The Practice In Pieces: Reflections Of A Caregiver

Can you do this practice in pieces? Can the practice of T’ai Chi Chih be sustained if it is frequently interrupted? To family members who are live-in caregivers, it can seem like there are only interruptions. I am a caregiver. My loved one is an elder.

When on duty, I am on constant alert; routine things need doing. Urgent and emergency situations arise, requiring full, grounded attention. Duty can be 24/7, whether in active assistance or on standby.

How do you sustain a TCC practice under these circumstances? It is best to have regular time off. Then time is your own and exterior concerns can slide away. Also, I am part of the TCC community. That support and grounding are important to me.

When duty calls, what to do? TCC has prepared me for this. It lets me find and get to know how to stay in that still, calm place within myself. Let go. Embrace Seijaku: “Serenity in the midst of activity.” The Chi knows what to do, even if it is a little bit of the practice spread out over time.

Rocking Motion.

Eyedrops.

Bird Flaps Its Wings; Around the Platter.

More eyedrops.

Around the Platter Variation; Bass Drum.

Yet more eyedrops.

Daughter on the Mountaintop; Daughter in the Valley.

A shower.

Carry the Ball to the Side; Push/Pull; Pulling in the Energy.

Put on compression hose.

… and on it goes.

Be present this moment. Let go. Do the practice. Feel the Chi. Feel the Flow. Be serene of mind. Let your joy shine through. Join the TCC community. Then caregiving can be a gift of love, coming from a place of grounding and calm when duty calls.