My classes at the college are divided into six week sessions, each separated into beginners and advanced students. New students all start in the beginners section, but after that students can choose which section they participate in. Usually I recommend taking the beginning six weeks twice, as the second time allows for one to notice and learn a lot that is missed the first time around in a class environment. After that, learning styles and speed varies, and each student can choose for themselves which side of the classroom suits their individual needs better.
The first year on a new job, all is new. When the second
year begins, we find when we come upon the same seasons a second time, that our
understanding has the opportunity to increase. We often are able to use our
prior history to better relate to situations in which we have some experience.
Cycle of the
Generations
The cycle of the generations is a longer term version of
this. If we look at the past, we see some recurrent similarities repeating
every thirty five or forty years. For example, the 1890s (The gay 90s – gay
meant something different back then); the late 1920s with flappers, jazz, the
bohemian world portrayed by F. Scott
Fitzgerald, and so on; the 1960s with Hippies, the psychedelic
revolution, the peace movement; and in the late 1990’s/early 2000s, the
blossoming of the internet, in which everyone could have their say, open source
code (Linux), the end of apartheid,
etc. These times were followed by
periods which showed a different set of similarities – The great depression of
the early 1930s, the great recession of the 1970s, and perhaps our current
recession, which we are now coming out of. You can find your own parallels, but
you might find useful the concept of a thirty five or forty year cycle of
planetary/human scale events. (Astrology might be a useful means of tracking
these cycles, which are not necessarily caused by the effects of planetary
movements and their interactions).
Sometimes looking at these long term cycles of events and
“taking the long view” can help us to cultivate the patience needed for tasks
requiring considerable time to evolve to fruition, such as the study of T’ai
Chi. Also, this past July 4th weekend celebrates thirty seven years
since I began the study of T’ai Chi, and perhaps the beginning of a new cycle
for me…
Longer Cycles
For those interested in the study of longer cycles in human
history, it might be worthwhile to google the precession of the equinoxes, an
approximately 24,000 year cycle observed by the astrologers, who divide it into
two thousand year parts to section it into the twelve astrological signs – we
are moving currently from the age of Pisces to the age of Aquarius. Also of
interest in the area of great time might be the Indian concept of Yugas – we
are currently in the Kali Yuga, which some have said lasts 432,000 years. When
we stray into these areas however, we move from the empirically verifiable into
the metaphysical and lose all credibility required as the basis of Western
“hard science”.
The language used in these studies, however, might be
adaptable as a means to discuss the more pragmatic issues found in our everyday
lives – realms such as a cyclic learning process observable both in cultivating
new skills and in explaining the evolutionary processes we see all around us
which seem to contradict entropy. As the nature of energy seems to involve a
cyclic process (waves), it might be useful also as a means to describe the
physical mechanics of the Chi energy.
Before concluding, I’d like to return from these heady
flights of fanciful possibility to some very practical words of encouragement.
Our efforts, studies and practices have, in the past, always produced results,
and this suggests that no effort is wasted. Indeed, I started this article
stating that, after the first set of lessons, I allow students to choose which
side of the room to attend, with the beginners or the intermediate group. In
actuality, the amount of time spent moving according to the principles of T’ai
Chi is cumulative, and what you put in is what you get out, be it good habits
or bad habits. As the computer people say, “Garbage in, garbage out.” To reap the benefits, it matters much less
than most people assume, which part of the form one works on. If you spend time
moving in balance, in a relaxed state, from your center, this will always have
a beneficial effect. How could it not? To learn the form correctly from
beginning to end and be able to practice it on your own, however, usually requires
a more structured approach at some point.
It has been said that it usually takes 10,000 hours of
playing guitar to master it. It has also been said that “A journey of 1,000
miles begins with one step.” Perhaps the dimensions of each step are not so critical.
Be kind to yourself, enjoy your practice, and watch it grow.
Blessings to All,
Daniel
