Tai chi athleticism

How can someone who is debilitated, with difficulty walking and maintaining balance, write about tai chi athleticism? Ridciulous! Delusional! Perhaps.

The challenge and grace of MS/Tai Chi is the ordinary/extraordinary way in which incremental MS deficits initiate tai chi adjustments. The adjustments make tai chi more athletic in the sense of greater awareness and control of my body. Today's practice was graced by a degree of control over my scapula and back muscles -- coordinating the drop in the lower abdomen (dantien) with the drop in the scapula resulting a greater degree of stability especially in one-legged movements. I measure my improvements in small degrees within my MS delimited range of motion.

I suspect athletes naturally have the basic awareness and accompanying muscular control -- enough so that it can be developed to a greater degree. Having MS and doing tai chi does not make me an an athlete but does put me on the athlete's path, a novel experience punctuated with serendipity as well moments that disturb the Wa.