In recent years I’ve been working to recognize and acknowledge the many things in my life for which I am grateful. It is easy to get caught up in things we wish would happen and things we feel didn’t go our way. It can take a considerable toll on our spirits (shen/shén^†). Since we have just celebrated our yearly day of Thanksgiving here in the United States, it seems a good time to share some of my gratitude for Tai Chi.

First and foremost, I’m deeply grateful that Tai Chi exists. It is such a unique art, and I frequently wonder how anyone ever thought to create an introspective art based in softness/suppleness (jou/róu^†). That it even exists seems like a huge stroke of luck for humanity and for all of us who practice it.

I am grateful that Cheng man-ch’ing was able to learn from Yang Cheng-fu and then chose to bring his Simplified Yang Style T’ai Chi Ch’uan to the United States, encouraging Mr. Lo to join him here. If not for them, I can’t see how I would have had the opportunity to learn Tai Chi at all and certainly not this style with its amazing benefits. And I am deeply grateful to the St. Louis T’ai Chi Ch’uan Association for spreading our art in the St. Louis area and beyond. It gave me the chance to learn our style, including learning from Mr. Lo through workshops and lessons for many years right from the start of my practice. I am grateful to Lenzie Williams for sharing freely what he learned from Mr. Lo. There is a great deal I have learned from him I don’t believe I would have discovered on my own. And I’m grateful to my ‘aunts’, ‘uncles’, and older ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters’ in the art from whom I’ve learned through workshops, camps, videos, shared practice, and books.

I am grateful I get to share this art with others, whether it’s shared practice, reading group discussions, learning from others, or teaching others. Teaching pushes me to adopt great ideas from others and to find better ways of explaining and instructing. It is a powerful force in my own practice. Perhaps most importantly, teaching is a chance to give back to the community that has given me much. I’m especially grateful to my students, who show up and invest, ask questions, and share their experiences and discoveries; they help me remain curious and seeking growth for them and myself.

I feel tremendous gratitude that I have Tai Chi as a practice. I enjoy better fitness, flexibility, overall health, and well-being because of it. My mindset is very different and greatly improved from what it was years ago, much of which can be traced to Tai Chi. Finally, and most importantly, I am grateful beyond words to my family, especially my wife Teresa, for supporting me in my pursuit of this incredible art.

† If you have questions about Chinese terms used, you may find About Chinese Terms helpful.