Return to Stillness: Twenty Years with a Tai Chi Master

This is not a book of Tai Chi technique(s). It does not claim to be one, however. This is a book describing the experiences of a long time practitioner of Tai Chi. It has made me want to study the art.

I loved this book! The timeless wisdom passed on from Trevor Carolan's Sifu is priceless. Wisdom so simple, sincere, applicable to our lives, our efforts to "play Tai Chi", and our efforts to be more compassionate. From this book, I took 3 pages of notes for my personal improvement. One can practice the mechanics of Tai Chi, but to embody the "spirit" of Tai Chi is more difficult. "Return to Stillness" captures the essence of pure Tai Chi.

This beautifully poetic book is an account of Sifu Carolan's twenty-year experience with his Tai Chi Master, leavened with many illuminating tales. There is no direct instruction in the Tai Chi form, but for all that, it teaches in its own quiet way. Exactly as good teachers have always done, it is not just a matter of understanding how to do certain movements; it is understanding the "Why" of doing them. This is a book that could be enjoyed by anyone starting to learn the basics of the marvelous arts of Tai Chi and Qigong, and re-read again as you begin to move beyond the basic movements. I have read a lot of books about Tai Chi and Qigong, and have had the privilege of studying with some outstanding teachers. Years ago, while visiting Malaysia and working with two Tai Chi Masters, I was astonished to discover how many of the old secrets had been forgotten during the various Chinese diasporas. Forgotten but not lost. This book captures an essence that you will find in very few places. For that Trevor Carolan deserves our thanks, and anybody interested in the "soft" martial arts will find much to learn in the simple stories that the book contains.

This is not a how-to book. The author, through stories about his experience with his Tai Chi Master, does an excellent job of explaining the Why, if not the What of Tai Chi. Through reading his vivid and elloquent (almost poetic) prose one senses what the practice means to the author and gets a great appreciation for it. This is not a martial arts book. Or a self defense, philosophy, or religion book. This book, like Tai Chi itself, is best understood through the experience. It is a series of vignettes that brings the reader as close as possible to understanding the marrow of Tai Chi. A great feat, indeed.