Polishing the pearl

The in-person Tai Chi class I have been leading for the last 8+ weeks recently concluded, and we had a little celebration of tea and demonstrations in order to transition to what I call polishing the pearl.

In the wild, the pearl, as you may know, is the result of an oyster transforming an irritant over time. It takes an oyster about 1-2 years to transform the irritant into an iridescent pearl. Pearls come in many shapes, and not all are perfectly spherical. The wild gemstone quality pearls are rare and quite beautiful.

In essence, pearls are the result of the oyster’s body reacting to an invasive material by coating it with layer upon layer of a thick substance called nacre that solidifies around the irritant. In other words, pearls are pretty balls of hardened secretions that are a result of the oyster's defense mechanism. Imagine a little oyster defending itself by patiently adding layers to the irritant in order to render it harmless and to transform it into something beautiful and of great value.

Polish the pearl of your efforts

When you apply this imagery to Tai Chi, polishing the pearl is a story of patience and creating and recognizing value over time. The act of polishing the pearl is the process of moving into a new relationship with the form, the movements, and the practice. It is not just moving your body anymore, but bringing your mind and whole self to it. I tell students that the worst part of Tai Chi can be learning movements when you can get confused by the movements, forget movements, become puzzled by the transitions between movements, and maybe feel a sense of bewilderment in the process. Learning movement can be fussy and boring and even discouraging for some of us. In transforming the irritations and letting go self-consciousness, you are polishing the pearl.

Even as you are learning, you can start to polish the pearl and transform the irritations and frustrations of learning into the practice of infusing each step and gesture with life and breath. You can slow your mind down enough to pay attention and notice yourself and notice existence and its many layers. This is a kind of appreciation and acceptance. The practice becomes an art. When you do this, there is a letting go: you can let go of a sense of time and let go of ideas and pressures. It can feel like relief and freedom. The movements can then become beautiful and fully animated by your life force.

Practicing with others can feel especially transformative and magical when you get together to talk, have tea, and then move silently as you play Tai Chi together. A shared experience of polishing the pearl with others can be uplifting and healing.

Then, maybe it becomes possible to polish the pearl with just about any irritant that comes your way: take it in, defend yourself from it as necessary, render it harmless. Render it beautiful. Make it meaningful.