Master Jeff

Last night a woman who I admire very much came to my yoga class. I have done Reiki on her with Jan and she is just one of the most amazing people you would ever meet. I have been intrigued by her for a while, she just has such light about her. So needless to say, when she walked in the door I was pretty excited and grateful for the opportunity to get to know her a little better. After the class, we were chatting and the subject of Tai Chi came up. Turns out that she took Tai Chi from my master Jeff! She knew him quite well, we must have passed each other many times since it was around the same time. Of course, she is so sweet, when I said, "Maybe we were in the same class!" She said with a very sweet smile, "oh no Linda, I would have remembered you." I love this lady.

In reminiscing about the class, I got to thinking what an impact Master Jeff has had on my life. He was the very first truly spiritual man I had ever met. I had never heard of the Tao or knew anything about Buddhism or any eastern philosophy before I met him. He studied in Taiwan under a great Master. He knew so much. He was a great teacher, just the right amount of detachment and attachment. He knew when to be firm and when to back off. He introduced a whole new world to me. He would wink at me and say, "I'm going to teach you the physical but I know some of you would like the magical mystery tour so I'll teach you that too." I loved him, absolutely worshipped the ground he walked on. His voice rings in my head to this day, his touch, his gentle wisdom. He was that once in a lifetime teacher that some of us are lucky enough to stumble across that you realize is one of the main reasons you are who you are today.

Tai Chi is very beautiful and very frustrating. Especially if you are as type A as I was when I found him. Believe it or not, I used to work about 70 hours a week as a Operations Manager for a Mortgage Broker. High stress, fast paced, hit the ground running butt kisser. I worked on the high end builder accounts, had about 30 employees to oversee and train and set up new offices, computers, million dollar deals and schmoozed with the big boys on a regular basis. I was 27 years old, diagnosed with a bleeding ulcer, and had doctors prescribe tranquilizers and codeine for the migraines. I was the youngest officer the company had ever had. I made a ton of money. I was also on the verge of a divorce and a nervous breakdown. Crazy.

The very first class I ever went to, I asked some inane question and Jeff said, "so, can you talk with your shoulders away from your ears or is that brick a permanent fixture?" I had no clue what he was talking about. He came over and smoothed my shoulders down and it actually HURT to relax. I spent many, many months just trying to get the shoulders down, the more I "tried" the worse it got. Month after month I get one area to finally smooth, only for him to identify another. It was maddening. And it saved my life. I would confront him, "maybe some people just aren't meant to do Tai Chi, maybe it's just for old people, maybe the world needs tense people, and so on". He would smile. And he would start doing the postures. And he would say, "well, then why are you here?" Why indeed.....

I stayed with him for 3 years. Twice a week, every week. Quit my job, rearranged my world, owned my life. Studied, studied, studied, read everything I could get my hands on, became a Taoist, learned to breathe and relax. Towards the end of my classes, Jeff was having a really hard time with the "Y", he would come in so frustrated and so sad, I just couldn't take it. I didn't know that I was an empath then, I only knew that I would come out of his classes angry and upset, not knowing that it was his frustration I was picking up on and not knowing how to clear it. Mary told me that he finally gave up about a year after I left. I tried to find another teacher, and years later, tried to find him again to no avail. Went on to yoga and was blessed with another mentor but I have always thought of him in everything I do. I could not teach yoga if I hadn't learned Tai Chi.

I am so grateful for Jeff's presence in my life. Have you ever had a teacher like that? One that just quietly changed everything you ever knew to be true and helped you find the answers that were best for you? What a great spirit he has. I wish him the best that this world has to offer, he brought so much to all he did. Namaste' Master Jeff and Thank You!