The No-Effort Finger Flutter

As a new student of T’ai Chi Chih, I have a concern that many new students seem to have: Why don’t my fingers flutter with the Chi as Justin’s and my teacher’s fingers do when practicing? I believe there are three possibilities: fear of palsy, faking it, and iron control.

When I first watched Justin’s newer DVD and saw his left hand flutter, I thought, “Oh, he has early stage Parkinson’s.” I did not know about the power of Chi to move fingers without conscious thought. I am 62 years old and have a fear of dementia; involuntary hand shaking is a sign. Students may suppress finger flutters because of this fear. It took time for me to realize that Chi is a natural and healthy force not to be feared. Anyone who has met Justin knows that he does not have Parkinson’s and does not have involuntary movements. Quite the reverse, every movement has great meaning and intent.

When students see their teacher’s and other students’ fingers flutter, they might be tempted to fake it by deliberately moving their fingers to send the message “See, I get it.” I believe this is self-defeating and dishonest but understandable when you seek the approval of others. So rather than faking it, students may exert iron control over their fingers because they want to be honest.

As a student with just a few months’ experience, I began exerting iron control. Not just over my fingers but over every part of myself. I wanted my T’an T’ien, hands, legs, feet, everything to move correctly. My fingers didn’t move an inch. I thought maybe I just didn’t get it, that I just didn’t feel the Chi. I was concerned.

During Carmen’s retreat in September I began to believe in myself, to believe that I was doing the movements reasonably correctly. I began to relax and enjoy each movement. As I stopped thinking about iron control, I focused on the soles of my feet as Carmen, Justin, and my teacher suggested. And lo and behold, my fingers started to move on their own!

The key is using no effort. Don’t try to move your fingers or stop them from moving. Let go of the control and enjoy the movement. Focus on the soles of your feet and enjoy. Your fingers will take care of themselves. The Chi will move you.