Many Taiji (Tai Chi) books and articles talk about how the mind should be emptied or concentrated when performing a Taiji form.
For example, on this web site, it says:
"The mind must be totally concentrated and absorbed in the form. The subconscious mind directs the form while the conscious mind becomes pure and empty. Mind, body and spirit are united as one and a state of selflessness exists."
In another article, the author says that the mind should not be emptied. It should be involved and move the qi.
"Tai chi chuan forms practice should calm the mind, but it should not empty it.
"The mind is always involved," Lee says. "The mind moves the chi, and the chi leads the movement. At the first stages, you have to learn to move your left foot, right foot, arms, etc., but eventually you become very fluid. You begin to express the movement. But you don't do it totally in a state of 'no mind.'"
I think both views are right. They are all about the mind should be immersed in the practice thus the tension in your head(if you have it from the work and life) can be released.
Recently, I paid attention to my mind activities during the practice. I have observed that the thoughts in my mind are different in different practice context.
Night Practice Before Going to Bed
I want to relax so I can have a good sleep. I only do Taiji Form 8 because it is really simple. I play my favorite music. Sometimes, I feel my mind, body and heart are melted with the music and the movements. Sometimes, I consciously put positive thoughts into my mind. Many times, other thoughts are flying into my mind especially when I have a deadline and/or unsolved problems, "the problem is..., solutions, debates, tomorrow,..." I have to consciously stop the thoughts and pull myself back to the practice.
Morning Practice after Getting Out from Bed
I do 20-30 min practice including warm-up and a simple form. I do it in the backyard where I can see a foggy lake, trees, grass, birds and squirrels. I feel excited and refreshed every time. My mind is usually focused on making the movements right and improvements.
Weekend Morning Practice
This is a fun time with friends. We chat before the practice, during the break and after practice. It seems we haven't seen each other for a long time. We practice in a park. The park is big and the landscaping is beautiful. I feel delightful, refreshed and relaxed. However, sometimes my mind is pulled off from the practice when we forget certain movements/transitions or our movements are not synchronized. To me, this is a pleasant excise time but not really Taiji time.
Taiji Class
Now our class starts again. During the class, my mind is really focused on the end-point postures, transitions and movements following the instructions from the teacher. This is a learning time. During the group practice, I can also feel the qi and the energy from the group. I treasure every minus with the teacher and the group practice. I also enjoy the social environment.
I think practicing on your own without any distraction is one way to feel Taiji, the qi, empty mind and the energy. Group practices can bring you the energy in a different dimension.
4 comments:
During my own individual training, I tend to focus on the qi path in my form work. "Where is the qi" is a question that Chen Xiaowang often asks when a student has questions. So, I often ask myself the same question.
The qi path generally follows:
dantien,back,shoulder,elbow,hand,elbow,waist,dantien
The based on each movement, I try to determine where is the qi path and how does it flow. That seems to help me focus on the form.
I agee that focusing on qi can make your mind concentrate on the practice and free from other thoughts.
I usually feel that the air comes in from my nose, it travels through my chest and goes to the lower abdominal area (I can never figure out where the diania is). I feel the qi either gets to my hands via my arms or my feet through the legs. The air goes back to the space via my nose, hands and feet.
I can only feel it in the entire Form 8 practice and the begining of other more complex forms. My attention turns to the movements and transitions in the later parts of complex forms. That's a reason I like to do Form 8 at night.
Have you ever played around with zhan zhuang or "standing post" postures? I know after doing them for sometime, I could really feel the connection in my form.
A great reference is "Way of Energy" by Kam Lam Chuen.
I practiced the standing post but for some reason, I can't stand still for a long time. I can do it for about 8 min. I have a tendency to move. I feel good about moving around and relaxed. Maybe my Gongfu is not there yet. I will get that book. Thanks for the recommendation.
Post a Comment