Honor The Stillness (August 2008)

T’ai Chi Chih’s uniqueness and power comes from its combination of movement and stillness. Repetitions of a movement followed by stillness set TCC apart from other forms.

The ultimate goal of TCC practice is to balance our life force or Chi. The concept of balance is played out in several ways in our practice. One’s physical balance may improve through regular practice. Most movements are balanced by performing them on the left and then on the right. A most important concept to embrace is that the moving part of TCC is balanced with stillness. Movement and stillness are intertwined and dependent on one another in TCC; without the stillness TCC is diminished.

When teaching TCC it is important to impress upon the student the value of stillness –resting between movements. As we move, the Chi is stimulated and circulates through the body. As it circulates the two aspects of Chi, the yin Chi and yang Chi, separate. In concluding a set of repetitions of a movement, we come into the rest position. While in this stillness the two aspects of Chi blend back together.

It is like the process of making bread. Kneading and working the dough is equivalent to circulating the Chi in our practice during our movements. With each repetition we knead and work and move the Chi. When the dough sits to rise, that is akin to us resting in stillness during our graceful conclusion at the end of each movement. As the dough sits, a chemical interaction takes place in that stillness, and the dough rises. As we come into stillness, the flow of Chi settles down, and the yin Chi and yang Chi reintegrate. Without the rest or stillness between movements our TCC practice would fall flat.

As we are fully present with our movements so we are fully present with the stillness. “Holding fast and letting go” are words from a meditation Justin Stone teaches, and they can be applied to the stillness in TCC practice. The stillness is solid, spacious, palpable, empty, and freeing. Freeing from thought of past and future. And when the fully present, empty feeling of stillness is grasped, and held fast long enough to feel to the core of one’s being, then it is time to let go. Release the stillness and move again.

Only by honoring the stillness, by giving it our full attention, being patient to linger in its fullness, can we plumb the depths of TCC.

Another Avenue of Service

By Pam Towne, Oceanside, CA

Have you ever wished for a teacher training or an intensive in your geographical area? It is possible to have these T’ai Chi Chih events near you, but it is up to you to make that happen. As Justin Stone intended, TCC does not have a formal organization. So there is no corporate headquarters that decides when and where these events take place. We are a grassroots community of teachers and students, united by our common interest in and appreciation for this beneficial form that has changed our lives.

Thus, requests for trainings come from the community – you. That doesn’t mean that we can offer trainings for one or two people whenever one is requested. Justin designed the accreditation week to be a transformational experience, enhanced by being in a group. A minimum of eight people is required for an accreditation course. You can make a difference by having trainings in your area. It starts with intention, whether you are an accredited TCC teacher or want to be one. The Chi can show you the way.

Early on, Justin developed the model of having TCC teachers host community events that he led. This model is still in use today, with the teacher trainers leading accreditations and intensives that are hosted by a teacher or group of teachers. This is where you can make a difference. An intensive is generally scheduled first, followed by a training four to six months later. If you are a TCC teacher, you can be of great service by hosting these events by yourself or with other teachers. If you are a student wanting to become accredited, ask your teacher to be a host. It’s valuable to connect with others who also want to become TCC teachers and to encourage each other. You can also let me know, and I’ll align with your intention.

For more information on hosting and scheduling intensives or teacher trainings, contact Sandy or me. Our contact information on the back page of TheVital Force.