creating space Archives

“Letting Go” has been a recurring theme that I’ve written about on my blog.

I told the story of my learning that ‘relaxing’ is not something to add to what we need to do. It asks of us to let go of something we are already doing. Then we can start to relax.

Sometimes “letting go” requires establishing a new habit before we can get rid of the old.

“Letting go” often includes an emotional attachment to something or someone and on the surface we might not even be aware that it exists. We have to become aware before we can start to “let go”.

Tai Chi is about “letting go”, focusing on the moment so our mind empties out and we can start to relax as we intentionally shift our weight.

Recently, it occurred to me that “letting go” of something I immensely enjoyed, has opened new horizons for me. First, after five wonderful years teaching a Tai Chi class for seniors, the sponsoring organization decided not to continue with the class. It was a scheduling and location problem. After four stimulating and fun years of teaching high school students Tai Chi, I decided not to continue. The commute was long and I found that I was using 4-5 hours of my time, twice a week for a class of 45-minutes length. It was hard to let that one go, but I did. I recommended an outstanding teacher who is working out very well. And I still continue to teach Tai Chi classes that I love.

I am so excited! Currently I am working diligently on a book. Many people have encouraged me to tell my story of remarkable healing and transformation. They tell me I could inspire and motivate a wide audience. So I’m doing it, meeting with my writing coach weekly, writing scenes, getting feedback, writing more, reading more. . .

I am also in the midst of completely revising and updating my website, making it mobile friendly, simplifying, adding all new photos. This is fun.

Both my writing coach and website designer have Tai Chi experience, understand and feel the energy and have had me as a teacher. They both get me. What a plus!

Stay tuned for updates on my book writing progress. Stay tuned for announcement of my new website.

“Letting go”, as in my case, may be letting go of something you enjoy, maybe even love. It has to happen to make space for a new thing to appear.

“Bring your attention into the room, focusing on your body, standing here, right now. Feet are hip-width apart, with knees soft (not locked).” That’s usually how I start my Tai Chi classes, sometimes adding, “be aware you are breathing, naturally.”

Slowing down and starting to relax can be a challenge for many of us. Learning what ‘relaxed’ means in our body can take time and come in tiny increments. I remember an ‘ah-ha’ moment for myself in Rancho La Perta, Tecate, Mexico a few years ago. The teacher said relaxing is not something we need to do or add. It’s letting go of something we’re already doing.

Letting go is a life-long journey. We have so many things we want to hang on to – family responsibilities, job deadlines, worry about money, concerns about health, wondering what others will think, etc. Our go-to response is to try harder, do more, push ourselves more and more.

When we start to let go, particularly on expectations for ourselves, we not only start to relax, but also create more space for the things and people that are important in our lives.

Even with Tai Chi we can put pressure on ourselves, to learn and remember moves, to keep up with others in the class, to feel like we’ve accomplished something. A different thought — come into class thinking “I’m going to enjoy myself; I’m going to go with the flow. I’m going to just ‘be’ for now.”

“Letting go is a basic, if not THE basic principle of T’ai-Chi-Ch’uan. it is said that a student’s progress is determined by how much he is willing to let go of — tension, emotional programming, fear, thinking, defensiveness, etc. The natural being is already powerful and wise. You must let go of your interference with the body’s power and wisdom.”
~ Bob Klein, Movements of Magic, The Spirit of T’ai-Chi-Ch’uan.

How might you start letting go?