This morning in class we did the first third of the form, very quickly, what I call a fast form. It allows you to feel dynamic movement and application.

I’ve done my form, from time to time, at a pace that takes me an hour. I call that my ‘Turtle Form’. The experience of that is interesting. My State of Mind absolutely shifts if I don’t get tense, moving that slowly. But if, during my Turtle Form, I truly achieve paying close attention internally, let go, and open up at the same time, it changes my state of mind to a state where everything around me is pure energy. There is no distinction between me and my surroundings.

There are all kinds of ways that you can play with practicing. You can put on some wonderful calming, melodic music. I’ve even done my form to Michael Jackson’s Thriller so I can feel the application/punchiness of the form. How about… with eyes closed; teach yourself how to do it on the other side; coordinate the movements with your breath; perform it without your arms and hands and concentrate on your footwork and foundation; visualizing your movements as if you were doing it – or voyeur, watching yourself doing the ‘perfect’ form; etc.

I don’t necessarily advise you to do a Turtle Form often just like I don’t advise you to do your form on both sides of your body equally, because it can confuse the senses. But you have a lot to play with at the stage where Tai Chi has become a part of your lifestyle. So, allow yourself to play.

One thing, however… Maggie Newman, one of my Tai Chi mentors from the 1970s, was really very strong with me about not depending on the extracurricular experiences – as Tai Chi is a moving meditation and NOT little tricky, fun, funny things… you know? To remember that if I were practicing sitting meditation, I wouldn’t be doing any of that except maybe paying attention to my breath. And so, I don’t depend on play as THE experience, but I also allow myself the pleasure of playing.

Photo of me taken by: Ken Florendo – sometime in the 1970s in Brooklyn Botanical Gardens