Many good years

Today this trusty old blog becomes archive-only as it is time to wind it down. I will leave it online as it is a lovely record of much good T'ai Chi from 2006-2023, that's quite something! Thank you to everyone who has read or contributed to this blog over the years. The internet was such a different place then, how things have changed...

Links and info updated 02/11/2024.

In a bid to follow the Classics and simplify life, lessen entanglements and reduce stressors, I am pulling in some of my tendrils in the online world, to concentrate on the roots: real lived life. T'ai Chi informs every aspect of my life and continues to transform every aspect of it in sometimes obvious but more often subtle ways. I spend part of each week with my flatmate and oldest T'ai Chi buddy Duncan Price, which is a great joy. (He, along with David Hurn and Kevin Grey, were the first students of Mark I met on that blessed day I found the T'ai Chi Centre back in 2000. I walked into the garden at Art of Health and Yoga in Balham, London, and knew I had found 'home'. It is a delight to still be friends with these excellent people.) In the autumn I'll be studying some interesting Nei Gong with Duncan. I am also very happy to say he is now organising monthly push hands events in the South West and is teaching his classes in Bournemouth. 

I still study with Mark Raudva at the T'ai Chi Centre, whenever I can get to London or when he comes to visit in the south west. 

I continue to teach T'ai Chi, Chi Kung and Heartwork, privately at my home and also online, this can be found at greatrivertaichi.com. I have begun teaching Heartwork in the USA, details are at my Instagram along with free Chi Kung that I posted for people's wellbeing during lockdowns, all found here. I recently taught aspects of T'ai Chi and Chi Kung in new and diverse contexts, such as multi-disciplinary workshops, weeklong courses in Davon or with the Dark Mountain Collective. This is heartening and rewarding work. 

The Taoist Classics provide the greatest resource and I am rereading the Thomas Cleary editions for the umpteenth time. I hope to write a few long pieces about the links between Iain McGilchrist's The Master and His Emissary and the states of being described in the Classics, over the winter at my Substack Uncivil Savant, where I write about Tao, the embodied life and art where Earth matters. During 2023, paid subscribers get access to monthly Chi Kung lessons and a meet up at the end of the year. Here's a link to the video of a conversation we had at Iain's home in January 2023. 

I now travel to teach art for a large part of the year, when I am not at home writing the follow up to my debut book Found and Ground. Writing and art have overtaken T'ai Chi as my main livelihood, which is wonderful and always interesting. All my art and teaching can be found at FoundandGround.com and at my Instagram. 

As I personally no longer teach T'ai Chi in Scotland or Sweden since Covid lockdowns and life changes brought that era suddenly to a close, it seems more appropriate for a locally-based newsletter or email round-robin to emerge than to continue this format.

In London I recommend Mark Raudva's classes and events which can be seen at www.thetaichicentre.co.uk. If he sets up a blog or similar, I will add the link here. He has an Instagram but currently does not use it much. 

In Gothenburg, Sweden you can study with Christina Fors. 

Kevin Devine's daytime classes continue in South London, he can be contacted at kevin [at] kevindevine [dot] co [dot] uk

In Aboyne, Aberdeenshire you can study with Anneke Stolte who can be contacted at annekestolte [at] hotmail [dot] co [dot uk

In Kintore, Aberdeenshire you can study with Scott Allan who can be contacted at activeresources [at] sky [dot] com

In Monymusk, Aberdeenshire you can study with Paolo Marioni who can be contacted at paolo [at] greatrivertaichi [dot] com

Kevin Grey provides superb TCM tui na, acupuncture and herbs at his practice in Tooting London. 

I will update this last placeholder post as and when any links or details change, as best I can. 

May I take this opportunity to thank every student who has studied with me, for however long, for their attention and energy. Thanks also to all those who have instructed for Great River T'ai Chi over the years and to those who now run their own classes or schools. May you have as a rewarding and heartening time as I have done. 

You can contact me via my website home page any time. 

Warmest good wishes to all who read this, yours, Caroline Ross.

Great River T'ai Chi School, founded 2002.

Picture, sunset from the end of my road, January 2023.

Workshop dates with Mark 2023

Twickenham Spring Intensive 29, 30th April and 1st May, 2-9pm daily, usual venue. Contact Mark for details. 

Summer weeklong workshop dates are just being checked by the Leander Sea Scouts but it is most likely to be Saturday 22nd - Friday 28th July. We should know by Easter and I will post it here as soon as I know.

Autumn Workshop in October will be at Fetternear Hall, Aberdeenshire, as usual, see previous post for details. Contact Paolo to book. 

All workshops cost £50 per day, concessions are available. 

New beginners Taichi in SW17

New beginners are welcome to join our long term Tuesday evening group held in the main hall at Holy Trinity Church Hall, 7-8.15pm. The class costs £15, come along at 7pm, just wear loose comfortable clothes and soft shoes or trainers. You can experience for yourself the mind and body health benefits of this practice. No need to call in advance, just turn up any Tuesday in February 2023.

Warmest greetings to all Past Great River students, wherever you may be.

It's almost 10pm and I have just spent 3 hours going back over almost 18 years of this blog, saving some photos, writing, quotes and links that I have been meaning to gather together for quite some while. I was not expecting to be so moved by seeing all our faces getting younger by the minute, as I scrolled back to when I started this blog in 2005, three years after I officially started teaching T'ai Chi.

If you are reading this, and know me from classes, whether very well, or just for a brief time, then I send you my warmest good wishes and hope that this finds you well and well-loved. How incredible it has been to immerse myself in memories of the wider T'ai Chi family by looking through this blog in its entirety for the every first time. There was the news that I was inviting my teacher to come and teach my students at Drumblair Lodge, Aberdeenshire, in the Winter of 2005-6. Wonderful to know that many of you still practise and teach what you have been learning all these years. This makes me so happy.

I recently heard back from Megan, who used to study with Mark a decade ago, and who remembered me as 'always being there'. Indeed! It was good to be able to share lots of what is in the school's Dropbox, so that she can practice at home, now she is far away. Every year someone drops in at Mark's who used to study with John Kells, as happened last week. Mark told me how relieved and at home the student felt being in his class. 

There are so many people I miss, some moved away, some left, some passed on. Everybody left an impression. Some of my old students now study with Mark or Kevin, others elsewhere, others no longer practise. For those that do, I hope that T'ai Chi brings you a still point in your lives. Since the pandemic stopped me teaching in person in March 2020, I have only taught online, and currently I do not teach at all. After 20 years, it was a good time to take a break. Now, nature, writing, teaching craft and making art take up much of my time, but Central Earth is still fundamental. I am waiting for a dear relative to have a place I can stay in London in the near future, and then I will be able to come and study with Mark at Tuesday and Wednesday classes sometimes, with a quiet, safe place to stay, (which is essential for me, since last year's uprooting events). I plan to be at the November workshop if I can find someone who can put me up. 

I had forgotten how much we had all shared here on this blog, news, poems, classes, photos, comings and goings, births and deaths. I intend to leave this blog here, as long as Google leaves Blogger here for free, I guess. If you'd like to be in touch, my email address hasn't ever changed, so you can find me if you want to. In the meantime I can feel it will soon be time to wend my way back to T'ai Chi classes, though probably not teaching in person. I am going to help Mark record an online course, and see how that goes. I may also do a short one for all the chi kung I teach, as it has been so helpful to my friends with long Covid, which was a bit if good news recently. 

I have spent at least 20 years in rooms with people, wonderful people, whether for T'ai Chi, art, or before that, a decade of music indoors in studios. It feels like a combination of time outdoors, family time, and private time is still what calls me at the moment, for a bit longer. So if I don't see you in person very soon, but you are one of the excellent people I have had the pleasure of just seeing scrolling back through this blog, then may I wish you a very fruitful autumn and peaceful winter. Warmest greetings to you from stormy Bournemouth, 

Caro. 

The drawing board this week, putting the final 

touches to my natural paints book which will 

come out next June with Search Press.

Early Winter Taichi gathering with Mark at Twickenham

 All students are welcome to join Mark at the regular Twickenham venue from 26-18th November, 2022. Cost is £50 per day, sessions run from 2-9pm with an hour's break for food. Get in touch with Mark if you have any questions. 

If anyone in South London knows they are going to all three days and could put me up for the period of the workshop, please do get in touch, I would be very grateful (and happy to pay!) Caro.

Summer news

Here's a couple more photos from Mark's workshop in July. Thanks to all who came and made this a great event. The consensus was that Mark should run a 7 day workshop in 2023, (national circumstances allowing). The venue has set aside the week for us and could not have been kinder and more accommodating this year. Thank you Leander Sea Scouts!

Salutations

Kevin assisting Mark

I am away until October, fishing, teaching, travelling and also still recovering form Covid. I have made plans to record online chi kung courses in the autumn with filmmaker Jonny Randall and we will also assist Mark with making online T'ai Chi courses. I have updated the Great River website with all the info from the instructors. If you see anything that needs changing, let me know by email. 

Lastly, Mark turns 60 at the end of the month! One of his old students and I will be celebrating with him most likely by going fishing. If you need his address for any cards, just drop me an email and I'll send it to you. Thanks to those who have already asked about it.

Have a great August, see you in the autumn. Very best wishes Caro.

Summer workshop approaches

All are welcome to The T'ai Chi Centre summer 4 day intensive. All the details are at www.thetaichicentre.co.uk

The hall will be open from 1pm on the Saturday and the workshop finishes by 10pm on the Tuesday. Mark can be contacted for any details regarding the workshop. I'll be helping with the register and taking payments for Mark during the weekend, cash, PayPal or bank transfer are all fine, rather than cheques.

Bring your own food, as to lessen the health risks, we won't be having buffets of shared food this year. We hope that will return in future. Tea will be provided. If you want to bring and use hand gel and wear masks, that's totally fine. 

I look forward to seeing you there, enjoying the T'ai Chi, the river and the good company. Travel well, all.

The long-awaited 15th Annual summer intensive

Dear friends, at last we are able to announce The T'ai Chi Centre 15th annual summer intensive. It will be a four day event this year, to ease everyone back gently into the workshop habit. We were not able to afford the newly refurbished Petersham premises any more, and the dates we wanted were not free anyway. Our recent venue in Kingston have kindly moved a booking for us to have our preferred last week of July slot and have not raised their prices, for which we are grateful. 

Here are the details so far.

Dates: 2pm Saturday 23rd July until 9.30pm Tuesday 26th July 2022

Times: 2-5pm and 6.30-9.30pm daily

Cost: £50 per day, £25 per session. (Concessions £24 /£12) or anything between these that you can afford.

Address: Leander Sea Scout Hut, Albany Mews, Kingston Upon Thames. (No entrance from riverside, Lower Ham Rd.) Local parking restrictions may apply. No parking at venue. 65 bus stops very nearby. Train: Kingston, 20 min walk.

Food: Bring your own food for the break between sessions. Tea and soft drinks provided.

Nearer the time we will know if anyone can stay in the venue overnight. For now it is best to assume not. We have the venue from 12 noon Saturday until 10pm Tuesday. 

London taichi long weekend with Mark starts tomorrow

 I am looking forward to seeing those coming along to Mark's three day session this weekend in Twickenham. I have a cold (not Covid) that has been bad but is now clearing up, so I hope to be there the whole time. Contact Mark directly for any details. Bring your own food, tea will be provided. Cost is £50 per day or £25 per session. Concession are £24 / £12. Travel well!

London Taichi Long Weekend with Mark in February

All students are welcome to come to 3 days of Taichi in Twickenham taught by Mark at the same venue as 2021's Summer 4 day Intensive. The dates are Saturday 12-Monday 14 Feb, 2pm - 9.30pm, with a break for food between the afternoon and evening sessions. Cost £50 per day, or £25 per session. Tea is provided, bring your own snack for the break. 

Call Mark for further details. It's not 'an intensive', but a chance to have some concentrated study and practice. We look forward to seeing you there.

T'ai Chi news and classes in person and online

Mark will be teaching one more online class on Monday 20th December then taking some time off until early Jan. As soon as I have dates I'll post them here. 

Tuesday in-person classes will resume in Tooting on 11th January 2022. There is no class on 21st December.

121s are available by Zoom, Skype and in person at Mark's studio.

Caro's weekly Zoom Short Form class resumes 4th January.

Kevin Devine's Short Form class at Tooting Lido resumes in the New Year on 12th Jan.

There will hopefully be a 3 day mini intensive (sat-mon) in January or February, a great suggestion from Chris! If you are interested, drop a line to Mark so we can gauge numbers. 

I wish you all a peaceful and restorative Christmas and New Year.

Love Caro

Summer workshop begins this weekend

Dear friends, for those of you coming to the summer workshop, see you in Twickenham on Saturday at 2pm. If for any reason you don't have the address yet, drop me a text or email. I will post pictures as we go.

In other news, who knows how Covid will effect the plans for the Scottish autumn workshop? We won't know more for a while.

Short Form online classes with me resume 1st week September. 

Trinity Church Hall classes and Weds group classes with Mark resume early September. His Zoom classes will run during the summer, dates announced at each session, by arrangement. I will send out the invites as usual until Mark can take that over.

I am attempting to be on sabbatical, but you can email if you need to get in touch.

Love to you, if you are reading this. Have a good summer.

Caro.

Tooting Bec lido pavilion class with Kevin Devine

I have now been along to a couple of Kevin's Wednesday morning classes at Tooting Bec lido pavilion, where he has taken over the class I used to run after I moved back to Bournemouth. It is open to all and covers chi gung, short form and warm ups. Kevin is a great teacher and the classes are lots of fun. They run from 9-10am, just turn up at 8.55am and join in, no experience necessary. 

My Tuesday morning short form class by Zoom is still running all year, with only August off for holidays. Get in touch via www.greatrivertaichi.com if you'd like to join. We are up to 'Fair Lady Weaves at Shuttles'.

New lessons up on Dropbox and Tooting news

Today's Zoom lesson has everything done with the rear view, as though you were at class with me at the front, by request. Hope this is helpful. I have labelled rear view and today's date for ease of finding. 

Outdoor session yesterday was postponed by heavy rain, and I am away for the next two weeks. Two student shave offered their large back gardens which have side access, for us to have sessions on a Tuesday afternoon, when I am in Tooting anyway. So I will arrange this soon and plan provisionally to begin on 3rd November. More on that soon. 

If you are using the weekly Zoom class recordings, they are £5 each, whether live or recorded, as these are weekly ongoing classes with much prep by me re changing topics, progressing skills, new postures taught and questions answered. All our other resources are free to use / by discretionary contribution. Janet has asked for Mark and I to record a much slower film of the dance partnerwork, and solo parts. We will do that soon. Get in touch with other requests.

Tooting outdoor T'ai Chi meet up news

I have just uploaded today's lesson to the Dropbox for those studying Short Form, or those who would find it useful. Talking to the class, the problem of 'mirroring' or not mirroring is tricky, which way are we facing? and so on. These problems arise when we have not been able to consolidate things in person in class, by moving together as a group, and getting the forms in our body mind and muscle memory. It is important to remember how challenging it is to learn online something as rich and complex as T'ai Chi, and that you are all doing really well. It's good to get the body moving, and many of the benefits of T'ai Chi simply come from doing the movements, as best we can.

However, to help move things along here is a possibility. The lido pavilion is still not available for classes. Zumba is running outdoors at the pool, but rain is always possible, so it's not an option for me to regularly hire the outdoors space there on a Wednesday morning. However, I am now back in Tooting on Tuesday evenings to study and assist with my teacher. I could certainly spend an hour doing T'ai Chi in the park near the lido carpark. It would not be 'a lesson' (this is not allowed by the park authorities). However, we can do socially distanced T'ai Chi together, in our warm clothes. It would be great to see whoever came along, and for you to get the form back in your bodies. Then we could discuss ways forward to meet outdoors in person. Perhaps someone will have a suitable garden with a side entrance. I am sure something will turn up. Of course, as I am the opposite of a hard marketeer, I do not even have everyone's email addresses from class, being firmly of the 'if they want to come, they'll turn up' school of thought. So if you are reading this and know that old colleagues from the class are not in the Whatsapp or email list, please let people know about this blog post and the planned first meet up next week. All Mark's students are obviously very welcome too.

If no one turns up, I shall do a form, then head to my brother's for tea! Here's the details.

T'ai Chi Short Form informal meet up session 4-5pm, 13th October 2020, within sight of the lido carpark, wherever the ground feels not too boggy! It will run unless heavy rain falls. I will find a good spot... Wrap up warm, especially hats or ear-warmers, bring a flask of tea if you like! We'll make plans for future sessions and outdoor venue. Wear a mask if you like, we won't be touching and will keep 2m distanced. Any contributions will be entirely up to you. See you there!

London and online classes

I am back from the woods and looking forward to seeing folks at Mark's class tonight.

Tuesday class continues in Tooting, 7-9pm, with social distancing measures. Feel free to wear a mask too if you prefer. Hand gel is available and we have plenty of room to stay apart yet work together. It's really been great sticking together in our movements as a group. Sure, it doesn't make up for not being able to push hands and touch, but still it's great to outreach and work together like this. Class costs £15 / £10 concs.

Thursday class at Hampton Court 7-9.30pm is available but needs booking by phone or text in advance. If three people book the class can run. Get in touch with Mark to book it. Class costs £15.

121s are always available in person or on Skype with Mark. Cost by arrangement. 

The Wednesday morning Zoom Short Form class is open to all my or Mark's students. Just get in touch and I will send you the link by email and Whatsapp. The class is uploaded onto our Dropbox afterwards, so it can be used later. Either live or recorded, the weekly classes cost £5. I have just uploaded a lesson which includes warm-ups, chi kung set, 5 elements, front heart salutation and a full short form, File is called 'Zoom Short Form Lesson 2020 09 30'. There is minimal speaking and no teaching, so you may well find it a nice relaxing change! It is perfect for use as guided timing for an hour of solo or group short form level practice. If you download it for use with others, please let me know, as our videos are only for use within the schools.

Get in touch if you have any requests of this for Mark or myself to record. Thanks for your continued study, contributions for our teaching, and all round goodwill. See you soon. 

Marks classes resume in a week

We have checked with the Trinity Hall and Government guidelines and with hygiene and social distancing rules, T'ai Chi can indeed commence on Tuesday 22nd September at Trinity Church Large Hall in Tooting from 7-9pm. Please come promptly if you can, Class will cost £15 (if you need a concession just ask) paid each week rather than by term for now, due to possibility of sudden lockdown interfering with terms. In October if enough students have returned, classes will run 7-10pm, and then extend to their normal length in November or December.

Thursday class at the studio near Hampton Court resumes on Thursday 24th September 7-10pm and continues weekly. Class costs £15. To maintain correct gathering size, there are 5 spaces for students in each class. Please text Mark directly by Monday evening to book your space each week. Mark will conform your place by text.

121s are available with Mark in person and by Skype, just get in touch with him for details. If you don't have Mark's number, email me at caroline at great river taichi dot co dot uk and I will give it to you. 

The October workshop in Scotland should still be running this year, but we are awaiting updates as the Covid situation in Scotland is fluid. Keep an eye on this blog for updates.

All current students are welcome to Caroline's weekly 1hr Short Form class 9-10am Wednesdays live on Zoom, drop me a line for the link, £5 per session. This week's class has just been uploaded onto our Dropbox. Folks who can't attend at the scheduled time use it as a recording later. If you are using these lessons at whatever time, you can pay easily by Paypal or bank transfer. We do the warm up set, chi kung, salutations, five elements and form, looking at a new posture each week. 

Classes this autumn with Mark and Caroline

Mark is waiting to hear back from Trinity Church to see if classes can go ahead on a Tuesday night in Tooting again, and under what protocols. We should know very soon and will post here as soon as possible. 

121s with Mark resume next week and you can book one by calling and texting him direct. If you don't have his number, just drop me a line at caroline at greatrivertaichi dot co dot uk and I will send it to you. Small groups are also possible in Mark's T'ai Chi studio, which is easily kept clean and is not used by anyone else. If you are already meeting up with a couple of T'ai Chi friends, and would like to book a session for up to three of you to study together here, that's totally possible. Just get in touch. 

I will be moving home next week, so for the foreseeable will not be teaching 121s. The Tooting Lido Pavilion class is sadly still not resuming, as the space apparently does not meet the correct ventilation requirements (bizzare, as its huge doors and windows literally open onto the poolside). The space is currently being used for storage and pool staff so they can have socially distanced breaks. Perhaps after the public swimming season ends, and only SLSC members can use it, fewer staff will be present at one time and the venue can resume its movement classes and kids' events. I hope so. It was a lovely short form class. 

Meanwhile I will start teaching this class online again starting next Wednesday 2nd September 9-10am, as planned. All students of Mark and mine are welcome to join in this hour-long class comprising warmups, chi kung, Short Form and questions. We look at a new posture each week or two. We are at Golden Rooster stands on one Leg. The class costs £5 and is also available afterwards on the Dropbox for those who cannot attend at 9am. I hang out online for 15 mins afterwards for those who have any questions or who would like to catch up and chat. I can't tell you what room will be the background yet, but wifi gods allowing, it could be my new boat...

Aberdeenshire classes are subject to different rules, and the instructors will post here when they have details. Very best wishes to all who read this. Mark is doing really well and is almost completely recovered. Thanks for all the good wishes. Caro.

Today's lesson is now on Dropbox

Thanks to all who came along for the Zoom lesson today, it was great fun. We looked in more details at Wave Hands In Clouds. The video is uploading right now and will be on the school's Dropbox by 1pm. If you can't access Dropbox, just send me an email and I can send links to any files you need, including all the lessons so far. 

We both appreciate all your messages, emails and calls. It was nice to hear of the Aberdeenshire / Sweden Zoom meet up last weekend. I hope you all had a good session. 

I just did a morning practice outside by the boat after the class (and another cup of tea...) It was a first for me being watched for a whole short form by a pair of swans (Naughty Hinkleponkle and Landy). They seemed not at all bothered, but neither were they impressed, which is as it should be. As they'd been such peaceful onlookers, I rewarded them with Scottish rolled oats for breakfast, which they love, and are good for them. We basically have the same breakfast, but I prefer mine in a bowl rather than on the slipway. 

No definite news re the Summer workshop yet, until we know what the government says for the summer, we are leaving it open. The Scouts don't know either, so for now, although we know it might have to be cancelled due to ongoing social distancing measures, we will not yet make a final announcement. If it is cancelled, I hope to plan at least a weekend of outdoor T'ai Chi near here, where all the correct protocols can be easily followed. All we can say is, watch this space.

Much love and best wishes to all. Caro.

Some lockdown ward-off thoughts

Hi there, I have been keeping myself to myself except when I teach the Short Form class on Wednesday mornings. And all GR and GRTC students are very welcome to come along to that via Zoom, details to the right. Between looking after loved ones, making sure there is a livelihood to support us, and taking care of health needs, I have been quiet. Nature, family, art and community have been sustaining, as has T'ai Chi. I hope these have all been sources of goodness for you all too. 

Today I have been thinking much about security, and how people crave respite from uncertainty because they are so atomised. People outsource their uncertainty and it is suffered by others via the usual mechanisms of capitalism and colonialism we know well. Gated communities, 'othering' and scapegoating of low status people in almost all societies, cheap, low-welfare, overseas manufacturing... wherever I look, the main flow is not really money or goods but uncertainty and risk. Or rather, the experience of suffering this uncertainty. As the uncertainty remains, though occulted, and accrues, gaining interest as does capital. They are in fact two sides of the same shell. 

So I am asking myself the question, or perhaps have been for a long time now, am I willing to experience my own uncertainty, risk, insecurity-of-situation, and not foist it onto others, not fortify myself against it with misuse of religion, politics, money, goods, status or other shiny accretions of certainty? To answer yes to this, seems right now to be another way of saying one is a Taoist. Or maybe just a human. 'Things change, get over it', as they say.

Yet, there is more. The Taoists of old seemed a solitary lot, or sometimes grouped together in monasteries, but mainly because Buddhism was on the rise, and it was the way to survive as a Way in China at that time. Some of these schools succumbed to the quest for longevity, with their sometimes rather dubious 'immortality' energy techniques…  to me just another form of resisting uncertainty. The best old writings I find are by those who maintained their practice, humour and wayfaring, whether on a mountain or at home with the family, whether serving at court or drinking wine and playing lute with a friend on a boat. Thinking one has everything sewn up in a theory of everything would be my particular hue on this spectrum of uncertainty-avoidance, but menopause has deepened my colour a little, and reminded me in no uncertain terms about shit happening, as Covid has for others. Perhaps tech-culture's mistaking the map for the territory is a similar attempt at, I think at root is identical with - 'not dying just yet thankyou very much'. It is a great yet not uncommon irony to find Taoists who espouse change really hating it when it happens to us. 

In T'ai Chi we have a posture called in English 'ward-off'. At first glance it is a round shape in the arms, the legs and indeed the whole body eventually. It is the shape which best seems to absorb, distribute and transfer energy, blows, pushes, weight, etc, in action, leaving the best result, no harm done. However, the Chinese word for this 'peng' (pronounced usually 'bung'), doesn't mean 'to ward something off' at all. This is an English word for what the colonial chaps who first saw and described it thought they were looking at. They saw someone keeping something at bay. Ha! that tells you everything about them (and Britain at that time) and nothing about the real qualities of peng, which are lively, soft yet firm, round, elastic, yielding, a meeting place, relaxed, responsive, subtle, and when formed masterfully - almost imperceptible as a 'shape' at all. A non-T'ai Chi person watching our Grandmaster stand in 'ward-off' would have seen an old man just standing there in no particular stance. Reminding me of a favourite Taoist Classics line: 'What is looked at and cannot be seen is called the subtle'. Of course it is entirely possible that early Chinese T'ai Chi artists meeting westerners showed them some wooden-looking shapes just to get them to go away thinking they had stolen secrets. Who could blame them?

When I first learned ward-off it became part of my immaculate defences, for keeping the world at bay. But as John Kells wrote to me, 'We call this a living death.' To keep everything out is to die a little inside every day. Something had to give, to yield. 

There is an upright, flexible, turning, anti-fragile, open expanded way to be, that is helpful in dealing with change, yet not deflecting, denying or seeking to control it. This, in movement, takes many forms, T'ai Chi, butoh, parkour, certain improvisational methods, aikido, indeed many forms of natural movement... It exists in music, theatre, sport, craft, art, gardening... In the realm of words, actions, indeed living a life, there is also a way to have peng and to be yielding. 

But what is not spoken of so much in the Taoist Classics, or the T'ai Chi Classics, is the aspect of community and solidarity. There is much in the Tao of interspecies care and reciprocity, There are many great stories of Taoist and creatures, trees, rocks, whole mountains, in deep conversation and dialogue. But in popular culture 'Tao' it is obscured by the 'lone wanderer' veneration of Lao Tzu. It almost fits too well with the 'Atlas Shrugged' crew in Silicon Valley. Well, only a fraction of writings have been translated into English, and I am only versed in a fraction of those. But 'the principles are few, yet the permutations are endless'.

If I seek to assume responsibility for all my own uncertainty and risk and not farm it off to others, I need to become fully aware of my circumstances, privilege and the mechanisms of 'the world'. I need to discover and practice the inward and outward 'postures' (ways of being in the world and in the heart) that best nurture life, preserve the diversity of its flourishing, and see how utterly interconnected everything and everyone is. In contrast to the hyper-individualists out there and their toxic fortifications of self, I suggest that humans have always known best how to mitigate risk, provide balm for uncertainty and provide the rockpools and side-tributaries of relative safety so that we are not always buffeted like salmon swimming to spawn, fighting the current at all costs to do one important task.

Community. Solidarity. In families, sure, but wider, starting where we live, and where we spend our time (including online). These are the rock pools and side streams, where we can catch our breath, feed, shoal, school, rest, sleep. They are not where we can live our whole lives, as life is in the great river, and in the sea, and this life, as Helen Keller so rightly said, is an adventure, or nothing at all.  The rock pool is a great analogy though, as at some point the tide will cover it again, and return all still living to the wider sea. 

I see our schools as a rock pool and am heartily looking forward to meeting the other crabs, minnows, slugs, mussels and fish again. I am personally feeling quite nudibranch today.

Love to all, Caro x