One. Perfect. Moment.

I’ve recently taken a break from my blog because I’ve felt a need to reassess where I spend my energy. Four months ago, I began the study and practice of T’ai Chi Chih (TCC), a form of T’ai Chi based in meditation rather than martial arts. Almost daily, I spend 30 to 40 minutes working through its 19 movements and one pose. Afterwards I sit quietly, and I’ve come to treasure those final minutes of quiet. 

For years, I’ve attempted meditation and it mostly eluded me. I’ve heard “empty your mind” which is impossible for my busy brain. It doesn’t stop because I want it to. In Christian meditation, I was told to let my mind “be filled with the Holy Spirit,” an instruction so vague I found it mostly unhelpful. I tried counting my breaths – a good centering discipline but not terribly enlightening. About two months ago, during my post TCC quiet time, I stumbled into something enlightening. 

It is what I call the practice of One… Perfect… Moment. In this still moment, I cut off the past. There is no past. There are no regrets, no victories, no people, no guilt, no shame, no wishful thinking. There is only me, here, as I exist in this One. Perfect. Moment. I cut off the future. There are no needs, no expectations, no tasks waiting, no fear of the unknown, no one who needs me. My single desire is to be in this One. Perfect. Moment. There is only me existing in this One. Perfect. Moment. 

I feel the breeze on my skin, my body sitting on a chair, my hands resting on my knees. I feel my legs beneath my hands, and my feet solid and restful on the ground or floor. Any sound – whether birdsong or passenger jet – is part of this One. Perfect. Moment. No sight, no sound, no feeling is distracting. It is all simply a part of that One. Perfect. Moment.

When I’m in this space, there is no anger, no celebration, no fear. There is an untouchable part of me: let the world do its worst and this part of me cannot be lost (even if I might lose it temporarily). I am perfectly myself, and I am perfect, not in the sense of flawless, but in the sense that I exist as I am in this One. Perfect. Moment. There is no need for change, or growth, or improvement in this space. I am me now and that’s enough now. I do not fear the things beyond my control, and therefore I do not hate. I find my compassion for other people and the world expanded, my energy repleted, and my mood calmer. 

I always know this is a temporary state. There are people, tasks, victories to be achieved, and problems to be addressed. But not now. Not in this One. Perfect. Moment. This is not a selfish time any more than it is selfish for an athlete to breathe deeply and focus on his breath at the end of a hundred-yard dash. It is a necessary moment of rest and restoration before the next heat of the day. I return to my day more serene, more productive. 

Let It Be Enjoyable

By John Marquez, Antioch, California

Joy Thru Movement. Really? I remember when I first heard those words three years ago. I thought they meant that when we did T’ai Chi Chih (TCC) it would be enjoyable. That made sense. I gladly practiced daily. I had most movements down with the exception of the challenging “Taffies” and Working the Pulley. When it came to refining the movements, there was more work to do. Always intrigued by the mysterious Chi in Justin’s writings and practices, I continued practicing. Chi increases through refinement, as do the intensified benefits. I was all in. Movements went to another level; I found new meaning in a lifetime of practice. Through regular personal practices and group practices, we evolve. The more effortless the movements become, the more enjoyable. It’s difficult to get out of my own way and let go. Habit energies resist change; it takes effort. Maybe the better term is “let it be”?

Is it worth it? Most definitely. I have discovered amazing joy in my life, and I assume this is the joy Justin referred to. This gift can influence every aspect of our lives. The blessings (benefits) help us through many challenges. Just recently, having developed challenges with my knees, I am aware inside of the joy and absolutely feel the best ever. This joy in the heart is real, as is the Chi flowing throughout the body. Justin wrote, “There’s only one request that I have, practice every day, practice when you feel like it, and practice when you don’t feel like it. The rewards are well worth it.” I’m living those words today and also looking forward. With sincere gratitude, I give thanks, especially to Justin Stone.