The Dragon's Head Blog: Personal Stories – The Netherlands

Sitting on a chair doing my tai chi.

In mid-July I fell off my bike and broke my left knee. Suddenly my life came to a standstill and took another direction. My life changed from being a very active person to having the pace of a snail.

After Covid-19 arrived in The Netherlands in March I did my tai chi exercises and sets at home in the garden every day. But that was no longer possible with a brace on my left leg.

At first I did the set in my mind while lying on the bed. (What a job to keep my thoughts on what I was doing and to keep my focus.) Later I practiced the moves sitting on a chair. Fortunately I’d done the sitting set twice in our center in Helmond. After my fall, when I had no choice but to practice sitting on a chair at home, I became frustrated because I didn’t know exactly how to do it. By just doing it and repeating pieces over and over I figured it out. Now I feel even more rotation than I did when practicing while standing. And I don’t care anymore whether I do it right or not. It calms me down and I’m happy after I’ve done it. Moreover, I feel more inside now. Not that it always feels good. Sometimes it’s a mishmash in my abdomen and I would rather prefer not to feel it. By persevering day after day that might come into balance again and will hopefully resolve itself. Because of the tai chi I’ve something to offer my body and this way I’m helping myself in this period. I can feel more what is happening inside because I really have to do it alone without others around me.

Heartfelt greetings

Marianne from the Netherlands