Tai Chi Chuan, Qigong, and Yoga Classes in Portland, Oregon.
Be Quiet
Sometimes teachers feel as if they have to bequeath a pearl of wisdom upon their students in each and every single class.
The lessons I remember most were often pebbles carelessly dropped from the pockets of my teachers who most likely have no recollection of the things they said. It’s as if they plopped ideas into my psyche and the meaning didn’t make sense until the waves eventually rippled to the shore.
So when teaching a class allow the body to tell the tale. Let the posture be the plot and allow each individual to determine their own motivations. Let them breathe.
The practice isn’t a construct like a class. Practice is self guided, ongoing, never ending and ubiquitous with the individual. Class is something we must attend during a particular time frame. We must go to it and do as we’re told while we fear social scrutiny. Practice is lonely but free.
The student who stops and steps off the path to smell the roses, or one who crosses the river on a log while the others get their feet wet, that’s the student who will find their own way when the teacher is not around. Allowing them the freedom to find their own steps is wise enough. Let it happen without forcing or enforcing. Let it happen without words.
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