I was talking to a student last night about having a quiet mind and calm body – about reducing and observing the chatter that we become aware of in our practice or in meditation. The conversation got me thinking – a bit like this:

Think of yourself like a group of linked individuals – a shoal of fish, a flock of birds, a pack of wolves, a team of engineers, a troupe of actors, – or a lone hunter – an eagle or a shark. The group has no purpose other than to observe, it mills around idly doing a bit of flying or swimming, or just chattering and so on – staying connected – until an individual has a vision that it communicates to the group which gives it purpose – maybe food or a project. If they were all siting around literally doing nothing, not communicating,  then it would take a substantial time to gain their attention and communicate – but in low energy motion the inertia is greatly minimised – all it takes is to give your body purpose. Likewise the lone hunter lazyly drifting, scanning, observing in a state of mindfulness until something stands out as possible prey – then the mind directs and the lazy movement accelerates to high speed co-ordinated action.

Mechanically speaking at least have the engine running and the car in gear while waiting for someone to wave the start flag!

So the mind needs to be clear to allow us to notice and it is helpful to have some internal movement ( some energy available ) in order to have something to direct – and it is important not to have a purpose while observing as this will distract us from simply observing.

We should remember the Tai Chi Classics ” In performing the forms, you should be like the eagle which glides serenely on the wind, but which can swoop instantly to pluck a rabbit from the ground.”

In class I have often used the analogy that learning Tai Chi is very like learning to play a musical instrument , or golf or indeed probably many other things.

We all go through similar stages a bit like these:

1. Like it/attracted to it

2. Start and find it confusing but see the possibilities

3. Practice – find some things come clearer, but more things even more confusing

4. A measure of capability, becoming aware of how much there is to go

5. Start to feel the body, movement, music, rhythm etc.

6. Understanding starts to dawn

7. Relaxed capability in some areas

8. Further exploration

9. Comfort with own ability, respect for that of others and for beginners. Developing the feeling of the movement.

I have found my balance improving recently and reflecting on my falls prevention work with older people who report similar experiences when practicing Tai Chi – so when a student mentioned her problems with Vertigo I thought I would do a quick bit of research. It seems that this is quite well documented so here are some links which I found interesting:

http://vestibular.org/sites/default/files/page_files/Improving%20Balance%20With%20Tai%20Chi_2.pdf

http://healthland.time.com/2009/10/05/treating-vertigo-and-dizziness-with-tai-chi/

http://www.livestrong.com/article/328265-neck-exercises-vertigo/

http://www.healthyhearing.com/content/articles/Research/Vertigo-menieres-bppv/44307-Tai-chi-vestibular-disorders

One of the favourite sayings of my teacher Karel Koskuba is that “everything is otherwise” (attributed to Rabbi Loew of Prague) – and recently looking at my New Scientist I saw a piece on quantum weirdness that pretty much discusses the idea that quantum physics is weird only because we cannot understand it – sort of following the idea that it doesn’t matter why we think it works – it just does work, very well – so “shut up and calculate”. A bit like Tai Chi.

Further on I found an article about jumping Bullfrogs which chronicles the experience of a laboratory experimenter getting frogs to jump in the lab – only to find that out in the real world frogs actually jump a good deal further than his did in the lab.

All of which led me to think about the idea of an “internal art” where we work with our mind in the laboratory of our body. Now most of us are not lucky enough to live/train in a martial arts school (or choose not to do so) which means that to compare with the laboratory metaphor, we are training ourselves in isolation (without feedback) according to principles which we may not even be capable of understanding.

We are constantly refining the training of our lab animal (ourselves) and the sensitivity of our equipment (again ourselves) according to a model that is not accurate by definition. Unless we constantly update that model according to the real world then we risk going into a fantasy mix of remembered experience and illusion that works only in our own mind.

So we should get out a bit. Expose ourselves to external forces and develop our ability to deal with them.

How can you do this? Well of course by doing partner work in classes. If you can’t do that then work with a teacher who does – and on the health side by interacting with your own medical conditions and medical advisers or alternative health practitioners in promoting resilient structure and dealing with stressors.

– a saying often used by people as an excuse for their behaviour. Nonetheless there comes a time ( or many times ) in life when one benefits by asking ” what have I done – besides a few dinner parties and some holidays? ”

As I see it Tai Chi is something that offers an opportunity to do something for others and for oneself.

It is my experience that if science and technology are about learning how to do things easily following real world laws then in the case of Tai Chi the “technology” is about removing the artificial aquired habits that block our natural self – our buddha nature – or our natural movement – our chi – from being expressed – and discovering ones that facilitate our ability to be our natural selves.

It is that time of year of course and we decided to have an extended session with snack lunch to celebrate – sort of “eat what you brung!”

In your practice be wary of definitive arguments – especially of the “my great expert said this and they must be right” variety leading to an argument about who is the greater expert – they are a distraction from the reality of internal experience. There is only one solution – use the scientific method – collect data, read around it, ask recognised experts and practice, practice, practice to observe what actually happens in your body – in other words make up your own mind.

Accept the teaching of others as guidance, signposts in the style of “look over there, you may find something interesting”. Remember that where internal experience is involved then language is a very unreliable communication – a word can mean one thing to one person and something else to another – it can even mean different things to the same person at different times – and even during the course of the same conversation.

This is a major benefit of hands-on correction – the teacher cannot tell you verbally and you could not accurately understand the words anyway even in the same language – but by correcting physically he/she can move your body close to what they are seeking to transmit and you the student can have a direct experience of that holistically, to be held in memory for later practice.