Where Are You On Your Tai Chi Journey?

When I was in my 20′s, I worked hard on my forms, but Chi did not come and frankly it really was not important to me. If it did, it was only for fleeting moments. And now that I look back on it, that recognition was a significant event.

In my 30′s I turned within and sat quietly and listened. My forms were rote and purely physical – they kept my now sedentary lifestyle from freezing my body up entirely.

In my 40′s I continued to listen within, but also tried to brute force my forms and probably injured myself more than anything else. Then someone worked with me to listen WHILE I did my forms… Chi was there all the time, I just didn’t see it.

In my 50′s the Chi came when I was willing to devote the time to my forms… In movement, in breath, in stillness – it’s there, it always was, it always will be.

How about you? Where are you on your journey? When and where do you find your center?