Return to Stillness: Twenty Years with a Tai Chi Master

by Trevor Carolan

Trevor Carolan studied Tai Chi, meditation, and traditional Chinese healing for twenty-three years under the guidance of the late Master Ng Ching-Por in Vancouver’s Chinatown. Over his many years of practice and learning, Carolan absorbed the wisdom that comes from studying so closely with a master teacher. Now, in Return to Stillness , he offers what the Japanese call "palm of the hand" thirty brief chapters that explore the essential motivations that inspired him to adopt the path of Tai Chi and persevere in its practice. By connecting the spiritual aspects of Tai Chi to its technical and martial elements like breathing, dealing with frustration and competetive urges, and then ultimately to its roots in the great harmony of the Tao, Carolan gracefully conveys the insight, humor, life lessons, and wisdom inherent in the study of this ancient discipline.

Genres: Spirituality, Philosophy, Nonfiction, Martial Arts

256 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2003

About the author

Trevor Carolan(born 1951) is a Canadian writer. He has published 16 books of non-fiction, poetry, fiction, translations and anthologies.

Reviews

[Jo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I would have enjoyed this a lot more if I'd read it while I was still taking Tai Chi in college. Maybe it would have encouraged me to find a place to keep going after I graduated. But I didn't do either, so now, it mostly made me feel that I've missed out.

Oh, well.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got interested in this book due to my recent involvement (beginning December 2011) in studying tai chi.

This is not a tai chi "how to" book nor a history of the art; it is more a collection of short anecdotal stories about the author's 23 years of study with a beloved tai chi instructor. It does discuss some of the basic lessons of Taoism and how those basics can be applied to both tai chi and everyday life. I have found many of the stories amusing as well as educational.

Chapters are fairly short; it's a great book to just read for 5 minutes or so, finish another chapter, and then sit back and think for a bit on what was said.

[Mary Stanger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found it an interesting read, because I've started Tai Chi earlier this year.