The Gain in Surrendering to the Practice

An essential aspect of doing T’ai Chi Chih is the precious benefit gained in the practice. It is a stillness of mind. There comes a cessation of striving as we lean into the present, attentive to the right now and the right here.

The 19 movements are perfectly designed to move the conscientious practitioner from their head-fullness, with its over-thinking, to the focal point of the practice: this moment, this shift, this yin yang. When we yield our intellect to the simple form and practice of each of the 19 movements, our busyness and cluttered thinking dissipates into the gentle flowing rhythm of each form through each repetition.

We live in an overstimulated world. Thoughts can collect like dust bunnies in the corners of our thinking, enticing us with “what-ifs” and “how-comes” and “how-abouts” and “just-three-mores.” It is such a great temptation to overthink the practice rather than yield into it. Like glittering baubles in a store window, meandering around in our labyrinthine thoughts can pull at us, distract and bind us away from truly noticing, attending to, participating in.

To feel the need to add to the practice is such a symptom of this over-produced culture and is essentially ego thinking. It is a form of distrust of the practice to achieve all that is needed, and so American of us: “if one is good, five more with a twist is better.” It reminds me of the story of Adam and Eve who had to give to themselves the one thing not given. To this day it is human nature to distrust, feeling a need to add some new angle. But do we really gain more when we do?

It is the being of not being that takes hold in the simple practice. To be present to the present is not something we do as much as it is an opening up to what is already here. Rather than struggle to be present, we allow ourselves to yield into the present; to flow into each repetition, to notice the now-ness of pressure upon the foot’s sole. It doesn’t take great understanding. It takes a letting go of understanding. Just notice.

Now is right here. Nothing more is needed. Nothing more to give to the practice than our conscientious willingness. The gain comes in the yielding. We allow one thing to occur to us at a time. We surrender as if surrender is most needed. No need to wrestle with notions, conceive addendums or produce reasonings. The here and now hungers to be noticed, lived in, embraced, befriended. It is already right here. It is we who just need to show up. TCC, as given, becomes a vehicle of settling in the now.