Practice When You Want To …

Before a recent vacation trip, I was in a self-pitying mood. There was a long wait at the airport, and since my flight was delayed, there was plenty of time to do my daily T’ai Chi Chih practice. However, the last thing I wanted to do was TCC. To think that “joy thru movement” could alter my morbid state seemed remote.

But I remembered the advice of Woody Allen who said that one of the most important things in life is showing up. I reluctantly moved my body into the standing position in preparation. During Rocking Motion and Bird Flaps Its Wings, I felt stiff and uncoordinated. By the time it came to Around the Platter, however, I was surprised when all muscle tension melted from my body. My center, arms, and legs moved without any effort. An image popped into my mind of a spider slowly, silently, and gradually weaving a soft web.

The rest of the practice continued in the same amazing manner. I had never before experienced such silent flow, exquisite effortlessness, and profound serenity. Why did this blissful experience occur at this time? Two possibilities come to mind. One was my attitude of little expectation. I just didn’t care about performance, goals, or achievements. It was something like the feeling that Rhett Butler expressed to Scarlet in Gone With The Wind: “Frankly, Scarlet, I don’t give a damm!” I also remembered Justin’s example of how to move. He referred to the physical and mental state of an inebriated man. His body was as limp as a scarecrow; all thought processes were eradicated; he was in a dreamlike state.

The second possibility was a passage from A Potter’s Notes on T’ai Chi Chih, by Margy Emerson, that was still in my mind from the night before: “Sometimes I deliberately envision waterfalls or yards of feather-light silk billowing, curving back on itself as extensions of my movements…more and more I descended into silence…there was only a vibration-long, slow, smooth waves not seen or heard or even felt in the usual way…and that’s when the center is touched…it all starts with the silence of not thinking, not anticipating.”

For me, what happened was an “in the essence” experience. TCC was doing TCC. My movements were totally coordinated. I was truly in the present moment – embraced in silence, harmony, and serenity. Moral of the story: practice regularly whether you feel like it or not.

By Seth Ambrose, York, PA (Student of Hope Spangler)

I’m 23 years old and feel compelled to share my story of recovery and T’ai Chi Chih. Over the past seven months I have been healing from a very low point in my life, which started with periods of anxiety, depression, and insomnia. On September 10th, 2007, I jumped out of my apartment window onto the concrete below. The suicide attempt caused an epidural hematoma and required an immediate craniotomy. I think this whole incident might have been avoided if I had found TCC earlier.

During my recovery, TCC has been very relaxing and quite beneficial to improving my motor skills and balance. TCC has been the fourth branch of my therapeutic tree that has included physical, speech, and occupational therapies. I’m not diminishing the effects that the other three therapies have had on my revival, but I feel that TCC has helped me find balance and serenity.

My first introduction to TCC was in the psychiatric ward of the hospital that initially treated me. After being released, my family gave me a great Christmas gift: further instruction in TCC. Ever since enrolling in the class, things have gotten better and better. I have graduated from my formal therapies but still continue to do my daily TCC therapy. I feel the benefits every day. I’ve found my Chi.

I would like to thank everyone who has helped me during these challenging but uplifting months. I’d like thank God for giving me another chance at life. Thanks to my wonderful family. Thanks to my friends who have given me a shoulder to lean on. Thanks to the doctors and therapists who have aided in my recovery. And last, but certainly not least, thanks to Hope Spangler for introducing me to this wonderful practice. She continues to be a great friend along with all the friends I’ve made along this TCC journey.