Personal Thoughts on TCC

Teaching T’ai Chi has brought me many lessons, gentle lessons. Some so simple, like a way to teach a movement more effectively via a simple metaphor like ducks floating on a pond for the hands doing Around the Platter; some more personal and complex.

My very first class, in a lovely setting called the Stone House, in Lakewood, had eight students at the first meeting. What I experienced was a vivid lesson in sowing one’s seed and having it multiplied. I sent out my love and enthusiasm, and the Chi and the response from the students gave me back ten and a hundred times what I had sent out. It was almost overwhelming!

Later, I was demonstrating Push Pull for the class and explaining that in T’ai Chi and in life, we always keep “something in reserve.” Suddenly, I knew in my entire being how this was true and right for me in all areas of my life. I hold back something of all I receive from the Universe for my own needs: time and skill for meditation and T’ai Chi Chih practice, money to tithe and save, these are reserved. This reserve assures that I am consistently nourished.

These insights brought me a stronger sense of my own worth as Divine and yet human, and a renewed self-respect.

Some students respond to certain images and some to others. All seem aided by “rhythm words,” which make the movements seem like a very person-way to make music. The bass or rhythm is the shifting of the weight on the legs and the time or melody is the light “trilling” movements of the hands.

On Around the Platter Variation I used the imagery of “Carry the ball, let it go” with great success. In my personal practice, I often use a mantra like “I am Peace in action,” which is mentally chanted to the cadence of the movement. For Pulling Taffy, I found it useful to call out “left hand under,” then “right hand under,” as a rhythm and a reminder.

Just this week I began a third class, which is held at the local community center. The thrill of teaching was, one again, a joy and an encouragement.