Tools for Teaching TCC – A Lesson in Vibration

For years, I have enjoyed using a small, palm-sized Tibetan bowl to start my TCC classes. I ring the bowl three times, each time letting the sound travel, so students will stop talking, quiet down, and prepare mentally for TCC meditation. Recently, I have been handing the bowl to a student and asking them to ring the bowl, to bring the class to order.

The first time I offered the bowl, the student held the bowl and dropped the striker into the center of the bowl. It made a dull thud. She looked puzzled and tried it again. Another muted thud. I encouraged her to try striking the side of the bowl. Clunk. Then I suggested that she open her palm and let the bowl sit in her hand. CLING! She smiled. She could feel the vibration in her hand, up her arm. I encouraged her to hold the striker lightly, allowing it to swing like a pendulum. She was surprised to hear the bowl ring clear and long.

I used that “teachable moment” to point out that our bodies are like a singing bowl. When we hold tension in the body, it can’t vibrate; the Chi cannot travel unimpeded through the body. In T’ai Chi Chih, we practice the art of letting go. All the students nodded knowingly. Or so I thought.

The next week, another student was given the bowl to ring. This person also had great difficulty getting it to ring clearly. He kept hitting it harder and harder. It was as if this student had to experience this lesson in vibration to really get it. After several unsuccessful attempts, he finally made the bowl sing. I am convinced that each student will benefit from the opportunity to hold the bowl, to manipulate the striker, and to discover on their own the secret of the singing bowl and how it relates to the practice of TCC.

Letting go of tension,

I sink into the flowing practice

of T’ai Chi Chih

and energy vibrations

beginning to manifest in my body.

I feel trembling in the fingertips

and energy flowing up my legs and spine.

I have become the singing bowl.

Joy-ning Mind & Body

By Stephen Thomson, Tupelo, MS

It’s no secret that our culture values thoughts first and feelings last. Typically we Americans listen to and respond to situations from our necks up, leaving the rest of our bodies out of the picture. Unfortunately, this physical habit is as ingrained as the way we breathe or walk. If we wish to improve our odds of surviving in a healthy way, we must listen and respond to the wisdom of our bodies.

When we sink into our T’ai Chi Chih practice, we break that living-in-the-head habit; we bring conscious awareness down from of the ivory towers of our minds and get it in touch with the natural wisdom of our bodies. What could be simpler? We follow the Chi until our minds and our bodies begin to flow in movement together. By taking the time to listen to our bodies as we go through our movements, we discover that beneath the illusion of our consciousness, the mind/body is not separated at all but rather one interconnected whole.

Mind needn’t be master to the body, nor does the body desire to be mind’s slave. It’s better for both that they move together. Joy-ning the yang of the conscious mind to the yin of unconscious body yields wonderful health benefits. How? Ignore the needs of the body and you will frustrate it to no end. Ignore it too much and the body will try to draw attention to its self by sabotaging something, usually its own health. You can almost hear it say, “Well, if you’re going to treat me like dirt and boss me around, then see how you like it when I do this to you.” On the other hand, a mind that listens to its body is often rewarded by a body that is healthy and at ease. It is amazing how quickly entrenched dis-eases leave, once we become mindful of the whole body and not just the head.

Remember, consciousness goes much deeper than one’s head. A mind that is soft and in the flow knows that consciousness’ roots travel down into the soles of the feet. When you teach T’ai Chi Chih, teach the joy-ning of mind and body by example; move both in one accord; bring the awareness down; flow when you move; teach no-thought, listen and speak to feelings – the body’s natural language. One by one your students will follow your lead and discover how to move in a delightful way – where every fiber in their being moves as one – and something magical starts to happen to them. Their bodies will begin responding positively to the new way of living and reward them with good health.