Attending tai chi classes at Dharma Voyage means I get to be taught by master teacher Ben Booth. It is a small miracle to have had my path cross his, and a great gift. Ben teaches the tai chi movements in an elegant and accessible way. But the choreography of tai chi, though challenging for sure, is not the most challenging part. Tai chi has a cunning way of finding my personal foibles and presenting them to me over and over again.

Take my exhausting perfectionism for one example, or self-doubt, wandering mind, or impatience. Tai chi will find any weakness and hold the mirror up to it. Oh, how tai chi toys with my perfectionism. I can go along just fine and then ‘go blank’ at the most familiar movement. The frustration of it!  I may work on one movement, such as the very first (seemingly simple) movement that we recently have been practicing as directed by Ben’s generous remote ‘Covid time’ lessons. Over and over this simple movement is confounding. The timing, the grace, the flow all elude and  thus ignite my perfectionism. 

And that is where my learning tai chi starts. As Ben says, inquire of yourself what that frustration, or lack of focus, or imbalance is about. Ben’s gentle wise teaching urges and allows us to do tai chi badly!  He doesn’t hit us with a stick and yell, “Not tai chi!” It is in the inquiry where the learning can take place. To practice tai chi, the movements, is to enter into a deep inquiry into myself and my dharma voyage in this life. Slowly, I am beginning to learn that my imperfect practice of tai chi, and life, is perfectly imperfect. I just have to smile at myself.

Thank you, Dharma Voyage and Ben Booth.

Barn’s burnt down--
now
I can see the moon.
Mitzuta Mashide