I think I am starting to understand why most chinese martial arts are based off of animals.
Animals express pure movement, they don’t have the extra baggage of having to “figure out” the best what to do something or have the capacity of masking their purpose from the rest of the animals. Their bodies are pure illustration of their intention at all times.
When a cheetah chases its prey, it doesn’t think about whether it is using the proper form as its running.
When tiger is lying about, it isn’t thinking about all of the things it needs to do that day, or wondering where or if it will find its next meal. Its purpose and intention is directly connected and communicated through its body.
The deeper I go in to Tai Chi the more I realize it’s really all just about getting back to this state inside the body. Removing the years of programming I have encorporated into my movement Learning to get rid of all the ideas I have on how I should be doing something and just doing it… Letting the body unlock itself and do things the way it is naturally inclined to do.
I look at this concept and can’t help but realize how far I am from that goal. There is constantly some thought or idea hidden in my subconscious, masking itself cleverly as relaxation, limiting my movement or obstructing my natural motion. The deeper the layers the more difficult and deep the programming is to uncover and modify.
The only key I have found, so far, is to allow myself to pay quiet attention. Passing no judgement on it, but to just allow myself to become aware of it. I try to understand its origins, connections and its uses, comparing it to what I have already learned. I explore its edges, walk around the visible sides up of it and start to carefully excavate around it. Like an archaeologist carefully uncovering the remnants of a long past civilization. Trying to figure out how deep it goes and what secrets it holds.
No matter the size, no matter the depth, thus far I have always been able to get all around and under it in order to extract it.
Perhaps extract is the wrong word, that seems like it’s removing something toxic.
It’s more like I absorb it. Absorb it into the past, allow it to become another bump on the road.
The results are much like when the physical body relaxes a long tense muscle. Suddenly, it unlocks a new more fluid movement and everything around it is different, new pathways of movement to discover and build upon until the next artifact is discovered.
Then it begins again.
Practice this week:
It has been a little slow going getting back to practice this week. Lots of reading and train surfing instead of the normal morning practice
Wednesdays Practice:
- 20 minutes standing meditation
Thursdays Practice:
- 30 minutes Dynamic Qigong in the morning
- 1.5 hours beginning tai chi.
- Ended up teach the 24 for 30 minutes of this class
Fridays Practice:
- 20 minutes train surfing (So Fun!)
- 30 minutes qigong
- 1 hour form practice
The Restless Raven 