Going Forward without Advancing ...

Breezy coolness today after a stretch of too-humid days. It was so breezy this morning that the wind tipped and tilted me several times during our outdoor TCC class practice. Remember the root.

Twelve students attended class, the largest group practice this session. There were moments when our silent, peaceful, and coordinated movements felt like they'd been designed by a master choreographer. Quiet joy pervaded our circle....

Wayne Dyer titled today's verse of the Tao te Ching (Verse 69), "Living without Enemies." Stephen Mitchell translates this verse as:

The generals have a saying:
'Rather than make the first move
it is better to wait and see.
Rather than advance an inch
it is better to retreat a yard.'

This is called
going forward without advancing,
pushing back without using weapons....

When two great forces oppose each other,
the victory will go
to the one that knows how to yield.

One student pointed out in today's discussion that we are constantly "going forward without advancing" in our TCC practice. In Push/Pull, for instance, we shift our weight to the forward foot at the same time that we press forward with both palms. We always leave some weight on the foot behind us and, though our hands extend out in front of us, our center (t'an tien) is located midway between our furthest forward point (our extended palms) and our rear foot. We can easily retreat, if need be, because we have gone forward without advancing.

T'ai Chi Chih practice reminds us of our unity as we flow into this dance of Oneness. Can you image fighting or battling when you're in the middle of your TCC practice? No. Why is this? Because you've taken yourself beyond polarities and merged yin with yang to create wholeness. Doesn't that feel better and more productive than making enemies, fighting endless battles, or being the victor?