So today we finished Tai Ji 13, which completes our learning of Wudang Tai Ji. After we finished learning and working on the new movements, our Shifu called us together for him to expound some of his wisdom to us.
We talk alot about cultivating our health here, for most people it's their sole reason for travelling to this school. Over the years we've had numerous lectures about our immune systems and organ funciton. In TCM weaknesses in your immune system comes back to your organ function. Master Yuan believes strongly that your emotions affect your organs greatly. For example, someone who has problems with anger, might also have weakness in their liver. This is a simplified description so I can get to my point a little quicker.
He talked about what he calls 'playing with your emotions' while practicing Tai Ji. So instead of focusing on the external details while training Tai ji (posture, breathing etc.), we practiced Tai Ji while he walked around a watched us, told us to 'play' and smile a little bit. It sounds strange, but after practicing like this, I really felt different. I felt lighter and more energetic.
He told us to imagine incense in our dantian. The smoke dissipates like your emotions, but inside there's still a fire. He expressed after every time you practice Tai Ji, you should feel like a new person. Every morning when you wake up and practice Tai Ji, let go of everything inside. Those things aren't you anymore because today when you approach the world, you're embarking on it as a new person.
2 comments:
That sounds really cool! When I do Tai Chi, I always feel peaceful afterwards, is that similar?
I can't really tell you how it should feel, I think it's pretty individual. He was telling us that we were missing something in our practice, an that he thought this 'playing the emotions' would help us. I suggest just playing with it yourself. Brandi described it as a type of emotional self expression. ??
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