People Need People

I had reached the end of my lessons and upon reflecting I can say that I have thoroughly enjoyed this whole experience.  I am 100% sure that if I had wanted to gain a better understanding about Tai Chi or even its cultural implications I could have conducted some research, done some reading and most likely come to similar conclusions.  Though I would have missed the hands-on experience, essentially the human experience of gaining knowledge.  I would have missed the sights, the sounds, the smells and emotions of immersing myself in this group to ultimately get a clearer understanding of what makes it so special.  Of why it is a thing.

The 5 elements of Qi Gong relating to the Diurnal Qi
Flow, or Chinese Clock

Looking back at my fieldwork and participation, I view it as an integral step in deciphering why, exactly, it was a thing.  I never would have realized the irresistible and consuming features of the culture.  It gathers a group of older participants at 7 am in the morning, come rain or shine or Canadian blizzard because it turns out, that people need people.  The feeling I had described earlier about how at times it felt as if everyone’s energy was being summated, was not only therapeutic but actually created a sense of belonging to a group.  Being integrated into a specific niche.  The culture of Tai Chi allows for the formation of a community.  You see repeat offenders and get to know people, and get to move with people without the need for verbal communication.  I think this is an increasingly important factor because in this day and age, we are being bombarded with communication, advertisements and social media.  Noise pollution, and it seeps into our minds!  The younger generations that are born into this environment are adept and are therefore thriving, basking in its glory.  However, the older generation which is now increasingly being forced to adapt or die, is dying – a social death; moreover it is being marginalized from the rest of society.  Through the amount of communication, emotionally, and physically segregated.  The “past date of expiration” sticker unfortunately has been metaphorically applied.  Older individuals are thus disconnected from the rest of society, and people in general.  They are being warded off into palliative care facilities in the masses.  No wonder Tai Chi gained popularity with this specific group of people; it was a way they could reintegrate themselves with people!  Regain some form of social status, a sense of identity and feel as if they still have got more to give and are not coasting their way out.  

This was the “strong sense of empowerment” vibe that I got in the actual participation in Tai Chi culture.  There is no way I could have gotten the same vibes being crumpled up, laptop in hand, hidden away in my room, conducting a peer-reviewed journal search.  No way!  I am pleased with my findings and the ethnographic methods taken to reach conclusions, as they have showed me that becoming a member of a community can give you great insight that quantitative research simply can’t give you.  Talk is cheap but experiences are rich.  To whomever has stumbled upon this blog, I hope you can gain from my experiences, and if anything, that I have imparted onto you that experiential participation can be very rewarding to your curiosity as well as to your academic endeavors.