Musings on Softness / Seijaku Practice

Those who embrace Seijaku, the advanced form of T’ai Chi Chih practice, with regularity, come to appreciate that the principles of TCC practice apply quite profoundly in Seijaku. Until quite recently, however, it is likely that many introduced to Seijaku, and even those accredited to teach Seijaku, may have found it challenging to embody TCC’s softness and continuity. In trying (or efforting) to discover “holding fast” (Justin Stone’s term), many may have missed the underlying softness.

Just as air or water may seem more or less dense, depending on velocity of currents, the “very heavy air” (Justin’s term) may feel extraordinarily dense in the application of the Seijaku principle. The inherent softness is likely to be discovered readily from that deeper perspective. Thanks to the insight and instruction of Pam Towne, Ann Rutherford and Dan Pienciak, this softness may be felt more immediately by all in their Seijaku practice.

Pam and Ann offered a marvelous presentation on Seijaku at the 2011 teacher conference in Ohio. The accreditation that followed continued to allow a Seijaku practice to be more easily and effortlessly understood by all – newly accredited teachers, auditing instructors and all interested in learning and embracing this most valuable and powerful form. Those fortunate to participate in the Seijaku accreditation course came away with a renewed interest in the practice and a deeper understanding of the underlying softness, expressed as profound energy and manifested in renewed life. As a longtime fan of Seijaku practice, this is so very heartening and assuring.

With deepest gratitude to Justin Stone for the gift of Seijaku practice, may we continue to en-joy the form and share the benefits with others.