As much as there is joy, there is also sorrow;
As much as gifts abound, some must do without;
As much as there is kindness, anger runs wild and free;
As much as there is peace, stress is embedded in each day;
Why, just this week I saw two people driving down the road, wishing each other a happy holiday season with their MIDDLE FINGERS...
Breathe, relax and try to remember the REAL reasons we celebrate this time of year...
The mind / body connection - A road map for your health...
Last week we focused on concentration. This week we took that same focus into the body. Imagine that you move to a new town. Typically, the first thing you will learn are the major roadways. Then, with time and practice, you will find easier, more efficient routes to your favorite places. You will get very comfortable driving those routes and resist changing them. So it is with our spirit. When we are newborn, infant, toddler we are using the highways (gross motor skills). Then, as we grow up, we begin to find easier, more refined ways to make the same movements (using the best roads, and favorite short cuts). When we take on something new (like a road unpaved) wit is choppy, unrefined but with time and frequent effort (travel) to smooth it out, we improve. As we age, some roads we were used to using frequently, become less traveled. WE become less flexible, not as strong and maybe lose our ability to balance effectively. If we continue to ignore these issues (roads) they will become increasingly more difficult to find. You do not have to run a marathon to stay active, just don't stop doing things you enjoy and make sure you keep those "roads" well traveled.
The fewer, the better...
One of the main goals in Tai Chi and Qigong training is to become more fully aware of our own internal muscle map (roadways). We strive to become increasingly more efficient at using our bodies. Imagine being able to perform a movement with 3 muscles in lieu of 23. Those 20 "extra" muscles would then be able to relax and enjoy a gentle stretch while the 3 were working harder than ever before. Circulation through the relaxed areas would increase and as an added bonus, the 3 working muscles would get much stronger and more connected within the brain's map in the process. They would develop a more precise understanding of what their role is within our intricate body. This increased efficiency helps to conserve energy, boost immune functions and vitality as well as stimulating deeper concentration and a profound sense of calm.
Heart Strings...
While working on the body is important, it is truly only the tip of the Tai Chi iceberg. One cannot honestly call it Tai Chi or Qigong unless the body, mind and heart (spirit) are ALL fully involved. IN my 30 years of martial training and my more recent judging of Tai Chi competitions, I have seen many talented people. Some were master technicians, performing with such precision, yet something was still lacking in all their efforts. Then I have seen the less technical student meander through the forms with a grace and beauty that left everyone watching, deeply moved by the performance. The difference between the two lies deeply within the mysteries of our own heart. In Tai Chi and Qigong, physical precision and mental focus mean very little without a clear heart connection.
I asked students this week to perform the opening form with NO regard for the technical aspects of the movement, just move with an open, loving heart. For some, I should have asked for the Brooklyn Bridge, it would have been easier... Some students were completely unable to open up to this training concept while others embraced it fully and yet others, literally "fell apart" while trying. The varied reactions did not really surprise me since we spend so much time concealing our true feelings in order to "spare" another person's feelings or to protect our "image" of world order. We even lie to ourselves to help make our frustrations more bearable hoping that it will all magically get better somehow. "Everything will get better", "I'm fine, really" "everyone argues, that's just our passion and love, right?" I am here to tell you from personal experience, just like physical training, if you do not put in the work, you will not get the results, period. I have met VERY FEW people that know Tai Chi at this level. In all my travels and working with some truly gifted teachers, I can honestly think of 2 or 3 that understood the heart connection well enough to apply it into their own lives. Amazingly, these teachers were were open and honest about the fact that they were "still working on it".
Try it at home...
Pick a movement; any movement. It does NOT have to be specifically Tai Chi or Qigong related, it should just feel natural and relaxed to your body. Before you move, breathe, relax and fill your heart with love. Once you truly feel this love deep in your heart, allow yourself to move, keeping your focus on the love, not the technique. Notice how relaxed and at peace you begin to feel. I have found that, for most of us, it takes a lot of practice to hold your focus. For those who work with their hearts daily, healers and spiritual teachers for example, this exercise is an integral part of their everyday existence... We can make it a wonderful part of our everyday too, if we put in the "heart time".
Journaling is "Heart Work"...
For my own training, I have found journaling to be a profound source of wisdom and insight into my deepest self. Here are some tips that may help you journal effectively:
- It takes time to develop the habit so do not let yourself get angry or frustrated if you miss a day or two or twelve. Allow yourself to write when YOU NEED to write, not just because it is a new day.
- Write from the heart, do not edit for content, punctuations or grammatical correctness. Let it flow naturally without judgement or fear of being "found out".
- Once you have written an entry, walk away from it and reread it the next day. You may find some insights that you were too close to see before.
- Every feeling is valid and should be acknowledged, do not allow yourself to suppress anything when writing, this will prevent your true nature from showing itself to you.
- Trust the process, do not "expect" results from the work. The lessons will be there when the student is ready to hear them.
- If you have someone you can share these insights and feelings with, you should consider doing so. This will further help to stimulate your personal growth and may give you a completely different perspective.
- Write from the heart, do not let the mind take over. If you get "stuck" walk away for a while, it will come back when it is ready.
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