Tai Chi and Time [publisher's letter]

This month’s Healing Ways department article, reminded me of how much I used to love tai chi and that I need to get back to it. I started practicing not long before the onset of the pandemic and was quite dedicated; however, COVID put a halt to the class I was taking at the time and I never picked it back up.

Before I discovered tai chi, I used to practice yoga off and on. While I did enjoy it, an old injury―a broken wrist that didn’t receive the proper therapy back in the day―started acting up and I found I wasn’t able to do many of the poses because they involved the wrist. I’m sure there were alternative poses or possible modifications, but I decided to discontinue that practice and try a tai chi class. Wow, it was a challenge, but I really resonated with it, and it solved my wrist issue because all of the movements were in the standing position.

Our instructor built a routine over time, adding to it with each class. It was quite a feeling to start at the beginning and be able to flow through each movement seamlessly (or at least in my mind it was seamless!). Of course, I was a rank beginner and tai chi is a lifelong practice, so even though I could do the movements, there was so much more to learn. I was up for the challenge, and after the class ended, our instructor continued to teach a small group at our community center. This was fantastic, and I was really getting into the groove—that is until COVID hit. As with everything else, our class came to a grinding halt. I thought about trying to follow a video at home, but I am not good at any kind of self-imposed physical activity in my abode, as I need accountability.

Plus, I had great plans to take a class again at a later date (giving me the accountability factor), but, alas, time went by and it didn’t happen. And then I completely forgot about how much I loved it until I was reminded by this article!

Tai chi is just one of a number of activities that have gone by the wayside while I’ve been caught up in the “busy life syndrome.” Thankfully, the act of writing this letter has caused me to reflect on something that I tend to forget: Time is a nonrenewable resource, and it’s not a matter of finding time, it’s a matter of making time for the things that bring us joy.