- To bring stillness and peace into my life
- To gather my scattered self to a center
- To learn how to be soft instead of brittle and tense
- To find contentment in my life
- To learn my boundaries and how not to be pushed around
- To find something to believe in, even if that something turns out to be me
- To know my own body and take pride in its movement and form
- To find balance in all things
- To unite my mind, spirit, and body
- To find inner strength and power
- To find patience
- To appreciate the now, to be present
- To yield without surrendering
- To listen and hear
- To be calm
- To be whole, complete
- To be stable even in the midst of change
- To be a resting place and source of strength, a spring that nourishes but is never drained
Tai Chi is not about fighting for me, although I want to learn to be strong. It is not about living forever, although I am happy for the health benefits. Tai Chi is a spiritual journey for me. I have much that I am thinking about -- much that I want to discover. Tai Chi focuses me. It is a journey that I am taking in my own body|soul|heart. It is not a short journey. It is a process, a flower unfolding.
For much of my life, I focused on my mind, separated myself from my body. I was not at peace in my own skin. Tai Chi is showing me that I am more than just my mind, and that I should learn to accept and integrate all the parts of me. It is hard, a lesson I am still learning. When I feel all elbows and awkwardness, frustrated that I am not able to master a certain form, it is easy to lose sight of all the progress I have made.
There are moments when I am in sync with the form, and there is no future, no past, no thoughts, just the flow of energy.
I love the concept that I meet people who have been doing Tai Chi for 10 years, and say "Oh, I am just a beginner." Tai Chi is something that can take you a lifetime to master, much more than learning a 24 movement form. I am a beginner too, so I claim no special wisdom or insight. Join me here, in my garden, and ponder the words. Or perhaps you can teach me, share your thoughts and what you have learned. I want the garden to be a place for anyone interested in the beauty of nature and Tai Chi.
You can send me your thoughts at Whisperbeauty@lycos.com