For many years my Tai Chi instructor, master Fong Ha,   in his many work shops, retreats, and various talks has said: "Just don't fall down". In the beginning I never really appreciated what he meant by that. I always thought that it was too simplistic but I never said anything because, who was I to question a great master. In time and with much instruction, practice, and patience I was able to start understanding the principles of Tai Chi and Yiquan. I took the long way around, the difficult path, because I didn't stop to think more about that phrase, "Just don't fall down".

   What does it take to "Just don't fall down":   Well, to start with you must keep your balance under all circumstances, so if you start to slip, trip, slide, whatever, you can remain upright. But how do you do that? If you think about your balance 24-7 it won't help if you start losing it. You must be aware of your balance, not just think about, but feel it. Start with Zhan Zhuang (standing meditation) and go inward. Feel what is going on internally. When you get so engrossed with the internal movement of your body, time flies. This is called Flow. Now you're ready for Tai Chi walking. You must meditate in your most unusual walking pattern. You learn to feel your center of gravity totally in one leg and then very, very slowly move it into the other leg. It is like sand drifting down when you reverse your hour glass. The sand doesn't just all drop at once. It slowly drops a grain at a time. A very distinct feeling. When you learn to feel every millimeter (or less) of the movement, time flies. This is Flow!

   Now you are ready for Tai Chi Quan.  Now you must feel your balance as you go through each of the postures. The first 6 postures give you great hope for a fast Eureka moment but that quickly disappears when you get to the one legged postures. But eventually time slows down and then there are no postures, only a start and a stop. This is truly meditation in motion and the feeling is incredible. Sometimes I have looked back and wished I had understood, "Just don't fall down". But now I have come to realize that it is the journey not the destination that makes it all worthwhile.