Rainy Day TCC

Knowing T’ai Chi Chih has really paid off since I broke my right femur on July 20, 2010. This was no ordinary break; the prosthesis from a previous hip replacement had been forced into and exploded the femur. I ended up in a wheelchair for over eight months while the bone healed sufficiently to allow a second operation. During this period I could not put any weight on my leg; I had no hip joint. After being discharged from the hospital, I was in assisted living for three months and decided to resume TCC. Being confined to a bed or wheelchair, my first efforts were minimal. However, I soon was able to manage more repetitions of the simpler moves from a seated position. The arm movements helped build upper body strength and flexibility and the emphasis on breathing deeply kept me from slumping, which allowed more oxygen to enter my lungs. Gradually I added leg movements by reminding myself to press my “bubbling springs” on the floor even though I wasn’t able to stand.

Most helpful was the focused breathing and deep relaxation that taught me to better manage the pain. One tends to tighten affected muscles when pain spasms strike which, of course, only makes it worse. However, 20 years of TCC practice had given me a mindfulness process to follow, and eventually I was able to breathe through my pain. While TCC doesn’t remove the pain, it helps manage it. Depression and the dread of never walking again were frequent companions, but TCC helped control that “monkey mind” when it rampaged.

Over the ensuing 14 months since the accident, I’ve come to rely on this daily moving meditation to focus and deepen my breathing, strengthen my body, calm my mind, and ease my pain. I’m now standing for most of the movements and adding in the more difficult ones as my balance improves. I’m not up to the “Taffies” yet, but I’m getting there. Investing in a daily TCC practice turned out to be my way of banking the skills needed for that infamous rainy day. Heartfelt thanks to Teresa Hatten and Bill Nakao, longtime students who kept our 15-person, weekly TCC practice going for over two years.