Intuition After Practice

I often set an intention for my daily T’ai Chi Chih (TCC) practice and sometimes use a suggestion from Steve Ridley’s 1989 Perspectives in Motion and Stillness: “Let my ignorance vanish and my innate, Comprehensive Sight be restored.”

My practice starts with stimulating my Chi Meridians followed by the five Seijaku preliminaries. Then I move softly into Rocking Motion. I often practice three multiples of nine because its one of my favorite movements to get me into the flow. Towards the end of this movement, my intuition says, “You already have the tools you need to access patience in your life: TCC.” My intuition reminded me that TCC teaches the beauty of patience by feeling the flow, then carrying it with me as I face life’s challenges. This was an aha moment; I smiled internally and outwardly during the rest of my practice.

I have been struggling recently with a lack of patience toward my life partner who lives with severe emphysema. My patience had been depleted over the winter by his frequent hospitalizations — he could not be stabilized so we were back and forth with a team of doctors in New York City and New Jersey to find out why. After much experimentation with current and new medications plus new calibrations of his vital medical equipment, we were blessed with a miracle. Since mid-March he has been stable and is enjoying a more consistent daily life. We are both so grateful.

In Spiritual Odyssey, Justin writes, “All things seen and unseen are really a conflux of moving energies, a reflection of the Tao. When the Yin and Yang aspects are out of balance, there is ill health and worldly events are affected in a negative way.” He continues, “If we cease our self-clinging for a moment and look at things on a broader basis, we realize the world (and ourselves) are the products of Chi.”

Now I feel what it’s like to be patient when I pay attention and listen to my intuition. Practicing TCC teaches me that gentle persistence is part of being patient. A quotation from Steve Ridley now resonates with me as I internalize my continued experience with patience: “Persistence and patience are the foundation of T’ai Chi practice… In T’ai Chi living, the moment is sufficient and complete unto itself, and patience is enacted naturally without effort, discomfort, or anxiety for preconceived results.”

PYRAMIDS

joy

children

soft pure love

be still and hear

heaven’s song

back to

birth

— Georgine Brinkman

lose

yourself

study chi

energy knows all

come to class

study

chi

— Bonnie Schowalter

ache

not mine

must I care

movement grows strong

revulsion

settle

down

— Holly Hershman

trust

your now

unfolding

experience

in kindness

always

joy!

— Marie Dotts

peace

coming

over me

like a rainbow

elusive

so bright

gone

— Lucinda Furman

joy

movement

t’ai chi chih

is based on this

so t’ai chi

chih brings

joy

— Jen Coffey

write?

who? me?

go for it!

spontaneous

creating

surprise

smile

— Chris Jennison

strength

in leg

turning hip

massage organs

bright aware

tan t’ien

joy

— Chris Jennison