The Girl Who Circled the Chi

Frances and I took a late afternoon walk on the beach just as the sun descended into the cloudy horizon. It was absolutely beautiful: warm, quiet, waves washing the shore, no people, just lakeshore whooshing and whispers and sunlight sifting through trees and glancing off sand and water.

We drove the tree-damaged car to the beach and, other than the fact that air rushed through the glass-less rear windshield and rear passenger window, it ran as well as it usually does (perhaps moreso because its appearance stood in stark contrast to its functionality).

My mid-evening TCC practice felt relaxed and at ease after a day with my nose stuck in a book. Hurrah, I'm finished with The Girl ... series! It felt wonderful to go and flow, cycle and circle, soften and soak in. Now everything feels easy as I settle down for an evening movie and then prepare myself for a busy week ahead.

Moving Toward the Middle

The sun came back into view today and, as it sinks below the horizon, the northwest skies are light and bright. Frances and I took a late afternoon walk after hand picking more shattered glass off the driveway from her "treed" Crown Vic.

My late afternoon TCC practice consisted of starting with one movement from the beginning of the form followed by one movement from the end of the form. I continued to alternate back and forth: Bird Flaps Its Wings to Joyous Breath, Around the Platter to Light at the Top of the Head/Temples, etc. At some point I realized that I was working toward the middle and thought, I wish that our political system could manage to do something like this.

My thoughts may have been inspired by today's news about Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert's Rally to Restore Sanity on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. This rally follows conservative Glenn Beck's Restoring Honor rally held in August. I wonder, though, whether both rallies served to restore nothing other than a continuing sense of polarized thoughts and ideas about our nation's future and what to do about it.

Mid-term elections are Tuesday. And so it goes....

Allowing

A bright rosy sun crowned the horizon this morning. Now, hours later, the sky is packed with clouds; occasional shifting shades of blue peak through. The water in the goose pail froze last night. Ready or not, we're back in the cold weather mode.

Frances and I watched Chiripa playing in a tree this morning. I couldn't take my eyes off of her! She was so engaged in her play, biting at small twigs as she worked her way ever higher, that I wondered whether she'd manage to descend when the time came. It was readily apparent, however, that she's honed her skills to an art form. When the time came to de-tree, she handled her descent with quick agility. Ms. Light on Her Feet, that's our kitten!

Today's TCC practice flew by even though my knee felt sore. I focused my attention on softening the knees and allowed the weight to flow forward and back with ease and comfort. The weight shift cycled back and forth with surprisingly little effort. Yes, that can happen when you allow rather than force. Why, then, is it so challenging to remember this one basic principle? (Perhaps because it's a cultural norm to force rather than allow?)

All is "One"derful

Wind ~, wind ~, and more ~ ~ ~ (wind). The drive to Cornucopia this morning was beautiful; yellow grasses and red dogwood branches glorified the ditches and yards with their dramatic colors.

Thankfully, rain no longer dripped from the sky. When I drove over the hill into Corny, I saw whitecaps on Lake Superior as they bounced from horizon to shore. There's a subtle sense of excitement in the air when the lake's waters dance and churn. And, though I drove right by, I could feel my energy rev up in an automatic response to the lake's frenetic call.

Once again, our class had an interesting conversation about Verse 74 of the Tao, "Living with No Fear of Death" (per Wayne Dyer). The verse begins:

If you realize that all things change,
there is nothing you will try to hold on to.
If you are not afraid of dying,
there is nothing you cannot achieve.

Dyer's distillation of the entire verse results in two main premises: Discontinue fearing your death. Examine the ways you kill (p. 353). Is it possible that T'ai Chi Chih practice helps us--its practitioners--to release ourselves into the inconstancy of life as we move from one form to the next, yinning and yanging through it all?

Perhaps part of the power of TCC practice is its ability to allow us to die to our ego. When we do so--even if it's simply for a few moments or minutes during our TCC practice--we can feel the Oneness, move as One, and be happy with this One moment we inhabit together ... Now.

Dyer quoted Neale Donald Walsch from his book, Communion with God at the end of this chapter. Walsch's Onederful words are a gift and an inspiration:

     Which snowflake is the most magnificent? Is it possible that they are all magnificent--and that, celebrating their magnificence together they create an awesome display? Then they melt into each other, and into the Oneness. Yet they never go away. They never disappear. They never cease to be. Simply, they change form. And not just once, but several times: from solid to liquid, from liquid to vapor, from the seen to the unseen, to rise again, and then again to return in new displays of breathtaking beauty and wonder. This is Life, nourishing Life.
     This is you.... For you are each wondrous indeed, yet no one more wondrous than another. And you all will one day melt into the Oneness, and know then that you form together a single stream.

Isn't that what T'ai Chi Chih teaches and reminds us? That we are all snowflakes, each one unique and different from the rest. When we gather our energies together and join in a group practice, we are invited to melt into that Oneness (it feels good). This is Life, nourishing Life.

Crash!

Fall came crashing to an end last night. Literally and figuratively.

Initially the winds picked up and the temperature plummeted. Around midnight Frances and I heard a loud crash. Our outdoor investigation revealed that a tree plunged earthward and fell--heavily--upon Frances' car. It crushed the roof and smashed the rear window and the rear passenger-side window.

With morning came 25 degree temps along with sleet and snow. We had no accumulation. Duluth, MN--according to radio reports--received seven inches of the white stuff.

Part of today's duties included chainsawing the fallen tree, schlepping and stacking it, and picking up shattered glass. We cleared the driveway to allow me to drive to tonight's TCC class.

Group T'ai Chi Chih was wonderfully quiet and peaceful. After practice I asked students to divide into pairs and discuss polarity. What is it? Can you feel it? How does it feel in your body? In which movements is it most obvious? Et cetera. Everyone immediately launched into their discussions which was inspiring to witness.

I'm back home and extremely grateful that we experienced no other wind damage from this historic low pressure system. Our house, our animals, and our selves are healthy, well, and in one piece. Our electricity is functioning. And, for the moment, our ground is still dirt- and leaf-covered.

Soaked with Sound

I feel soaked! And that's because I've lingered indoors listening to the sound of the rain all through the night and early morning.

No doubt ... it is a comforting, soothing sound. That's most assuredly why people often wish to take a nap or read a book when the sky is falling. Still, I'm not sure whether the rhythm of the rain hitting the deck and roof, or the overcast skies, or both, are responsible for my feeling of slow, easy quietness.

Regardless, my T'ai Chi Chih practice and short meditation this morning felt wonderfully peaceful. It seemed absolutely effortless to slow down. I simply matched my pace to the quiet easy rhythm of the pattering rain. I'm definitely feeling better day by day and I'm grateful that I allowed myself to take the time and space to nurture my body and soul over the weekend.

Broken branches are scattered around the parking area. It doesn't appear to be overly windy at the moment but I'm curious what surprises the predicted weather patterns will bring as morning segues into afternoon.

Just Can't Stop

Another long day of rain today; weather forecasts indicate showers through the week. High winds (50 mph) are predicted for tomorrow and a potential for snow by Wednesday.

So what is the significance of this weather report? At the library we speculated that weather was the reason for our tremendously busy day. There were times when both of us on duty couldn't keep up with the numbers of people waiting to check out items; that says nothing of the volume of DVDs and books accumulating in piles for check in and reshelving.

I came home tired but feeling much better than I've felt over the previous three days. This, I decided, was the night for a short TCC practice. About ten minutes into my practice I felt my energy returning so I couldn't just s-t-o-p. I skipped a few movements but ended up going through the entire form.

Now it's time to settle in with a good book before my eyelids drop into an end of day closed position....