Spreading Chi To New Learners

How do we create a habitat for healing? One of my ways is by sharing my T’ai Chi Chih practice in new places with new people. I have been teaching TCC at the American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA) Annual Conference for five years and want to share the enjoyment I feel from doing this. The first year I noticed how well these novices moved. How could this be? What did this group do differently than other groups I have taught? They all seemed to follow along so well. There were no hands opposing the weight shift, no drastic uneven knee bending; no one lost balance like my nursing home clients did. They moved so well that I settled in and allowed my still voice to guide me. I let the TCC do the TCC.

I wondered how many meditated regularly. Could this heightened awareness of being present in the moment be one reason they were so aware and immediately present in their bodies? I surmised that many of them probably worked out; holistic nurses are the epitome of good health. Many of them also know energy work. Maybe this phenomenon was related to many studying presence as part of their AHNA certification. Knowledge is the first step to incorporating a new way of being, and the understanding of being present was part of their fabric.

I taught for all three mornings of the Colorado Springs conference and had over 25 students each morning. This was mostly their first introduction to TCC. This year I was fortunate to have two quasi TCC assistants. One counted for me, and the other had such a positive attitude, having just returned from an intensive. So our trio evolved. This allowed me to fully teach such a large group of new students, and this conference allows me to grow as an instructor.

My TCC teacher always stretched me as a student to try new venues and to do TCC in new places (in the house, waiting for the toaster to toast, at the airport, in the park, in the backyard, in groups and solo). She encouraged me to try new music, some with a mellow sound and others with a strong beat. At times I felt the rousing music was unrelated to my practice. How could I take this sound and find a rhythm of my own that seemed natural and in sync when the music seemed to arouse my senses. Would I have to separate the music from my rhythm? Should I just ignore the seeming disconnection? Maybe I should speed up my practice to match the music? What would it feel like to speed up the practice so that I feel like it was wrong? Does the music I do my practice with really matter? These questions came up and were puzzling at the time. Years later it seems that TCC can to be done to any type of music. I feel the Chi flowing either which way; my body recognizes it when it arrives now. I stopped questioning the music. It all works somehow. The healing habitat I create is within me in the present moment.

The Chi now flows like an old friend. Whether I feel challenged with teaching a new group of learners or I practice alone quietly. The Chi knows the flow routine, and I can reestablish my moment-by-moment sense of doing the form. The present moment is the only moment I have to work with. Yesterday was yesterday and tomorrow has not happened yet. My TCC reminds me of that.

So it felt reasonable that I asked my quasi-assistant to do Pulling Taffy while mirroring me so the class could see how that worked. I wondered if any of them could see the energy exchange between us. The next day I had Debra from the intensive do Push-Pull with me. And at the end, I asked the whole class to partner up and do Push-Pull while mirroring each other. It was a little tricky getting them started but magically it worked. I would have thought this was too advanced for new learners but this group of really seemed to enjoy it. I must have been listening to my still small voice. A few students said they could feel the energy move right away. What joy this has been to share my TCC with such an avid group. If you get any new students around the country who have taken my class over the past few years, I hope I have set a healing habitat seed of presence and stillness.