Let’s Get Curious About The Space Between The Movements

At the 2016 teacher conference in Seattle, Washington, we had several opportunities for open, respectful, and honest discussion about some differences that are apparent when we teachers practice together in a large group. Some of the differences can be chalked up to slight variations in pace and timing and hand positioning, as we shift the weight forward and back and side-to-side. None of these were differences that really made a difference and we were easily brought to general consensus with helpful guidance from Sandy.

The biggest obvious difference that makes a difference is the amount of time some of us take between the movements and what we do (or don’t do) during those important pauses. T’ai Chi Chih is not just about doing; it is also about not doing. It is about movement and stillness. It is about Chi activation and absorption.

During our many group practices it was obvious that there is no consensus whether to stay down in what has come to be known as the “rest position” (knees and elbows bent, wrists gently flexed, palms facing the ground) or whether to come to the rest position for a breath or two, until one feels fully grounded, and then to release completely, standing for a few breaths in a fully relaxed, upright position, weight evenly balanced on both feet, knees soft (but not bent), arms hanging loosely by one’s side until one feels ready to start the next movement (usually a breath or two).

Admittedly, it makes for a visually less-synchronized group practice if some people are staying in the rest position and others are releasing from that position in order to stand tall and breath gently in relaxed stillness. And, as some people asked, what do we tell our students to do? Don’t we need a rule for this? What did Justin do? These questions made for many interesting discussions about grounding and feeling grounded and how we know that we are fully grounded. Sandy suggested that each person be encouraged to do what feels right to them.

I agree that this is the best consensus on this particular matter, though it raises more questions than it answers. We need to grow comfortable with the fact that there are not always cookie-cutter answers to every TCC practice question. We need to explore our practice and answer these questions for ourselves, and be open to the idea that our experience may change over time. We need to teach our students to feel the Chi in movements and to feel the Chi in the pauses between the movements.

TCC is first and foremost an energy practice; it is not synchronized swimming or a choreographed dance performance. The purpose of the practice is to activate, circulate, and balance the Chi. Each of us must learn to determine when we have accomplished that purpose in between each and every set of movements. For many of us, and certainly for me, feeling the Chi is a life-long inquiry and I do not think we should be shy about sharing with our students the ups and downs, delights and frustrations, insights and challenges of our ongoing adventure with the Chi.

In our discussions at the conference, it became clear that we do not agree on what it means to “ground.” Some people believe that we ground only when we are in the rest position; others believe that we ground both in the rest position and in the relaxed stillness after releasing from the rest position; others believe that we are (or should be) grounding throughout our TCC practice whether in motion or in stillness. This is a rich topic for sharing and discussion and I hope we will continue to have it every time we gather to practice together.

I do not think there is or can be a prescribed time for staying in the rest position. When I practice I sometimes feel the need to stay in the rest position longer after some movements than after others. For example after the “continuous” movements like Pulling Taffy, Variation 3, or Working the Pulley, or Passing Clouds, I usually feel the desire to stay in the rest position for a longer period of time (just another breath or two) and additionally, I still wish to have my “standing in relaxed stillness” time before I am ready to start another movement set. If I do not get this time, I feel rushed and uneasy.

I understand that those who like to stay down between the movements may not be happy about accommodating the leisurely time I like to take between the movements. Accordingly, when practicing together as a group, we must compromise. You might have to stay down a little longer than you’d like, while I may have to move on sooner than I would wish to. Group practice is different than personal practice; it is a shared experience. It is worth a little compromise on all sides in order to reap the benefits of the powerful and rewarding sharing of the Chi that comes with group practice.

Leading a large group TCC practice is a big responsibility, akin to conducting an orchestra; it is not a passive activity. Whoever is leading the practice needs to be alert to the needs of the group – looking around and continually feeling the sense of the room. Is more time needed between the movements, less time? The practice leader has to set an appropriate pace allowing for the energy to properly settle between each movement set and allowing for some individual differences in the amount of time needed for grounding and rest.

Sandy inspired us with her willingness to initiate and facilitate an open and respectful discussion of our differences of opinion and experience. She encouraged us to “compromise, without compromising our values,” so that we can cooperate and support one another and grow together to build a united and vibrant community in keeping with our mission and vision statements and our responsibilities as caretakers of TCC in service to humanity.

This was just the first of many conversations our community will have on this topic in this forum and at future TCC events and conferences. Please commit to exploring the issue for yourself and to sharing your discoveries and questions with others.