feelin' the energy

I did two sets of tai chi last night before bed (and slept soooo well, btw) and one set this morning outside in the crisp morning air. I went to class tonight and left before doing a set with the class (I had my children with me) but I have to say that I am *really* enjoying tai chi! I am amazed at how I am feeling the energy flow through me as I practice. Bringing the hands towards each other, the energy intensifies, and when the hands pass each other, I can feel the energy so vividly. I feel it in my hands, and in my feet. It's a wonderful, beautiful feeling. One of the other women at class tonight remarked that I had this "sweet expression" on my face as I practiced; like I was off in another world. It's not that I was; quite the opposite - I was actually fully present in this world, in this moment! Quite absorbed in the moment. I do know what she means, though. Feeling the energy is something new for me in my tai chi practice and I am continually surprised and elated by the sensations.

I am beginning to grasp more fully how what I bring to the set, to my practice, is what I will get out of it. If I come to my practice bedraggled and stressed, I see quite clearly how this energy affects those around me in class. I also see how, if I relax into calmness and serenity, how this, too, permeates and affects the group's energy. So it's becoming a conscious choice as to what state of mind, of emotion, I will bring to the class, not only when I'm instructing, but also as a student.

Namaste'