A visit

Richard Druitt and his lady Andrea (Andy), who is Canadian, visited yesterday. Richard is an old student of John's - I think he started Tai Chi pretty much the same time as me - and lives in Puerto Rico where he teaches Tai Chi and Chi Kung. He is in England to spend time with his ailing parents and teach workshops. It was good to see the two of them. Richard is the sweetest and most well-mannered man you could meet with one of those beautiful public school accents that caresses as it talks; you get the feeling he has never thought ill of anyone. We tried to impart some of the basics of Heartwork to him, and it was remarkable how after just 20 minutes he was connecting far better than he had been. I was struck by the unfortunate fact that Tai Chi makes no effort at all to connect to others: it simply assumes that the other is connecting to you and slyly and rather meanly makes use of that to gain an advantage. No open heart: no vulnerability. However, that winge aside, what I really wanted to say was that as John was taking Richard through the simple figure of eight exercise, Andy, who was sitting watching, started to make the same movements and as she did I could feel my own heart energy begin to heave and stir in sympathy. This doesn't usually happen when I watch others do their stuff so I was instantly alerted to her natural talent. John then asked me to do a little partner work with her and within 10 seconds she was throwing me around like a ragdoll. She was able to do this not because she was expert in technique but because she naturally connected to me with her heart. I had the feeling that she knew all about me before our bodies met - her compassion had reached out sufficiently to find out. After all, that sort of information is hardly secret and is available to all with the heart to be interested. I was delighted. Delighted for her but also delighted that yet again I had been shown that prowess in Heartwork has nothing to do with physical strength or expertise and eveything to do with one's ability to open up and connect to others. Andy was a quiet and soft woman with a relaxed and natural demeanour: she made no ostensible effort to get to know me, she only said hello and smiled, and yet she knew, instantly.