The Little Woman and The Magic
A true fairy tale by Mary Hotchkins
Once upon a time, in the deep dark woods, there lived a little woman. Her house was beside a lake that was so beautiful she would gaze in wonder for hours at a time. The only thing that would spoil her contentment was her very sore feet.
One day the little woman came out of her woods and into town to see the Magician about her sore feet. The Magician said, "You have arthritis in your feet. Take these pills and they will make your feet better."
And they did, for a while. Then the little woman met the Tai Chi Fairy who said "Come with me to learn Taoist Tai Chi and it will make your feet feel better." So the little woman learned to do Tai Chi. However it didn't make her feet feel better, it made her feet feel WORSE. But, the little woman kept doing Tai Chi because she really enjoyed it.
Time passed and the little woman went back to see the Magician. She said "These pills don't work anymore." The Magician said "I will give you some magic pills and they will make your feet feel better."
And they did, for a while. But the Tai Chi Fairy said "Keep doing Tai Chi and it will make your feet feel better." So the little woman kept doing Tai Chi.
Time passed and the little woman went back to see the Magician. She said "These pills don't work anymore."
The Magician said "I will give you some pills with the most Magic. However, they will also do nasty things. These are my nasty magic pills and they will make you feel better and worse, all at the same time. Take two pills every day and they will make your feet feel better."
And they did, for a while. But they also did nasty things and as a result the little woman felt better and worse all at the same time.
But the Tai Chi Fairy said "Keep doing Tai Chi and it will make your feet feel better." So the little woman kept doing Tai Chi.
Time passed and the little woman went back to see the Magician and said "These pills help my feet, but they are really nasty." The Magician said "Take only one pill per day and the magic will stay and the nasty will go away."
But the Tai Chi Fairy said "Keep doing Tai Chi and it will make your feet feel better." So that is what the little woman did, yet the nasty did not go away. But the Tai Chi Fairy said "Keep doing your Tai Chi and it will make your feet feel better." So the little woman kept doing her Tai Chi.
Time passed and sometimes the little woman would forget to take her magic pill and her feet still felt better. The little woman decided not to take the nasty magic pills anymore and her feet still felt better.
She went back to the Magician and said "I don’t need these nasty magic pills anymore because my feet feel better." And the Magician said "There is so much magic in these pills you don't have to take them. You just have to keep them near you."
But the little woman said "No, the magic is not in the pills. The Magic is in Tai Chi."
Our Tai Chi story archive:
- January 2012 - 25th Anniversary
- December 2011 - Susan Casey
- November 2011 - Carol McCready
- October 2011 - Wendy Annand
Learn by doing is the best way to learn.
Do you have stress in your life?
The regular practice of the Taoist Tai Chi™ arts, a form of moving meditation, is both a health-promoting exercise and an incredible stress reliever for both body and mind.
Taoist Tai Chi™ takes a holistic approach to good health. Incorporating the 108-move Tai Chi set, the ensemble of arts that we practice can bring a wide range of health benefits to the muscular, skeletal and circulatory systems, with a soothing effect on the mind. In the hectic pace of today's society, that's a balance that can benefit us all.
Getting started is easy.
Our form of Tai Chi is specifically designed to improve health. The significant degree of turning and stretching in each of the movements contributes to better balance and posture, increased strength and flexibility, calmness, and peace of mind.
Beginner classes are offered regularly in local areas. Attend one of our community demos or a free introductory session and you'll see people of all ages benefiting from the healing movements of this ancient art form.
Everyone is welcome.
In some areas, we offer "health recovery programs," which are specialized classes for people with chronic illnesses or those recovering from injuries. These arts have proven very effective as complementary therapy in aiding and speeding recovery. Movements can be adapted for people with reduced mobility.
Most people can do the Tai Chi set regardless of handicaps or ailments. In fact, many conditions have been shown to improve with the regular practice of the set, including conditions such as:
- Poor circulation
- High blood pressure
- Arthritis
- Back pain
- Joint immobility
- Respiratory problems
- Digestive disorders
- Parkinson's disease
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Fibromyalgia
Quick links
- Taoist Tai Chi Society (A registered charitable organization)
- Find classes in over 25 countries
- Official blog, International Taoist Tai Chi Society
- Healing stories
- For more information on classes in Lunenburg, Bridgewater and Liverpool, Nova Scotia, call Mary at 543-2841.
Aims & objectives
- To make the Taoist Tai Chi™ internal arts of health available to all.
- To promote the health-improving qualities of the Taoist Tai Chi™ arts.
- To promote cultural exchange
- To help others
History in brief
When did Tai Chi begin? No one is certain. But scholars trace its origins to the 11th century and a Chinese monk named Chang San-feng who is reported to have lived for 200 years. His longevity was largely attributed to his philosophy for living - integrating a healthy body and mind.
Nine centuries later, Master Moy Lin-shin was inspired to share his own cultivation of that philosophy with others around the world. And so he founded the International Taoist Tai Chi Society. Master Moy's teachings combine an extensive knowledge of the Taoist classics with training he received as a young man from teachers in China and Hong Kong.
Tai Chi in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia - there are also classes in Chester, Bridgewater, Liverpool and beyond.
(Ellen Agger photo)
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