Sunflowers are amazing flowers and over the last couple of months, RMTC students have enjoyed watching them grow from seeds. We were very excited when we saw the first signs of a seedling pop through the earth, then as they grew taller and formed buds our patience and care were aptly rewarded with gorgeous yellow flowers.
Young sunflowers track the sun (known as heliotropism). A young sunflower’s face follows the sun from sunrise to sunset every day. At sunrise, sunflowers face east to greet the first rays and continue to move with the sun until it sets in the west. Overnight, the sunflower head swings back around so it faces east at dawn. Sunflowers only move until the flower bud opens. Once they are at full bloom, they stop their daily dance and permanently face east.
There is an obvious analogy of the planting of seeds with learning Tai Chi:
Once the seed is planted, it requires consistent care and patience to grow — just like learning Tai Chi, where regular practice and mindful attention are essential for progress.
Seeing the first signs of growth from seed to seedling brings excitement and encouragement - similar to improvements in our Tai Chi giving us motivation to continue practicing
Each plant grows at its own pace, just as each person’s understanding and skills in Tai Chi progress differently.
The reality of growth rate may not always match our initial expectations, but each step forward is progress
We take pride in the flowers that bloom, much like celebrating our achievements in Tai Chi
There is joy in witnessing each other’s growth and sharing in the journey together
We learn to accept that not all plants — or practitioners — will flourish at the same rate, and that’s okay
Every plant, like every Tai Chi practitioner, is unique, each developing and growing in our unique way
And did you guess? RMTC students are my sunflowers!
