Sunday 4 February 2001 23:40 One starts practicing T'ai Chi Ch'uan... by facing south. Today it was gray and cloudy and there was a wind; the cold bit deep. By the time I had finished ten sets, plus a little silk reeling, and qigong, my toes were really feeling it. I'm not used to that. In spite of the snow cover and the cold, my south-facing back porch is sheltered from the wind, and when the sun shines beneath the eaves at this time of year, it warms me so I often have to remove the outermost layers of practice clothing. But not today. And today, practice wasn't... satisfying, either. Some days, the only thing I seem to do right is start by facing south— and only by happenstance, at that! One learns T'ai Chi Ch'uan... by practicing patience. Each day I learn more, but, every day there's so much more to learn— take a look at T'ai Chi Magazine, if you want to know how much there is you don't know! Even a very long lifetime couldn't possibly be long enough... I hate cold, gray days. But the sun will shine again— and spring is coming. My spirits will thaw... I hope. It was a year ago this week that Ma was recovering from pneumonia, and I signed us up for T'ai Chi lessons. Almost a year ago that I learned the first simple steps, felt the first stirrings of... the magic. When I look back to last winter, I see that I have come a long way. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Well... I always did enjoy a good, long hike.   Copyright © 2001 New Moon Please feel free to comment at: The Madwoman's Message Board