Caroline, as ever your post is written eloquently and with wisdom and insight - I will be pondering on this sentence in particular, “I only had at my disposal what I had really practiced, I found. “ I will be in touch re guidance on finding a Tao instructor in Ireland? I practice and teach The Happy Body, which similarly insists on not pushing through. I think of it as a patient practice, and regularly need to remind myself of that. Thank you for your words on this Monday morning.
Thank you. Tao-wise, I am not sure. But Anne McIlraith teaches T’ai Chi in Cork, I think, and she was one of the masters who studied with John Kells. I pushed hands with her once and she was soft. https://www.annmcilraith.com/about
Thanks for the excellence, Caro. That piece felt like a generously crafted, extended lesson, where pushed hands had me far enough off balance to let me consider and learn, but not so far as to throw me, so I could continue to learn, undisturbed on my feet.
As for Margaret, that phrase, “I only had at my disposal what I had really practiced, I found.“ embedded deeply.
Two different responses to dogs barking. One time when I was in fear, out walking in the countryside, I spotted a large black dog in the distance following a path that would cross mine. As I looked at him, he looked at me and saw my fear. He ran along the path, turned and bounded up to me, jumping up at me and barking. I stood still with my hands in my pockets. Eventually the owner caught up and called him away, apologising and saying he did not normally behave like that.
Another time when I was uplifted, on pilgrimage in a foreign land, a large dog ran along the road towards me, barking ferociously, snarling and showing its teeth. I stood still, relaxed, offering no defence, open to whatever was coming, just present in the moment. The dog came to a halt a few yards in front of me, turned and sloped off the way it had come.
Sometimes we don’t get much time to choose a response in the moment; it depends where we are at at the time. That itself is of course something we can work on.
‘Foot Notes,’ such an important part of life, and lovely way to share insights, invitations to revisit, acknowledge the wisdom of others, and provide things to ponder and explore further. I so enjoy your foot notes.
“The ability to move through the world however it is and generally yield to all the typically greater powers and also the smaller ones is a state of grace and a more subtle, pragmatic path. Life on one’s own terms but negotiated terms with the world. There can even be surrender in it.”
These words were the stand-out for me today. As a fellow taiji player it also makes sense, of course, that the notes, resonances, well-practised angles and rooting experienced through our feet, literally and pragmatically ‘the foot notes,’ are key to so very many things.
In the 7th decade of life I’m finally realising the true value of “investing in loss,” as my taiji teachers advocated. I have accrued quite a list of (unwritten) footnotes regarding the moments of grace that either could have, or did, come about through softening and yielding. Looking back, the profound gains from apparent losses or surrenders, in so many aspects of life, are often startlingly obvious now, however painful at the time!
Coming to me at just the right time. Thank you. In my 7th decade I have lost connection with my practice. Do you know any push hands practitioners in Dumfries and Galloway or maybe Glasgow/edinburgh (if daytime)?
I don't know people in that area but Duncan (my T'ai Chi brother who is more up to date than I with the scene) says why not ask Alasdair at https://curioushorsetaiji.scot/
Hey, another amazing essay… and it was good to be reminded of ‘non-grasping’ yet staying connected whilst the green tea brewed. And the line comparing tai chi schools and their teachers to Jazz is funny yet oh so true. 🙏
Caroline, as ever your post is written eloquently and with wisdom and insight - I will be pondering on this sentence in particular, “I only had at my disposal what I had really practiced, I found. “ I will be in touch re guidance on finding a Tao instructor in Ireland? I practice and teach The Happy Body, which similarly insists on not pushing through. I think of it as a patient practice, and regularly need to remind myself of that. Thank you for your words on this Monday morning.
Thank you. Tao-wise, I am not sure. But Anne McIlraith teaches T’ai Chi in Cork, I think, and she was one of the masters who studied with John Kells. I pushed hands with her once and she was soft. https://www.annmcilraith.com/about
Thanks for the excellence, Caro. That piece felt like a generously crafted, extended lesson, where pushed hands had me far enough off balance to let me consider and learn, but not so far as to throw me, so I could continue to learn, undisturbed on my feet.
As for Margaret, that phrase, “I only had at my disposal what I had really practiced, I found.“ embedded deeply.
So glad this helped, Jack. Love from Portland.
Hearthscience.io
Check it out. Our merry band of hearth trackers are practicing a new approach to polyvagal theory.
Thank you Caroline.
I am on the west coast of Canada in Surrey near Vancouver. Any Tai Chi teacher you could recommend for me near here?
John
Without a doubt, my dear friend @SamMasich
This essay is one to read again and again, there are so many strands that could deeply root, thank you.
Do you know of any good Tai Chi schools in Fife?
There's Alasdair at https://curioushorsetaiji.scot/
Thank you!
Would love to hear about a good Tai Chi tea her near me, I'm between Woking and Guildford in Surrey.
I don't know anyone personally there, so have a look at https://www.taichiunion.com/find-a-tai-chi-instructor/
Thank you!
Two different responses to dogs barking. One time when I was in fear, out walking in the countryside, I spotted a large black dog in the distance following a path that would cross mine. As I looked at him, he looked at me and saw my fear. He ran along the path, turned and bounded up to me, jumping up at me and barking. I stood still with my hands in my pockets. Eventually the owner caught up and called him away, apologising and saying he did not normally behave like that.
Another time when I was uplifted, on pilgrimage in a foreign land, a large dog ran along the road towards me, barking ferociously, snarling and showing its teeth. I stood still, relaxed, offering no defence, open to whatever was coming, just present in the moment. The dog came to a halt a few yards in front of me, turned and sloped off the way it had come.
Sometimes we don’t get much time to choose a response in the moment; it depends where we are at at the time. That itself is of course something we can work on.
‘Foot Notes,’ such an important part of life, and lovely way to share insights, invitations to revisit, acknowledge the wisdom of others, and provide things to ponder and explore further. I so enjoy your foot notes.
“The ability to move through the world however it is and generally yield to all the typically greater powers and also the smaller ones is a state of grace and a more subtle, pragmatic path. Life on one’s own terms but negotiated terms with the world. There can even be surrender in it.”
These words were the stand-out for me today. As a fellow taiji player it also makes sense, of course, that the notes, resonances, well-practised angles and rooting experienced through our feet, literally and pragmatically ‘the foot notes,’ are key to so very many things.
In the 7th decade of life I’m finally realising the true value of “investing in loss,” as my taiji teachers advocated. I have accrued quite a list of (unwritten) footnotes regarding the moments of grace that either could have, or did, come about through softening and yielding. Looking back, the profound gains from apparent losses or surrenders, in so many aspects of life, are often startlingly obvious now, however painful at the time!
Coming to me at just the right time. Thank you. In my 7th decade I have lost connection with my practice. Do you know any push hands practitioners in Dumfries and Galloway or maybe Glasgow/edinburgh (if daytime)?
I don't know people in that area but Duncan (my T'ai Chi brother who is more up to date than I with the scene) says why not ask Alasdair at https://curioushorsetaiji.scot/
Thank you. Both of you. I will.
Oh, so full of gems Caro and I'm just now finding this in the email inbox. I'm so glad I did.
Hey, another amazing essay… and it was good to be reminded of ‘non-grasping’ yet staying connected whilst the green tea brewed. And the line comparing tai chi schools and their teachers to Jazz is funny yet oh so true. 🙏
Imagining there's something similar in yoga...
Wow Caro…what a lead image. So powerful.