Snap

Two weeks away from home. It was a great vacation. We had plenty of yard and garden work to do. Whoa – “oh, snap.”

Crutches, stairs, ramps, automatic doors, people offering to help, calculating the time and distance from point A to B, navigating challenging terrain. By the end of each day I was exhausted. It started with a fall and a minor ankle fracture (snap). I was given an Aircast boot to wear for six weeks. Slept with it. Removing only to shower. This “accident” interrupted my daily life more than I wanted to admit. A friend told me she had heard T’ai Chi was good for balance. LOL, well, thank you.

I drove to the New Jersey conference and participated by doing seated T’ai Chi Chih. For the morning practice we were offered a choice of Seijaku or TCC. I tried seated Seijaku.

I continued daily, seated Seijaku combined with seated TCC when I returned home. Of course I was seeking a speedy recovery and was hoping this would help. I made some modifications: Instead of using a chair it was more comfortable to sit on a stool and place a one-inch board under my non-injured foot. This allowed me to shift my weight and even place my feet in position with more ease.

What I discovered was the ability to focus and feel the energy move quickly – as if it did not have as far to travel. Instead of focusing on the soles of my feet I was working more directly by focusing on the tan t’ien, which is emphasized more in Seijaku. Yes, I had experienced this in the past. This time the energy stayed with me and near me for longer periods of time.

Although I was looking for quick fix (bones heal with time), according to the doctor the healing was right on schedule. Healing did happen in many ways – with patience, stillness, resignation, centeredness, surrender, and truly letting go. Snap!