Do
less to achieve more.
This is the
mantra by which West Chester University’s Professor Mitch Goldfarb lives. Surprisingly though, he is anything but
lazy. Goldfarb wears many hats, and
could be considered a master of many trades.
He is a music
producer and songwriter. A professor of
T’ai Chi Chuan in the Kinesiology department of West Chester University, and some
semesters, a professor of music at Immaculata University. He is a website and e-commerce marketer and
designer. A photographer. A writer.
A husband, father, and grandfather.
But it is his
Tai Chi practice and teaching that informs the rest of his life and career. The art of Tai Chi is a soft martial art from
China that focuses on meditation, internal strength, and wellness of the mind,
body, and spirit.
Goldfarb
practices the Short Yang form, introduced by Chinese scholar and professor,
Cheng Man-Ching. Goldfarb began
practicing in 1997, upon reading a book in which a character experienced
life-altering results from practicing Tai Chi.
“In
Tai Chi, we celebrate laziness,” says Goldfarb, a small middle-aged man, as his
eyes gleam beneath wire-rimmed spectacles.
“It’s about seeing where we can let go, and learning where we’re doing
too much.”
Tai Chi is a
spiritual practice not only for its meditative qualities, but for its Taoist
philosophy, which promotes the idea that chi,
or life force, runs through each of us and can be awakened or depleted. Tai Chi aims to replenish this chi through slow and deliberate
movements, and to bring awareness into the body.
Goldfarb
strongly believes that when we are aware of our bodies and minds and we work in
harmony with our surroundings, work becomes effortless. This lends an explanation as to how he
maintains his geniality and enthusiasm for life, even in the midst of his busy
schedule. Pursuing his passions,
Goldfarb genuinely enjoys his busy work schedule.
“I love
everything I’m doing,” he says, and his tone softens. “That’s really been the blessing of my
journey. I keep doing stuff to feel
good, and it makes the phrase ‘without effort’ ring true. If you are engaged, it’s not effortful.”
“Mitch
understands the secret,” Goldfarb’s student Randy Johnson says. “He’s discovered how to live life, and I wish
I could internalize it.”
It is
precisely for this reason why so many of Goldfarb’s students keep coming back
to his Tai Chi classes, both within and outside of the university. It’s the classic “I want what he has”
syndrome; fortunately, these people can
have what he has. In fact, Goldfarb’s
purpose in teaching is to bring his students exactly what he has found, and it
may be simpler than one would expect.
“My goal,”
Goldfarb says, “is to empower the gifts that are already in these
students. It’s about helping them
connect to the magic that is already within them. I’m a conduit. They give themselves the gift.”
And many of
his students are receptive to this, seeing how this secret has worked for
Goldfarb.
“I try to have
a positive attitude,” says another of Goldfarb’s West Chester students, Scott Stuart. “But Mitch is genuinely vibrant and cheerful all the time. That’s a person I want to learn from.”
For some though, many of Mitch’s lessons seem
counterintuitive.
“Some people
seem to have a hard time making sense of Mitch’s teachings,” says Stuart. “Sometimes I think those people just don’t
get it, but I realize it’s a very different way of thinking, and it takes
careful examination and acceptance of yourself in a way that may not be easy
for everyone to do.”
Although the
task of slowing down and becoming present may be daunting to some, Goldfarb
comes equipped to show students the way.
“It’s my
responsibility to interest my students; to make it entertaining, and fun, and
creative, so they can have a taste of what it’s all about.”
Indeed, Taoism
and Tai Chi are contrary to Western thought; in an action-oriented society,
many people may feel guilty about slowing down to focus on breathing and the
body.
“While I’m
doing Tai Chi, I think of all the other things I should be doing, and I worry
that I’m wasting my time,” another frustrated student expressed early on in the
semester.
Perhaps,
though, this is exactly why the class should be offered. When so many of us cannot seem to escape the
daily grind, there is something refreshing about setting down the burdens of
the day to simply experience the here and now in order to put everything else
into perspective.
Goldfarb is
the prime example of this. Morning to
night, he is out and about, teaching classes, taking classes, and working on
his latest projects. For many it would
easily become overwhelming, but as Randy Johnson stated, Goldfarb seems to know
the secret to handling it.
Goldfarb
approaches everything with a bright smile, a playful sense of humor, and an
eager, “That’s great!” Wherever he goes,
he remains present and alert, absorbing and sharing whatever joy is to be found
in his midst.
Listening to
Goldfarb spew his schedule from memory, one is amazed by how perky he sounds.
(“In the morning I work on my music projects.
Then I teach three university classes during that day, then I go to
Philly to take three classes from one of the grandmasters, Maggie Newman, and
one of her students. Then I go home for
dinner and I take a three mile walk with my wife.”)
It seems so
contrary to his mantra, “Do less to achieve more,” yet it fits for him, as his
passion is evident. Everything Goldfarb
does is play. Instead of worrying about
the next place he has to be, he enjoys every moment he gets to do the things he
loves.
His careers
are in line with his passions, and he has human interaction all day long. Even in the midst of work, he maintains a
playful environment and, most importantly, leaves room for everything to take
its own course under his guidance.
“We’re so
focused on control in our society,” he says.
“I used to be all about control.
Even the door to my music studio said ‘control room.’ When we realize we’re not in control, we’re
able to find greater enjoyment in our lives because we can finally let go.”
This is
reflected, too, in his Tai Chi practice.
Much of the art focuses on letting go of the muscles, and allowing chi to move you. As I watch him guide his students, his
constant suggestion is, “You’re doing too much!
Let go in the shoulders. Just
take a deep breath and relax.”
He then holds
the student’s arms up by the wrists as he suggests she stop holding the arms
up. Her arms collapse, her shoulders
sink, and her wrists remain raised in Goldfarb’s fingers. The room goes silent and still. Goldfarb then flashes an encouraging grin.
“It’s so easy,”
he says. “We’re bringing laziness to an
art form.”
