Unfortunately, I grew sicker after Frances caught this cold on Tuesday. Throughout the day I gradually prepared myself for T'ai Chi Chih class and skipped all additional chores along my route to class except for the necessities: pick up Vit. C and zinc at the pharmacy and drop bill payments in the mail.
Class went well. I encouraged students to notice how the circles in each movement are created by the elbows as they extend (open) and bend (close). The fact is that when you extend and bend your elbows to "create" the circle, you have no need to reach or overextend the muscles in your upper arms. It is so much easier.
I drove home immediately after class, ate a quick dinner, and went to bed.
Thursday, November 10, 2011:
We had our first snowfall last night! Three to four inches at our house, none in Ashland or Cornucopia, and lesser amounts at other locations on the Bayfield Pennisula. By lunchtime the cover of white is almost gone.
I still consider myself lucky when I think about my sister who called me from West Virginia about ten days ago to report that her area received close to a half foot of the frozen stuff. It's downright bizarre that a warmer location would/could receive snow sooner than those of us in the great North Woods.
I did a long haul under the Hot House machine this morning with the hope that its gentle heat would improve my sinuses and backache. Then ... off to T'ai Chi Chih class once again. Ohhh ... it felt so good to move in our practice circle. After practice we conducted an energy circle and the class sent healing energy my way. I absolutely felt it as it landed like a mini-explosion in the center of my chest.
Post-practice we continued our discussion of Buddha's Brain, Chapter 10, "Boundless Kindness." I realized during our discussion how easy it is to create an us and them. It takes a considerable investment of time, energy, and dedicated practice in order to go beyond the ego and truly embrace All Living Things. I feel as if years of T'ai Chi Ch'uan and T'ai Chi Chih practice are leading me in that direction but ... it's a long and winding road.
You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover is yourself.
--Alan Alda
From: Daily Good, Nov. 8, 2011
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