Early this morning I attended a hearing in Bayfield County Circuit Court regarding a proposed 380 acre development in my town that positions an airplane/jet landing strip over an area identified as a navigable stream. A local group, Citizens for Responsible Land Use (CFRLU), protested the County Board's procedure in rezoning the site for said development.
I chose to attend these proceedings as a witness to the process since I'm well-aware that this matter concerns me deeply. I did not want to launch into anger or to be drawn into a battle of wills so I sat quietly sending thoughts and energies of peace and love to all participants. After the attorneys for both parties presented their arguments the judge stated that waterways are a public trust and he assured us that "taxpayers and citizens have rights." He then referred the matter back to the County Board in order for them to follow the required steps to determine whether this rezone is appropriate.
Afterwards I felt overcome by gratefulness. I was reminded of the pattern Sr. Antonia established during the retreat; we performed our t'ai chi chih movements and then sat quietly afterwards to receive. I soon returned to the car and sat in silence to receive the hope and gratefulness that followed this decision by the Court.
Back home I began my t'ai chi chih practice and quickly felt revitalized following a morning of legal wrangling. Today's practice was the first day of many in the hours and weeks ahead where I will take the learnings and experiences from our TCC retreat and practice more fully into my body, mind, and spirit. For me, that is one of the wonders of t'ai chi chih joy thru movement. We can always go deeper into our practice and journey more deeply into ourselves.
Sr. Antonia reminded us of the ultimate benefits of t'ai chi chih practice by quoting Justin Stone's words in Spiritual Odyssey (p. 31):
If we examine it closely, we find that awareness is the root of T'ai Chi Chih, which is essentially inner-oriented. Circularity is the fundamental. And we already know that 'softness and continuity' are the Essence. When we practise T'ai Chi Chih faithfully, we will find that Love Energy is the fruit.Thank you to Justin Stone, Sr. Antonia, and participants at Sewing the Seeds of T'ai Chi Chih for reminding, encouraging, and supporting me in creating the change I wish to see in myself and in the world.
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