Preference Or Principle?

What moved me most strongly from the conference is related to two Vital Force articles I wrote (in 2009 and 2013), as well as frequent articles since 2007 by teacher accreditors and teachers, which emphasized the importance of being grounded and/or remaining in a gentle, stress-free pause/rest position.

In reviewing more than a decade of issues for comments about the “pause” or “rest” position, I found no references to the pronounced sinking and pressing down and then standing and adjusting the body that I observed at the 2012 conference and that became a topic of discussion at the 2013 conference.

I found only two references (none from Justin) that refer to what appears to be coming our of rest position and assuming a relaxed upright or “adjusting” stance before beginning the other side or the next movement:

1. “Truth and Consequences, Quotes from other Participants” (Vital Force, May 2007, page 9, no name): “One of the greatest gifts of T’ai Chi Chih is the “graceful conclusion.” I use it to adjust my body before I go on to the next movement.”

I could not find any text from Justin that presents this “standing up” as a principle related to grounding in TCC.The May 2007 Vital Force includes a familiar quote from Justin: “The sinking down is the essence of T’ai Chi Chih.” I did not find any reference to “rising up” as a principle.

However, as mentioned above, numerous articles from teachers and teacher accreditors reflect the principles of being grounded that I have learned in other energy balancing practices and in my work on my own postural alignment (which begins and ends with being grounded, whether standing, sitting or lying down). In fact, I teach the importance of being grounded and aligned in workshops across the country.

Stephen Thompson is among the teachers who emphasized holding the stillness of the rest position: “The foundation of all TCC moves is this posture of stillness. For the body to move in the TCC way it must begin each move from a state of profound stillness and it must end every movement with a return to that stillness… Hold the posture.” (Vital Force, May 2008, page 9).

The August 2012 Vital Force contains the most recent article related to “staying longer in the rest position” in “The Importance of Pausing Between Movements,” by Tina Wells, in response to Sandy McCalister’s request for comments on her “Even in Pause” article (Vital Force, May 2013). Tina’s class concluded that remaining in the pause position facilitates feeling grounded and remaining in the present moment.

I ask our TCC leadership to address this issue before new TCC educational materials are being prepared. I have no problem with emphatically pressing down, rising up and adjusting being presented as an option. But regardless of the experiences of the relatively few teachers who practiced with Justin toward the end of his active years, I would find it challenging to present TCC as a universal energy-balancing practice if we add anything that is not conclusively supported in his educational materials.

Editor’s Note: Hannah hopes that practitioners read this as it was intended: to promote peace. She recognizes that Justin rose between movements but assumes that in his own practice, he remained relaxed and grounded.