When we look at Taoist thought in Tai Chi, sometimes we must look back to see where we are going or to progress. Nature moves in the patterns of days and seasons. Tai Chi forms reflect the cycles of repetition and change.
Tai Chi forms travel side to side as well as back and forth in their patterns. Forms close/end in the spot they commenced. We return where we began, but differently.
Yang 24 begins with 3 Parting Wild Horses’ Mane, and then repetitions of Brush Knee, which is followed by stepping backwards 4 times. TCA has Cloud Hands one direction and then the other. What have we learned by going one direction and then the other? Notice how it may feel different in one side of your body than the other. Have your thoughts or perceptions changed?
Have you gained new insight about your body, yourself, your life, or the form?
Deng Ming-Dao says,
“If all of life is cyclical, you’ll inevitably end up at the beginning of a cycle again. These completions sometimes take decades, so patience and observation are helpful. If life seems to take you back somewhere, then go with great interest. There is a secret there, an answer, an ending to one story and a beginning of another.”