Autumn Morning

It is the most wonderful autumn day: dawn arrived with a soft mist, now the sun is breaking it up. Whispy fingers linger over the hills. I have just sat outside munching breakfast, sipping tea, watching 'house' pheasants nibble seeds offered to them and other birds of all colours flitting round the the bird table. Will soon go into the fields and pluck some blackberries to go with our fine harvest of apples. Blackberry and apple pie, jelly - and maybe even some chutney.


Yesterday evening I initiated a new Beginners T'ai-Chi Course in Abergavenny. That first class, when people rock up, slightly nervous, their bodies telling them that this is something that is useful, their minds a bit scattered at actually being there and then at the realisation that they are starting to do some of the slow, languid moves for themselves. And it is OK, because everyone else is also engrossed in the magic of being gentle and slow. Taking all the time in the world. When do we do that?

Good atmosphere in the class, but as always, the usual hurdles to jump over. The main one is lack of confidence in our abilities. So many of us can rapidly plunge into a 'I can't do this' mode. Over the years I have sought various ways to allow people to stay with T'ai-Chi even though their belief is that they are not good enough. My main tool is introducing the notion of practice being a place of refuge, a moment in maybe a busy and stressful day, where we can breathe deeply, relax, soften, spend time making friends with any knots, tensions or pain we might be carrying in our bodies, to put to one side all our worries, plans and fears, and simply breathe and move and focus gently, not worrying about getting anything 'right'. I want practice, like it is for me, to be something DELICIOUS, something we really wish to taste each and every day. Then the true values of T'ai-Chi practice will seep into all aspects of our lives. Through the gradual entering of the practice we no longer have to make an effort to be at ease or make an effort to meet life's obstacles with equanimity. It begins to happen naturally. And one day we turn round and notice that yes, I have handled that situation so differently to how I used to. And feel good about ourselves. Very good.

And today, what a day to stand still, breathe deeply, open our hearts wide, lift our arms to the sun, connect softly with our bodies, cultivate ease, settle into our inner ground, and celebrate this precious, short life we are all given!