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doc benway

Taijiquan and Awareness

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Looking for something new to discuss....

 

Lately, the main thrust of my cultivation has been through developing real-time awareness on an ongoing basis, minute to minute, day to day... It ain't easy, obviously. I still practice seated and standing meditation, xingyiquan, and taijiquan. One thing I've noticed is the great value of the taijiquan form in helping me to achieve this real time awareness. So far, I have not found a better technique to practice this. This seems to be, at least partly, linked to the experience of not only three dimensional awareness of the body in space but the fourth dimensional awareness in time. I wonder if much of the health and well being benefits in practicing the taijiquan form are linked to strengthening the awareness - linking the "I am" with the physical experience, without the intervening fog of mind and thought. Obviously, there are physical benefits of the isometric and isokinetic movements, but there is something that goes beyond. This is something I really emphasize to my students. Any comments?

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Looking for something new to discuss....

 

Lately, the main thrust of my cultivation has been through developing real-time awareness on an ongoing basis, minute to minute, day to day... It ain't easy, obviously. I still practice seated and standing meditation, xingyiquan, and taijiquan. One thing I've noticed is the great value of the taijiquan form in helping me to achieve this real time awareness. So far, I have not found a better technique to practice this. This seems to be, at least partly, linked to the experience of not only three dimensional awareness of the body in space but the fourth dimensional awareness in time. I wonder if much of the health and well being benefits in practicing the taijiquan form are linked to strengthening the awareness - linking the "I am" with the physical experience, without the intervening fog of mind and thought. Obviously, there are physical benefits of the isometric and isokinetic movements, but there is something that goes beyond. This is something I really emphasize to my students. Any comments?

 

absolutely.

 

energy follows thought. real-time awareness allows for a thorough saturation of fresh life force into every cell of the body. nothing of the self is being ignored (ostensibly). so just by having one's mind present with every ache, throb, and area of tension (not focusing or acting, just present), you facilitate a magnitude of healing that could not be achieved otherwise.

 

few things are more healing and more liberating than the quality of surrender to the whole of each moment.

 

"there is no place but here; there is no time but now."

 

i repeat this many times in the morning at the start of my practice. i repeat this many times throughout my day.

 

radical presence. nothing is left undone.

Edited by Hundun

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Hundun & xuesheng thank you.

 

I would reply but I'm actually on my way to practice. My practice partner has been on holidays in China for 5 weeks, should be a fun.

 

A good time to be "right here, right now"

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