The Story of my Cards

A long time ago, probably in the early 1990s, when I needed to design some business cards for my new enterprise as a T’ai Chi instructor, after studying with the Chows since 1976, I planned a card for “T’ai Chi 4 Health. As I had also been a student of Tibetan Buddhism since the 70s, the cards were light yellow with red printing.

 

I thought they would look better with some Chinese characters screened lightly in the background. Not being schooled in Chinese, I picked some clip art from a book of designs for printers, but when I showed Mrs. Chow what I was doing, she said “Why you put ‘Hot Water’ on card?” 

Then and there she brushed the characters for “T’ai Chi”, and blessed my endeavor with her beautiful calligraphy!

“Some times you ride the wave,  

Some times you’re in the washing machine.”

           - Surfer saying 

( Thanks to the Ka’au Crater Boys song, North Shore: 

“…Where the waves are mean, just like a washing machine.”)

The full moon energy can sometimes be likened to a larger than average wave. When one rides the wave, one may utilize energies far more powerful than ourselves. 

When the wave breaks on the rocks and the water is shallow, on the other hand, if one has “Lost the wave”, it can be similar to being in a washing machine.

Like many things in life, skill in maintaining your balance on the wave, and keeping the attention required to do this, can sometimes come by luck, but may be cultivated through practice.

The Emperor’s Portrait (revisited)

On the subject of Mrs. Chow’s Calligraphy…

At Chow Studio, Mr. Chow would paint animals, insects, landscapes. Mrs. Chow painted flowers, and although Mr. Chow often wrote poems to adorn their paintings, it was Mrs. Chow’s beautiful calligraphy that most often brought them to the paper. 

Indeed, their work together seemed to magnify and enhance each other’s talents.

I repeat here the classic story of the Artist and the Emperor, to describe the path to mastery as it might illuminate the evolution of such skills as calligraphy and, of course, surfing, be it water or energy. 

There was in China an artist renowned for his paintings, which seemed to capture the essence of his subjects far beyond the ordinary abilities of most such efforts, and transcend the ordinary effects of most such work. 

His fame eventually spread to the ears of the Emperor, who decided that he would like to have his own portrait immortalized by this extraordinarily talented artist.

To this end he summoned the artist to his imperial court and asked him to paint such a portrait. Of course the humble artist agreed to do his emperor’s bidding, and said that it would be done.

After several months, the Emperor sent word to the artist and asked if it was done, as much time had passed. The response, “It’s not ready yet.”

After more time had passed, the emperor again sent word to the artist, and was again told that it was not yet finished.

The Emperor, not being accustomed to this response, then arranged for his retinue, advisors, priests and attendants, to travel with him to the artist’s studio and to see for himself what was the delay.

When he arrived the artist said that he would now paint the Emperor’s portrait. 

In just a few minutes he had created a portrait of uncommon beauty such that even the Emperor forgot his prior irritation with the delay and was very pleased with the result. 

But he was curious, and asked the artist, “ Why did you make me wait so long when it only took  you a few minutes to paint my likeness?” 

The artist then took the Emperor to a door at the back. Behind this door was a room filled with the artist’s earlier attempts, which had led to the creation of the masterpiece for the Emperor.

Blessings to All, and Best Wishes for a Happy, Safe and Healthy New Year!

Daniel 

Dan's Profile, 2021

The college that hosts my classes has asked for an updated Bio, and since it has been a while, and the various changes in the Website's format seem to have made the Profile somewhat more complicated to access, I offer it here this month.

Dan Zuckerman has been a student of T’ai Chi since 1976 and has been teaching since 1994. He was a senior student of Chow Chian Chiu and Chow Leung Chen-Ying (Mr. & Mrs. Chow), formerly of Coral Gables, and was one of very few students to receive teacher training from them. 

He has a Bachelors degree from the University of Miami (1970) and a Master of Science degree from Florida International University (1999). 

He has been teaching T’ai Chi at Miami Dade Community College, Kendall Campus, since 1994, and also offers private and small class lessons. He has taught classes for the Biltmore Hotel, the Coral Gables Congregational Church, and employee classes for the Miami Herald.

Daniel lives in Miami Florida with his wife, Susana Barciela. He also works in the mental health field and does neuropsychological testing. Hobbies include bird watching, amateur radio, and guitar.

He has taught Traditional Wu Style T’ai Chi to over 1,500 students. 

Details, including specifics of the form taught, the various physical and meditative benefits, and video of the form taught, are available on this website.

Daniel makes his classes easy and accessible to all. He explains concepts, principles and practice in simple, easy to understand terms. He often uses examples that help one to more easily understand and learn.

Best Wishes to All for a Joyous and Healthy Holiday season and New Year!

Perhaps

 Perhaps, I’m just where I’m supposed to be.

Perhaps, I’m doing exactly what I’m supposed to do.

When one door closes, another may open, and a new task is revealed.

All in due time.

Many friends have moved, are retiring, or are choosing to stay closer to home and begin to deal with what each day brings.

Why not you and I, Dear Readers?

Take comfort in what life brings, and know that the Future brings exactly what we need, to each and every one of us, exactly on time.

Thought is the Mind Breathing

Imagine that we are laying back, on a beautiful day, looking up at the passing clouds.

As they drift by, we might think that one looks like a horse or a dog, and the next one might look like a house or a castle, followed by a cow, or a surfboard, or a cow on a surfboard.

We may just lay back and enjoy the show.

This might be a snapshot of how we feel when we are in balance.

Sometimes, though, we may decide, without even realizing what we do, that this cloud is good, and that one is bad, or that we like that one, but not this one.

Sometimes this might create our own problems, that might throw us out of balance. This may often happen without our even realizing that it occurs.

When we find ourselves out of balance, this may be an opportunity in disguise. It may allow us to correct our loss of balance.

When we have balance, Perhaps we might have more options available to us than falling, or tensing up to prevent a fall! 

Of course, this is easier when cloud-watching than when we are in life situations to which we are attached, but the principle is the same.

Namaste, 

Daniel

All You Need is a Cane

 Many years ago, Susana and I went on a trip out West, from our home in Florida. 

One of the places we visited was Crater Lake, near the Klamath River Basin. This was a 12,000 foot volcano that many years ago had collapsed into a 2,000 foot deep lake, the deepest in the NorthWestern United States. 

It was surrounded by a crater with a very high rim, much higher than the surrounding area. The long, steep hike down to the lake and back up to the crater rim perimeter road was a bit challenging to us flat landers. 

On the way back up to the parking lot, we passed an old man who was going the other way. He looked at us, and with a twinkle in his eye, said “All you need is a cane.” 

For many years thereafter, at some of the most challenging points in our lives, this phrase would always bring us comfort and a smile.

Treat All the Kids Equally

My parents had seen the effects of one child being considered “the favorite” in other families, and had decided, early on, that it was important to treat all their kids equally, with equal love. 

This did not mean that they treated us all the same. When my teeth came in a little crooked, they said “It’s more important for a girl to have straight teeth”, and my sister got braces but I didn’t. 

Since I knew that I was loved equally, this didn’t bother me even a tiny bit. (Looking back on it now, I might even have been pleased not to have had to wear braces).

Nowadays, I try to apply this principle, when I can, to everyone that I have contact with. (It’s not always easy, but we do what we can, and forgive ourselves when we’re not perfect).

The Eagle’s Flight Leaves No Trail

Lately, as I get older, and more recently, with the covid epidemic, sometimes we find ourselves living longer than some of those that have shared our lives’ paths. 

Sometimes these are people that have shared their wisdom with us and have helped us to grow on our paths, and have helped us to become better than we were for having known them.

One such person was my friend and mentor JB. 

Jim was one of those rare individuals who is like the diver who dives into a pool from a great height, yet hardly makes a splash. 

Several years ago he had dropped off the grid and out of sight, I’m sure to follow the path he saw for himself. My son recently googled him and found his obituary, from a few years ago. 

He will be missed, but I know he is still with us, and lives in our hearts and minds still. Rest in Peace, my friend.

Blessings,

Daniel

Letting Go

 Sometimes when interpersonal interactions take place we may react as we learned to when we were children, according to rules more appropriate to relationships between parents and children, or between children, than to adult, or grown up relationships and interactions. 

This may happen between people, groups, countries, in many different arenas.

These regressive behaviors might often occur when we are not at our best, as when we are tired or ill, or otherwise preoccupied. 

This can happen to anyone, and fall into the category of human beings not always being perfect. 

The acceptance of such imperfections, both in ourselves and in others, may allow much more functional transpersonal behavior. 

It may suggest the solution to many problems encountered in real world situations. 

We can apply this principle to our T’ai Chi practice and it allows the parts in many spheres and situations to work together by letting go of tensions. This works for tensions of many types.The principle is the same.

When Susana and I used to walk our dog, Bud, sometimes he would see a cat. All of his civilized dog behavior would immediately leave him and he just wanted to chase the cat. We would say “Let it Go, Bud”. This Mantra might often provide the solution to many problems that we encounter in our world today. 

Let it go. 

Let go of the tensions, both physical and emotional.

Just Let Go.

Namaste, Daniel

Cleaning Up

Several times during the past week I have found myself, while looking for something that I seem to have lost around the house, digging through piles of old projects and correspondence, and throwing away much of those piles that are no longer relevant. 

It occurs to me that this “Housecleaning”, long overdue, might be exactly what I need, possibly in more ways than the obvious.

A famous Zen Master once helped enlighten a pupil by filling the student’s tea cup way past overflowing. When the student asked him what he was doing, he said that this is what we often do when there is already too much in our cup and we try to add more. 

Back to my current cleaning project, I still have not found the papers that I thought I needed, but may yet find the space that allows me to move forward. 

The Universe moves in mysterious ways. 

I haven’t yet cleaned up all the piles, but I am starting to be more aware of their size, and am making some progress. 

I am starting to see the nature and breadth of the task which lies ahead. 

For this I am thankful.

In T’ai Chi, this may be likened to the continuing stages of getting rid of more and more subtle levels of the extra movements that may sometimes dissipate our focus.

Peace, Health and Simplicity, 

Daniel

Back to Work - an adventure begins

(Two weeks ago, 6/15/21)

I am born again today. How did I ever wind up here? 

I dreamed I was on an adventure with worthy companions. We started off in an amphibious Tesla truck, and met some interesting characters at a very strange bazaar. My attire was very different and futuristic, and as I adjusted it and made it my own, felt just right.

I woke up and wondered, “How the heck did I get here?”, in a new space, with everything that I needed for a new adventure… Enough money, insight, a useful skill set, in a new world.

(This morning, 6/28/21)

Tomorrow I return to work, after a year off, as the world begins a new page and we all begin to take a new step into the future. 

The past year’s challenges seem to have cleared a new palette with which to paint a new future, bringing with it, perhaps new and exciting times ahead.

I begin this endeavor with a prayer that it may bring us all to better times and allow us the possibility of a good new life. 

With Much Gratitude,

Daniel

Post Pandemic Joy

 As things open up again, (due to the effect on the population created by the vaccines which are now available), there are now many options that might improve our outlook on things. 

This “Good Medicine” might actually do more good than one might suspect, and help us in more ways than the obvious.

I thought that I might mention this and encourage us all to help ourselves. 

As we evolve competencies within our sphere of regular activities, these routines may give us a certain confidence and add positive feelings about ourselves and our secure place within the spread of our lives. 

This mastery or excellence may then allow us to impart confidence in those around us that things will be OK, and thus perhaps create a more positive and less fearful psychological environment for us all.

Any calming and even moderately fulfilling activity may do this. 

This may manifest in one’s career or work, hobby or fitness activities, creative endeavors, or even the development of small habits leading toward self improvement. 

Anything that one may master can and will engender positive feelings of worth for yourself. 

This may then spread through those around you and out into the universe. 

It is not wasted time.

Examples abound. 

The activities of my birding community, Ham radio devotees, excellent caregivers at all levels, musicians, cycling and fitness advocates, T’ai Chi Practitioners, and of course all those who follow the “Warrior’s Path” of personal excellence as a living art form, all seem to create a positive energy that makes our world more alive and magical, and infinitely more worthwhile. 

Excellence in any field or endeavor may always be inspirational. 

Happy campers, cooks, care doers, all who find joy in their activities, just by the exercise of these skills with joy, may add to the mix something special.

Sometimes the creation of an excellent, kind smile may do much more than you realize.

Blessings to All,

Daniel

Prayer

 When we pray we are attempting to align our thoughts, hopes and aspirations with something greater than ourselves. 

This spiritual T’ai Chi is just like physical practice. 

As we strive to incorporate principles that help us to improve our focus and eliminate distractions, our prayers may then become more powerful and more effective.

 Through practice praying, our “prayer muscles” become stronger and our technique may evolve. 

Mechanisms of Prayer

These thoughts may aid one to become more effective regardless of what beliefs one has about how prayer works. 

Some examples of the wide variety of possible mechanisms by which prayer may be useful to us are the Traditional view, in which we ask for help from an all powerful deity, the Psychological view, by which prayer may be seen as us communicating with our unconscious mind and thereby unleashing an enormous potential that may be found within ourselves. (Not necessarily “Religion”, and acceptable to agnostics, athiests, and others not accepting the possibility of their being a part of something larger than themselves.) 

A third option, the Pragmatic view, might consider the possibility that the focusing of one’s attention through prayer, without necessarily positing any spiritual or psychological mechanism at work, might lead one toward manifesting words and/or actions that might facilitate the achievement of the prayed for goal or request. 

Anyone Can Pray

These common sense reasonings seem to suggest that prayer might be useful and productive even for those who do not believe in it. 

Examples abound of prayer producing positive results, although as Barrett Eagle Bear used to say, “Tunkashila always answers prayers, but sometimes the answer is no.”

In addition to the actual real-world effects that prayer may sometimes produce, other benefits include such things as Giving one hope, and Producing a feeling of accomplishment. 

Sometimes the most depressing situations are those which we can’t do anything about, but we can always pray. 

Many times, Prayer may Bring people together and offer an opportunity for group support and participation. 

Group prayer is one of those times when the whole is sometimes greater than the sum of the parts. 

(Thanks and appreciation to M. A. For her example of Prayer in Action!).

Powerful Prayer

(Be careful what you wish for.)

Something that I was told when I started praying in the Sweat Lodge many years ago may be useful for you. I offer it to you with a caveat that you do not take it lightly.

 When we pray for change, sometimes this requires things of us that we may find difficult. (Be careful what you wish for). 

To make your prayers more powerful, you might add the phrase, “I am ready”. 

Again, be careful with this. 

Something that you ask for that might occur comfortably over a period of months or years might produce some very challenging and difficult times for you if you pray for this to happen right away.

 

For example, a prayer for long life and good health was answered by my needing a treatment that was hard on my stomach, and forced me to change to a much healthier diet. 

This probably added 20 years to my life. 

Again, be careful what you pray for!

Namaste (The light within me Honors the light within you),

Daniel

Common Ground

 In the practice of T’ai Chi, getting all the parts of the body to work together requires a lack of physical tensions between the various parts. 

This easily observable fact stems from the blocking of energy flow through any areas of tension within the body. 

A simple example of this might be seen in that if one’s shoulders are tense, this tension would inhibit the free flow of energy that begins with a hip movement, then travels through the spine and shoulders and on through the arms and hands and their various parts.

The Dalai Lama has suggested that this same understanding of how energy flows between the parts of an organism may be applied within the arena of interpersonal interactions in order to facilitate the more efficient flow of energies in this realm or area.

T’ai Chi requires some sense of relaxation at the junction between the body’s parts. This relaxation is often created (or allowed) by finding balance within the gravity field. (If you relax without balance, you fall over, or tense up, so balance is required before relaxation is possible to maintain). 

In a similar way, at the inter-personal level, the relaxation of tensions that may be created by mistrust or widely differing viewpoints can be worked through by finding some Common Ground.

At this point one may wonder what, if any, commonalities might be found between people harboring radically different priorities that lead them to often opposing agendas. 

Just as gravity is the same for all of us when it comes to physical movement, the cement that allows us to speak the same language here is that all people, (Us and Them), want to be happy. 

In therapy, they train therapists that an agreement, or contract, is advantageous in order to work with a client. Without this, little can be done. 

The Dalai Lama has said (talk attended by me, University of Miami) that when he wanted to make some suggestions to President George Bush, He first needed to build a relationship, so that his thoughts might be heard. 

As one of my mentors (JB) would say, “If they don’t like you, they won’t agree with you, even if you are right.” 

So in the Dalai Lama’s example, first friendship, then trust, then the possibility of an agreement are built, and all of this begins with finding some common ground.

Many times words may trigger emotional, sometimes counterproductive responses on both sides. 

A smile and calm demeanor may sometimes defuse a volatile situation by nonverbally communicating this common ground of both sides wanting the same thing, to feel better with each other.

As Mr. Chow would say, “Every movement is T’ai Chi, every brush stroke is Art.”

Stay Healthy!

Namaste,

Daniel

Creativity

Writing as a Creative Process

Every time I write I am creating something new. 

Sometimes what is created is good, and other times, not so much, but the act of creation is always something special. 

If done consciously, this may be considered a uniquely human activity. Other similar activities which might fall into this category might include creating music, which, being in the moment, is always a creative act. 

Even if the composition is not new, each recital is its’ own unique creation for that particular time and place. 

Also in this category we might include painting or drawing, and dance or T’ai Chi. In fact almost any performance activity might be included when we view the performance as a creation. 

It might be appropriate to note here that while my definition of art in this context is very broad and inclusive, the creation of art here is a viewpoint useful to describe a process capable of transforming the consciousness of the creator and fostering one’s personal and transpersonal growth in many ways. 

I do have a much more limited definition of what is good art, and even more requirements for what I would call Great art.  

At this point, however, it is not necessary for one to have mastered the level of good or Great art in order to accrue the considerable benefits that may be derived from participating in the creative process at any level. 

Although I am not yet an excellent or great guitar player, for instance (and may not attain this any time soon), my practice of playing the guitar may, even at my level, bring me pleasure, peace, and even some level of a sense of accomplishment and joy from the creative process. 

This also may happen in the practice of T’ai Chi at any level. 

Classes

Having completed my vaccination for covid 19 in the beginning of this month (February 2021), the first in person classes at the college will be offered to resume on March 15th!

By mid March many of the regular students may not yet be vaccinated, so that class is at this point a maybe, dependent upon enrollment of sufficient students. 

The next session is scheduled to begin on May 17th, and I am fairly confident that as the vaccine program progresses, classes will resume by then, if not before. 

I am looking forward to this with great joy!

Best Always,

Daniel