harmonious sound of present moment awareness, the sound of mindfulness.

I believe there is a deep need in all of us for harmony. We want harmonious relationships with family and friends. It may be why we seek out balance and contemplative practices.

One of my favorite contemplative practices is TCC. It is where I find harmony and balance. It is where I connect with my deep core truths with compassion. It has helped me grow with grace to flow through my days with a sense of calm purpose. Our beautiful TCC practice immerses us in the vibration of the universe. We are in harmony with all that is.

Can you feel it? Can you feel the humming vibrations at a cellular level that interconnects us to the vibrations in rocks and trees and stars? Scientists tell us we are all vibrating at different levels along with everything else in the universe. Jesus and Buddha were vibrating at a higher level, as are many of our great spiritual teachers.

Because of TCC, we are better able to connect with our own harmonious vibrations and that of others. Sensitivity to divine vibration and energy fields may produce in us a greater serenity and a pure sense of joy in being part of the whole.

Once we fit into the grand harmony, then peace, happiness, and tranquility are ours.

Harmony (Or The Promise Of It)

By Nancy Werner-Azarski, Minneapolis, MN

When Kim asked me to write about harmony, I thought, how does she know that harmony is a problem for me…is it that obvious? I see many inconsistencies between what I believe and how I behave. I cherish harmony but do not display it very often. When I first started teaching the T’ai Chi Chih practice at my workplace, I had a very large group from my unit sign up for a class. In my first class I asked folks to introduce themselves and then tell us why they were there. Basically, every one of my colleagues said that since I was less angry and anxious at work, they really wanted to try this TCC stuff! It was quite a humbling experience and it was the beginning of a journey that continues today.

I looked up harmony in the dictionary and the definition I liked was a “pleasing arrangement of parts.” That arrangement of parts could be notes – how the workflow went that day – or it could be all the parts of our lives. At the recent conference, I saw and felt harmony. When we broke into three groups and worked on separate movements, I glanced up and saw the other two groups moving, doing two separate moves. The thought that went through my head was “so that’s what it looks like.” I wasn’t thinking about the form but I was thinking about the embodiment of harmony, the experience of harmony. They weren’t doing the same thing; they weren’t moving together. But it made me hold my breath for an instant, and it made me realize that the promise of harmony can be found in the practice of TCC. I know that what is in the form will become part of my life. This promise of harmony brings joy to me, especially on the days when I have been displaying less than harmonious behavior. The “parts” will be different and going in different directions, but I know with certainty that harmony in my life and in my TCC practice will be present – the promise is there.