Practice, Practice, Practice (September 2000)

As I did my T’ai Chi Chih practice the day after coming home from the great 2000 Conference in New Jersey hosted by Sr. Antonia and Carolyn Perkins, I noticed that I was being extra careful in doing the movements. We had received many helpful tips from Justin, Ed, and each other. The Chi was very much at work helping me incorporate the best way to get the most out of my practice. This was probably true for many of you also.

It would have been easy to say, “This feels awkward, so I guess the old way was right.” However, I know from experience with my students that corrections may feel awkward for a while. It is also easy to feel that the person correcting us doesn’t have as much experience as we do, and perhaps they are wrong. But I try never to discount what any T’ai Chi Chih teacher tells me, especially if they can show me what we are supposed to be doing and the wrong way that I may be doing it. Our bodies truly do feel the flow of the chi with every movement, and if this isn’t happening, we must be open to a correction regardless of how long we have being doing T’ai Chi Chih.

Justin has often said, “Never do a careless T’ai Chi Chih.” He does not say this because he is being picky, but because he wants us to get the maximum benefit from our practice. It is up to us whether or not we will allow ourselves to get that benefit. For those of us fortunate enough to attend the conference, the heightened flow of chi is sure to follow as we practice correctly, love, and share the chi.