T'AI CHI

I am an ibis,

Slow, deliberate, stealthy,

Aloft without wings.

I recently took up the martial

art of T'ai Chi for all sorts of

reasons. It appealed to me

primarily because of the slow,

choreographed movements, the

stretching and balancing and

the emphasis on all things "core".

What I discovered is that T'ai

Chi is a blower of minds. At least

my mind. It is rather like attempting

to pat your head while rubbing your

tummy and balancing on one foot; call

it an asymmetrical workout where

disparate body parts undulate and

weave around each other in an ultimate

dance of unity. Tai Chi's literal translation

is "Supreme Ultimate Fist", and is

considered an internal Chinese martial

art practiced both for its applicability in

defense training and its health benefits.

The slow, deliberate and graceful movements

take their cue from the natural world with

bird mimicry paramount. I am now a kindred

spirit with the Ibis, one of my favorite birds.

If only I could fly.