I was so surprised to see I’ve not made an entry for over a year. It’s like there has been so much change I can scarcely find words that can lend sufficient gravity. In truth, it’s just that I haven’t got round to it. My experience of the past year has been of polarising forces – high activity and pressure at my employment (as a health worker) and keeping up with the lifestyle and emotional implications of Covid restrictions, in contrast to the experience of an enforced stillness and a time of reflection. Tai Chi has been like an anchor. Training and learning has changed. Our Tai Chi community has kept in touch online and, when possible, outdoor and indoor socially distanced meetings. The connections have brought respite, enjoyment, structure. I think we’ve all felt the health benefits of tai chi, and been grateful for already having a practice so these positives are readily accessible. “The softest thing in the world overcomes the hardest thing in the world”. Adaptation has created a new quiet resilience.
About this picture: This painting was made by Sifu John who lives in Melbourne, Australia. During the many months of strict lockdown over the Australian winter in 2020 whilst all his Tai Chi classes were suspended, he returned to painting which had been a hobby many years previously. He still has all the supplies at home! This painting depicts a snake and crane in traditional Chinese style. These animal movements are said to have inspired the early development of Tai Chi techniques.
Ji Siu Tai Chi Chuan 