{"id":3238,"date":"2011-06-14T00:04:29","date_gmt":"2011-06-14T04:04:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/yang-sheng.com\/?p=3238"},"modified":"2012-03-20T18:15:54","modified_gmt":"2012-03-20T22:15:54","slug":"the-gift-of-taiji","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yang-sheng.com\/?p=3238","title":{"rendered":"Experience Exchange – The Gift of Taiji"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Gift of Taiji<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

by David Foulk and Theresa Marolda<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Words alone cannot explain the way I feel about the practice of Taiji. \u00a0I call it a gift because Taiji changed my life at a time when I truly needed guidance for my own healing. Taiji is a gift that continues to give me wonderful opportunities to grow and heal every single day. \u00a0I am grateful for everything the practice of Taiji has brought into my life. \u00a0My wish is to pass along the gift of Taiji to others.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/a>If you had asked me about Taiji prior to 1986, I would not have been able to tell you anything about this wonderful meditative martial art. \u00a0I remember the day someone told me the practice of Taiji could make a difference in my life. I was not able to spell, nor pronounce the word correctly, but I was curious. \u00a0I wondered how something that sounded so simple could be so beneficial. \u00a0I decided to give it a try and my life has not been the same since I began to practice Taiji in 1986.<\/span><\/p>\n

The event that lead me to even consider practicing Taiji occurred the summer of 1982, when I suffered a traumatic brain injury. \u00a0I was stationed at an air force base in the Midwest and I frequently left base to ride my 650 Yamaha motorcycle. \u00a0I only wore my helmet to get off the military base and to get back on base. \u00a0Luckily for me, the accident happened on my return trip to base and I was wearing the helmet.<\/span><\/p>\n

The details of the accident are sketchy at best, and don\u2019t really matter at this point. \u00a0I was in a coma, broken both physically and emotionally. \u00a0I do remember making a conscious decision to continue my journey in this life; I wasn\u2019t ready to give up and die. \u00a0My initial recovery happened very slowly and with great physical and emotional effort. \u00a0I had to relearn how to do many things I once took for granted. \u00a0\u00a0I worked with many talented medical professionals when I was an inpatient, and my rehabilitation continued for a few years as an outpatient. \u00a0They helped put me back together the best way they knew how. Western medicine saved my life and Eastern medicine, including the practice of Taiji, allowed me to live a better life.<\/span><\/p>\n

I was working as a pool attendant at the League for the Handicapped the spring of 1986. \u00a0I had been a competitive swimmer when I was younger and I still enjoyed the water. \u00a0I was still a good swimmer, but I walked with a noticeable limp, my right arm was stiff with restricted movement, and my overall movements were generally spastic. \u00a0My physical movements were best when I was well rested; when I became fatigued, it was as if certain parts of my body were beyond my control. \u00a0It is an understatement when I say this infuriated me, made me feel insecure, and not very happy.\u00a0I also allowed my emotions about the situations I found myself dealing with, to control my behavior. \u00a0I was alive, but my mind and body were disconnected and working against each other.<\/span><\/p>\n

One day while working at the pool, I was approached by a woman who had been observing my movements in and out of the water. \u00a0She thought the practice of Taiji would help my balance and suggested I attend the class she was teaching. \u00a0I went to class once a week and nothing happened. \u00a0I didn\u2019t feel any change in my body and I had difficulty doing the movements that required balance. \u00a0I fell many times, so I began to use the wall to help me stay on my feet. \u00a0I continued to attend class, not because I was interested in learning Taiji, but because I was interested in the women in class.<\/span><\/p>\n

I practiced as best I could outside of class, trying to coordinate my breathing with the movements while maintaining my balance. \u00a0My movements were not graceful; however I began to feel a change taking place inside my body a few months after beginning Taiji. \u00a0\u00a0I remember feeling a sensation in my hands that was very unusual for me. \u00a0I was concerned that perhaps it was some latent issue related to my accident. \u00a0I questioned my teacher about it and she assured me I was fine and it was nothing to worry about.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/a>Gradually, I began to notice my balance was improving. \u00a0I didn\u2019t fall down as much and I was more in tune with my body. \u00a0My movements were still spastic, but even that was changing. I could feel an internal \u2018smoothness of movement\u2019 that over time resulted in more graceful physical movements. \u00a0I felt lighter, both physically and emotionally. \u00a0I was beginning a new and different cycle of healing, unlike any I had ever experienced. The practice of Taiji was truly making a difference in my life and I wanted more. \u00a0Family and friends also noticed the changes and encouraged me to continue whatever it was I was doing.<\/span><\/p>\n

I decided to become a more serious student of Taiji and Qigong. \u00a0I practiced wherever and whenever I could. \u00a0I also began to meditate daily and I continued to improve. \u00a0I began to think if Taiji and Qigong helped me, perhaps I could teach others what I had learned. \u00a0I decided to become an instructor. \u00a0I began to teach Taiji and Qigong to physically challenged and healthy individuals of all ages in 2001. \u00a0I have been blessed and humbled by the practice of Taiji and will be forever grateful for the gift of Taiji<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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[David Foulk<\/strong> of Mind\/Body Exercise, LLC continues to practice and teach Taiji at senior centers, assisted living facilities, and local schools in the Columbia, MD area. \u00a0He is also a certified level III Qigong instructor and Reiki Master.]<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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