Tai Chi and self-knowledge
A white canvas
Why I practice Taichi or Chikung?
When people decide to practice a discipline of self-knowledge as Taichi and Chikung, and finally take a step forward by taking a course, a workshop or a class, it is common to hear them leaving with the sensation of weariness, sore or stressed than when they arrived. Some of these people ask what is due:
‘Is this discipline not for me?’
After watching this ‘phenomenon’ on many occasions, and bearing it out with my own experience, I could say that it is a necessary part of the self-knowledge process. Some people do not seem to take into account that they get involved in these disciplines with the objective of knowing the background. Some of these people recognize that they are trying to improve their lives or find peace and emotional balance, but not many admit that they want to know themselves in depth, manage better and understand the meaning of their life.
Tai chi as a path to self-knowledge
If you lose sight of that self-knowledge is the pathway shown to lead us towards what we hope for, we will miss the opportunity to pass through the obstacles that separate us from our goals. And self-knowledge, as indicated by the word implies knowing the full, in the pleasant and not so pleasant, virtuous and incompetent, in health and in sickness, in wealth and in poverty (not necessarily referring to the economic issue).
Practices for relaxation, concentration, meditation,... we offer a white canvas interior from the which shows everything that is inside of us, and that usually stays hidden in the light of our consciousness rises to the surface and can be observed and traveled. If it is a positive aspect, to live and to obtain the fruits that we offer, and if it is something negative to dispose of it permanently.
Why it hurts me while I practice Taichi or Chikung?
If only by gently moving an arm, a leg, or holding a static posture simple for a few minutes or even seconds, we ended up with discomfort in the body or sometimes with acute pain, it seems obvious that the problem is not the discipline that we are practicing, but something inside of me that is out of adjustment, and not is allowing me to get rid of the excessive tension, and relax, and to correctly use the strength, elasticity, or any other quality of my body. To think that these annoyances or difficulties are the reason to abandon a practice of improving one's self, it would be parallel to think something like: ‘I'm not going to eat or to drink because it bothers me to go after the bath’.
Inner growth through Taichi and Chikung
Self-knowledge is a process that involves seeing what previously was not seeing, and this sometimes means distress, pain, nervousness, resistance or all at once. Probably we were accustomed to some routines psycho-physical-emotional by harmful they can be, we've made our own and offer us a certainty, despite the fact that in the background of ourselves we are looking forward to leaving them forever.
When we usually move in the mistrust, the fear, the anxiety or sadness, without taking the interest of looking within ourselves and therefore do not giving us the necessary time to get to know in depth, we cannot realize the depth of the damage that we can be doing, or see the consequences of our current way of life: the deterioration of our health, the volatility of our thoughts and emotional instability in which you are involved daily.
The rush, excess of activities or occupations and the constant noise, keep our interior canvas in dark grey, and it is very difficult to appreciate the stains that do not allow us to fully enjoy our lives. Taichi and Chikung are tools that allow us to clean the canvas to be able to distinguish those spots with total clarity. Knowing perfectly our spots, its depth, boundaries and implications maybe some day with patience, we could delete them permanently and thus enjoying a work in its entirety
