Teacher Gathering: Balance

The topic for the April 2025 teacher discussion with Sandy McAlister was balance. How do you approach the many ways that T’ai Chi Chih (TCC) can affect our balance, not just physically? First, Sandy invited us to explore an exercise during practice that she did with her intermediate students that week. In the forward and back weight shifts, as the front foot flattens, feel it balanced in the arch and breathe out down through the foot, sending the exhale down. This helps keep the attention focused downward and it brings awareness to how far the weight is moving in the feet. Is it going too far forward or not far enough?

Sandy mentioned that years back she was over-emphasizing getting the weight forward to her students and noticed it had become a habit in her practice. She became aware that when her front foot was receiving the weight, its heel was becoming light, almost lifting — the weight was shifting too far forward. This exercise can help us notice when the weight has come solidly into the whole foot, neither too far forward nor not far enough. It should only be used with seasoned students, though, and she emphasized that we do not control the breath in TCC; this is an exercise just to increase awareness.

Subsequent comments from teachers: Sheila, who was practicing seated, experienced a shift from feeling the weight shift not just in the hips, but in the feet and noted that balance and being grounded are related to each other. Bruce encourages his students to feel the whole length of the shift through flat feet — flat, flat until the heel of the back foot rolls up. Stephen talked about using more masculine words to help his male students.

I found this exercise to be a great introduction to the breath in Seijaku, without any effort. Caroline shared that it liberates our practice to be grounded solidly in the feet; we do not manipulate the breath in TCC, but breath awareness is important in Seijaku, and this exercise adds breath awareness into your TCC without making it hard.

One teacher dealing with chemotherapy had to remind herself that no matter how she does TCC it is good enough. Even if you don’t do it “right,” TCC can make a big difference in our outlook. People mentioned back pain and bunions on the feet, and that both can be challenging. One person can’t feel her feet after surgery — she can’t lift the heels or the balls of the feet and just does that mentally. Sandy pointed out that most of the up/down is in the knees, that the heel can lighten without raising.

Ron described officiating at a wedding and using movements throughout the event, during which he felt connected and effective, and that TCC supported him. When you have a leadership role, he suggests that you do seven or eight movements before and notice the difference.

Sandy shared that TCC balances emotions and helps us see more clearly. Don’t hesitate to ask students how this practice affects them, she suggested. Sometimes they need to be nudged into introspection to recognize the impact TCC has had on them. Introspection and external awareness go hand in hand. Balance.