TCC – A Life Program Running in the Background

HYPERLINK “https://taichichih.org/teacher/carmen-brocklehurst/” https://taichichih.org/teacher/carmen-brocklehurst/

Often I hear myself asking, “What are you doing?” I am not talking about brushing my teeth or washing the dishes or other activities that are part of my daily routine. But like a wave on the ocean, the thought goes out and comes back in fullness: T’ai Chi Chih.

During my many conversations with Justin, I would regularly make statements and he would answer, “What does that have to do with TCC?” At first I thought he was talking about the movements, and I was puzzled, unable to make the connection between what I had said and the 19 movements and one pose. So I would stop talking because I didn’t have an answer. It didn’t take long (although sometimes it seemed like an eternity) before Justin would ask a question or make a statement about something that seemingly had nothing to do with the conversation we were having. He might mention how blue the sky seemed, or had I noticed the police helping a man sitting on the curb. Awareness is a magical and important part of the art and rhythm of TCC.

If we do things to fill the day or out of necessity, but we never make a connection with what we are doing, we are missing a beautiful part of life. What we are involved with affects us, and we might be dramatizing it or missing out on the reason it has appeared in our life. TCC movements are, by their nature, self-reflective. They are meant to slow us down so we can take a breath and become aware of what is going on in our life.

Our lives are full, but do we embrace the experience with gratitude and acceptance? Or are we anxious and continually trying to escape it through movies, planning the next vacation or some fast-paced activity? Perhaps when we first started to learn TCC we felt that the movements were too slow. Perhaps we felt irritated because it seemed that nothing was happening. What was the importance of those endless circles that seemed to go on forever and ever? In truth, that is the important part: it goes on forever and ever. Our life program runs in the background, teaching us to love and share the Chi.