The path to finding your stillness.
Tai Chi, Qi gong, meditation, Yoga and a thousand other mindful pursuits all promise to guide you to a nirvana like state of heavenly relaxation. All you have to do is, “Breathe, relax, move this limb, and then breathe, relax, move that limb. Don’t forget to breathe, don’t forget to relax and don’t forget to stop thinking!” In reality, the moment we hear someone telling us to breathe or relax we immediately do the opposite. We start to over think or worry that we are doing ‘it’ wrong, and then frustration or our self-conscious takes hold. In the beginning, we all stumble over these words as they can be interpreted so differently from one person to the next.
If I were to ask you to breathe deeply, you might carefully and diligently take a gulp of air to the point that your chest feels tight and your mind starts to panic. I could then remind you to breathe using your diaphragm, so that your lower abdomen expands as you breathe in, and then deflates when you breathe out. There is far less physical tension and far more efficiency in breathing this second way, but what if I was to say that there is a third way to breathe? A way that inspires, and if you let it, it will resonate throughout all that you do.
The first step is to let go. Remembering each exact movement in all its detailed glory will come, but the harder you to try to do it the longer it will take. Instead focus on the feeling, feel the atmosphere and let the music drift through you. Your mind is poised, relaxed but ready. At this point feed your imagination, let your mind gaze on a memory that inspires you to remember the feeling of contentment……
I can smell the sweet salt air as the morning breeze gently brushes against my face. The morning sun feels crisp and refreshing as it slowly glides over the horizon, its warming glow bathes my movements. Effortlessly my breath rises and falls like the ripples of waves that glide across the soft sandy shore. Surrounded by the rhythm of my surroundings, the rustle of a breeze through the long grass accompanied by the morning calls of birds and insects. An endless horizon echoes with the stillness of perfect harmony. My breath finds its rhythm, as it naturally slows. My mind is gently soothed and inspired, it silences itself in order to appreciate and reflect the moment. This is my space, my guide and my inspiration. Eventually the image fades from mind leaving its memory in the form of an inspiring stillness. With practice, a single deep relaxed breath is all that is needed. This is the essence from which Tai Chi is shaped.
For a long time, my ‘day job’ was to teach Art to hormone riddled teenagers and my starting point was always to encourage each and every one of them to, “Learn to see and not just to look.” ‘To see,’ involves a connection that is personal, inspired and pure. ‘To look,’ is to copy, repeat and control. The path has moments that need to be looked at closely, but to truly experience the joy of the journey you must learn to surrender your thoughts to seeing it in its most beautifully balanced harmony. So as you continue on your path, be sure to look up, and don’t forget to breathe!
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