Snippets Of Joy

Traveling the T’ai Chi Chih pathway, I’ll cherish many wonderful moments for years to come. These are snippets from some of those experiences.

On a beautiful afternoon, I was practicing in a park in downtown Atlanta. I prefer practicing in nature when possible, but felt uncomfortable with distant viewers nearby. I tried to zone them out and focus on my movements, and of course on soaking up the energy of “God’s Green Acre.”

Upon closing with Cosmic Consciousness Pose, and bowing in gratitude, I sensed someone’s presence. When I turned around to see who was nearby, a homeless man was smiling at me with a very tender expression. When I acknowledged him with a warm Southern hello, he spoke. He simply said, “Thank you for dancing for me.”

We never know when we’ll enhance the world around us with our thoughts, words and actions. I think of him from time to time and remember how touched he was by my practice. TCC students are spiritual dancers.

…….

While on vacation in the beautiful desert of New Mexico, I was thrilled to rise before the sun and go out into nature for a morning practice. It was very dark when I started Rocking Motion, and remained dark through Pulling Taffy, Variation 2, Wrist Circles.

Then the darkness gave way to the sun popping up, causing the red sand to glow. The warm sun not only brought life to the sand all around me, but also shed light on the three deer and two rabbits. They’d been watching my practice a few feet away in the dark and seemed very much intrigued. They were in no hurry to dart away. As we learn from our TCC readings, “We are all one.” That morning, I knew it to be true.