Learning the Way

(Permission granted by New Mexico T’ai Chi Chih Teacher News)

Justin came to Albuquerque in 1981. Thanks to Rick Cramer’s efforts several teachers were contacted, and we had a great chance to get together. We all met at the University student union building. My reasons for being there were so that I might be able to be with the Master and ask the questions that would give me a greater understanding of life, so that my heart could know greater peace.

About six of us were there. We said our hellos and sat around making small talk for a few minutes. Justin then related the story of two teachers, John and Julian, who had formed their classes by doing T’ai Chi Chih outside the SUB. Someone smiled and said, “What a great idea. We should do that.” Being a first-year teacher, I felt shy and not quite ready to do T’ai Chi Chih in front of God and all the world, but Justin in all his wisdom said, “We don’t have to go outside; let’s do it in here.” And so we did. After about the first nine movements of Rocking Motion, I found that the movements took over and there was only T’ai Chi Chih. Yes, my questions were beginning to be answered, but not in the way that I though they would be.

Last night after I finished teaching my TCC class I went to share a demonstration with the Fibromyalgia Support Group. The group meets at Anna Kaseman Hospital. This is a group that needs a lot of support as most of them are in a great deal of pain all the time. I found that many of them had already taken T’ai Chi Chih classes with several of our area teachers. Some had happened to find the TV program, and were grateful for the interruption in their pain that they had felt that night. Some told me that after watching the program they wanted to learn more, so they were grateful to find that we had many teachers in Albuquerque.

As I walked into the meeting room I remembered the time that Justin had gotten us up in public at the SUB to share the understanding we had. Last night as I shared with the Support Group, I had the wonderful feeling that truly my questions that day back in 1981 had been answered. As we do T’ai Chi Chih together we stop fighting (pain, questions, butterflies in the stomach) and open up to the greater understanding about life that we have right inside of us. Thank you, Justin. Thank you, T’ai Chi Chih.