A Meet You in the Middle Practice

Saturday, April 7, 2012:

I happily received an email today from two of my T'ai Chi Chih students who are currently visiting Hong Kong. They wrote to report that they'd joined in a 6:00 a.m. T'ai Chi practice in the park. Wonderful! What a joy to participate in T'ai Chi (in all of its varied forms) throughout the world.

Meanwhile I practiced in the rain today or perhaps I should say that I watched the rain while I practiced (indoors!). The day was gray but the practice lightened the tone and I focused on slowing down and taking it easy throughout most of the afternoon.

Sunday, April 8, 2012:

Today I had to trick the mind. All I wanted to do was read and relax, relax and read. Of course, that wasn't all that I did. I washed dishes, made granola, stir-fried vegetables, and baked a black bean and corn tortilla hotdish. And I read....

By late afternoon I was three-quarters of the way through my book and intent on finishing it. Darn! I just didn't feel like doing a full-length TCC practice. And so ... I tricked my mind. I did a Meet You in the Middle practice.

I alternated between beginning movments and ending movements in the form which allowed me to keep my focus and attention on T'ai Chi Chih. By the time I got to the Basic Pulling Taffy I was at the end/middle of my practice.

Ahhh. It didn't take so long to go through the movements and feel the Chi after all....