Tuesdays with Morrie

Mike Kornely June 2025

            Several years ago there was a popular book that touched a lot of people. It’s called “Tuesdays with Morrie”, by Mitch Albom. It is about a retired professor and his struggle with Lou Gehrig's Disease, told by former students who reconnected with him and rekindled their relationship.

            One of my favorite things about Morrie was how Morrie would go dancing by himself every Friday night. In the book we learn Morrie's wife didn't like to dance. So Morrie would go to some club near his university and dance. It's funny to think of this old man dancing away in a crowd of college students.

            It takes courage to do what Morrie did. But it’s not hard to understand why. The dance floor is a place where you can feel free to move as you please, enjoy the moment, free of cares, surrounded by people, enjoying life. In qigong class, although there are ‘set’ movements, we call this feeling the qigong state.

            The first class I took with Teacher Li, he began teaching a movement. We did it a few times. Apparently were all very serious. He raised his face to an imaginary sun and a big smile warmed him with true pleasure and we all laughed and relaxed. He said, "Smile, enjoy the movement, enjoy your life." And then he continued to teach the movement.

            Most qigong movements are deceptively easy to learn. Because there is nothing to the learning of the movement, we might think there is nothing to the movement itself. But then the movements start working their magic. We say they clear the pathways for qi in us. Soon we are moving a lot more freely. The qi massages our body and warms our spirit. When we let it, qi dances in us. You can practice the same form for years and years, and always find something new in the movements, something new in you. Though simple, the movements are endlessly deep, endlessly amazing.

            I don't always have the guts to go out dancing like Morrie. So, I'm glad I've learned a little qigong. It makes me happy, just like dancing. Plus, you can do it any time, and you don't have to leave your house.