In two of my Tai Chi classes we are working on a move called ‘slanted fly’. It’s the movement that directly follows a series of ‘repulse monkeys’. Next we will work on ‘waving hands like a cloud’ or ‘cloud hands’ for short.

For many Tai Chi students these names will sound familiar. According to mythical lore, a 15th century Taoist priest, Zhang Shanfeng, was observing a crane and snake fighting. While the snake was slow and earthbound, it was every bit the crane’s match. The priest realized that coldness (the snake) could overcome hotness (the crane). Based on his discovery, he devised physical movements that sought harmony between seeming opposites of fast and slow, hard and soft, hot and cold. Thus the movements that encompass Tai Chi were born.

You get the idea and the picture. Many movements in Tai Chi are named after animals, birds, mountains, clouds and other phenomena of nature. Nature is always moving to be in harmony and balance. Nature doesn’t “strive”, “try harder”, “set goals”, “worry”. I like the passage in the Tao Te Ching that says “The world is ruled by letting things take their course. It cannot be ruled by interfering.”

“It will make my day to say I’m starting to get ‘slanted fly’. It’s ok if my family doesn’t know what I’m talking about”, one student remarked. “What they say is I’m calmer, more relaxed and fun to be around the days I do Tai Chi.”

Right. We can’t worry when we’re shifting our weight into ‘slanted fly’. We can’t think about anything else. We focus only on yielding in ‘repulse monkey’. The stress, the worries of the day melt away. In fact, one student mentioned this week that she could feel the stress release and pour out of her body during class.

Do you have a ‘slanted fly’ that makes your day?