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Poets are simply those who have made a profession and lifestyle of being in touch with their bliss. - Joseph Campbell
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The Passing of Floyd Patterson
Although saddened to read in the New York Times that Floyd Patterson, the boxing Champion of the 1950s and ‘60s died on May 11, 2006, I felt inspired as I recalled a chance encounter I had with this remarkable man 20 years ago.
I was enjoying summer in the Hudson River Valley, living and working at the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies. The day I met Mr. Patterson I was running some errands, and lost sight of the main road as I explored some of the neighborhoods in Kingston.
Meeting a Remarkable Man
As I decided to find my way back to the main road I saw a man up ahead, walking around in front of his house. I pulled up slowly and asked him for directions back to the highway. Then spontaneously I heard myself blurt out with astonishment: “You’re Floyd Patterson!” I felt my head bow slightly as I offered my hand to him in friendship and recognition — but on the inside, my ‘Being’ was focused on making physical contact with this man.
When I’m open I can receive.
I was completely surprised that I recognized him because I didn’t really know what Floyd Patterson looked like, nor did I know anything other than he was a ‘king’ in the pantheon of champion boxers, though one that had come and gone before my time. (I didn’t come of age until Cassius Clay – soon to become Mohammed Ali – fought Sonny Liston).
‘Chi’ is a concept only understood as a feeling.
The Transmission
With the slightly regal look of someone who at one time was recognized the world over, combined with a humble appreciation of being so well received decades past his prime, Mr. Patterson graciously wrapped his hand around mine. I felt my average-sized hand ensconced in his warm, soft grip. It felt like a mother’s hand, gently pulsing with tenderness; ironically, a hand that had battered and pummeled many an adversary into submission as he plied his warrior craft in the boxing ring. And then he pointed me in the right direction and I drove off, feeling exhilarated, calm, and fulfilled. I’ve recalled this meeting several times over the years, and each time I do, I re-feel the transmission of ‘Chi’ I ‘received’ from him.
Open To Receive
This meeting/feeling was a milestone experience for me in that I felt ‘first hand’ the Chi or ‘Life Force’ of this Master of the Warrior Tradition. After many years of my own practice of Aikido and Tai Chi, I now know that this transfer of Chi was able to happen because I was open to receiving it; not that I decided at that moment that there was something for me to ‘take’; rather I was ready, able, and willing through an ongoing commitment I made to this ‘growth process.’ So, like a wireless computer that recognizes any ‘transmitter’ in its range, the Chi that Mr. Patterson emitted naturally passed into me, and because I cherish that feeling it nourishes and guides me to this day.
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Tai Chi Garden High
I’ve always enjoyed the relaxing, ‘endorphic’ effect of physical exercise. Along my way I’ve immersed myself in different aspects of physical culture: ranging from traditional sports in my youth, and as a young adult, aerobic running, swimming, and cycling; along with intense practice of the martial art of Aikido, which gradually mellowed into the smooth, buoyant dance of Tai Chi Chuan.
Tai Chi for Gardeners grows a healthy body, mind, and spirit.
Now, at the ‘mid-century mark of my life, I marvel at the evolutionary flow that carried me along the continuum from body-centered, to body-mind awareness, to a consciousness of body-mind-spirit. And as a Master Gardener friend keeps reminding, “It just keeps getting better”: For me it’s the personal discovery of a more expansive body-mind-spirit experience that I call ‘Tai Ch for Gardeners.”
A Unique Way to Relieve Stress & Tension
When I used to run, swim, and cycle, I always felt calm and relaxed when I was done, but as I waded back into the ‘daily grind,’ stress and tension muscled their way back into my body and mind, which over time had a dis-spiriting effect. And as new stress and tension began to replace the batch I had just ‘worked out,’ all I had was the memory of knowing that I could get relief by ‘working it out’ it again.
Tai Chi for Gardeners is unique in that after the euphoric feeling that comes from grounding excess mental activity, and loosening tension-wound knots in my body, I have so much more than what the conventional ‘work out’ offers: I have a beautiful garden that continues to lift my spirit and inspires me to come back for more.
Contact Michael — (206) 842-6936 or — to find out how Tai Chi for Gardeners can benefit you.
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Good Morning Garden
It was a beautiful cool-in-the-shade, warm-in-the-sun day; I gathered in the Chi and began the Tai Chi gardening process called ‘grounding’: working in the soil of Life — rolling and crushing Autumn leaves between my palms — Winter blanket/Summer mulch — greeting elders from seasons prior and their new growth.
It was a good morning after all, thanks to my good morning garden.
Several hours of Tai Chi gardening later I felt that soothing, ‘worked-out’ feeling that comes after culling and composting the work-week’s stress from body and mind. And that night, pleasantly fatigued, I went to sleep. But just as freshly loosened soil is good for the plants growing in it, it may not be so good for the creatures who are now more easily gotten to by birds looking for an easy meal. Sometimes my unintentional thoughts behave like those birds.
Before drifting into sleep I thought I’d have pleasant dreams, but that wasn’t the case; I woke up the next morning feeling uneasy. “Oh well ...” I said to myself with resignation as I stepped outside on my way to work, but then ... in an instant! I felt it: the freshness of the garden air on my face, the coolness of its ‘Chi’ in my lungs, and the mellifluous chirping of the birds ... and all of a sudden! I felt good: It was a ‘good morning’ after all, thanks to my ‘good morning’ garden.
Gathering in the Chi is a refreshing Chi Kung exercise that connects the body, mind, and breath in way that let’s you feel the subtle energy that keeps you alive.
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