At a large workshop Master Moy asked all the participants gathered who they thought had the best Tai Chi? To everyone’s surprise Master Moy then pointed at an older man who had just started learning and said:
“His Tai Chi is the best, because I can see it is helping his health the most”
This simple story illustrates an important but sometimes underappreciated aspect of Master Moy’s Teaching. It’s not how long you have been doing Tai Chi, how much you think you know or what others may tell you about the Art that’s truly important. Instead it’s the actual improvement to your own health through and by the practice that matters! This is so you have a chance to improve your quality of life, to suffer less than you might otherwise and to give back to help others.
So with this appreciation and view of the Master Moy’s Teaching I would like to share a few suggestions that may help improve your health as you continue to practice:
DEVELOP YOUR ABILITY TO FEEL THE TAI CHI:
We may have all heard that Master Moy said countless times to his students “how do you feel” after helping them. He may have done this for several reasons but one I believe was show us it’s our own feelings that reveal our current level of health, that reveal where we need to improve and then through the practice to assess if our own Tai Chi is truly working to help improve our health. In short, our own feelings are the Teacher! So focus to consciously feel as much as you can each time you practice. You will be surprised how this will add to your own understanding of the movements and bring about the inherent health benefits they provide.
CONTINUOUS PRACTICE:
Master Moy held a morning practice every day without fail. He also had several evening classes a week and promoted constant workshops where he encouraged everyone to attend. Continuous practice is an integral part of the Teaching because it works directly on our physiology and anatomy at a deep level. To change our bones, internals and soft tissue, to promote circulation and improve balance for example takes time and commitment from the student. I have found carving out a small amount of time each day for my own personal practice and developing a simple routine of the Jongs, Don-yus and Tor-Yus very effective. I look forward to it each day. I feel I am investing in my own health and so appreciate this special alone time to cultivate Master Moy’s Teaching.
HEALTH PRINCIPLES BEHIND THE TAI CHI
Master Moy was always teaching, trying to help his students to see, to appreciate and then know through their own practice the timeless principles and forces behind the Tai Chi that promote better health. He wanted each of us to eventually become our own Teacher and then help others do the same. For example he often talked and demonstrated through his students the concepts of balance, relaxation, timing, alignment, turning, standing, sitting, focus, lengthening, creating space, humility, gratitude, compassion and much more. Sometimes he wanted us to feel and experience these concepts through his personal corrections of our Tai Chi and then share what we learned so others could also practice. Today we can use these concepts to give focus to our practice. These concepts and forces reveal themselves to the attentive student and provide deep insight into the health benefits of this special Teaching. On our weekly zoom sessions at friendsoftaichi.org we practice and share in the same way as Master Moy so we can help each other. Together we are all learning and improving our health.
I hope everyone reading this article has a chance to continue to learn Master Moy’s Teaching in what ever way is most comfortable and right for you so that you can have a continuous relationship with this timeless Teaching and always strive to improve your health. I hope the above suggestions help in some small way.
Thank you and happy practice!!
Translation by Jordi Awarita, Cathy Filion
Thank you for this….
Thanks , Joe. Very good reminder and beautifully written.
Very nicely said. Master Moy often said “Five minutes a day is better than two hours once a week. He also adjusted instruction to the needs of a student and had them explain to the group how it felt, then had us practice the same skill and reflect on our own discovery. Each person’s body and level of development is unique. We can never share “our own” Tai Chi, we can help each other on the life-long journey that is the practice of the art–just as Master Moy did for us.
Thank you so much Joe for this article that brings us closer to Master Moy, at least for those of us who didn’t have the chance to meet him. Truly inspiring.
I love this! When I was first learning TaiChi, I was told to do the moves exactly the way I was being taught regardless of how it felt to me. I am now teaching and I’m always asking students how the move or moves feel to them. As a fitness coach, I am aware that every(body) is different with different limitations. Therefore, I always teach modifications when needed to make the moves “feel” just right!