exploring and empowering the human possibility…

Finally, after a little arm wrestling with Youtube, I have the 5-section solo form videos up and ready.

These were made for my current forms classes as a study aid. For a thorough instructional DVD, visit www.sammasich.com. Sam created this form and the dvd is excellent.

For now, here’s the vids:

5-section part one

5-section part two

What makes a practice session uplifting, inspiring, and genuinely beneficial as compared to one that is somehow less than that?

For me, it is the inclusion of what we call Spirit. Indeed, it is to practice as if from our Spirit, as if our Spirit lead the way and our movements arose through inspiration rather than simple memorization.

I believe this is the supreme objective in training, regardless of our chosen discipline, as it is from this space that we authentically transform the quality of our present moment while concurrently gaining the other benefits of our practice.

While each of us will have a different way of expressing what “practicing with Spirit” means, I believe we all know when we are there or if something needs to shift to take us to this deeper place. Further, there is a kind of understanding and kinship we share with each other when this becomes our priority.

Practicing with Spirit leaves us feeling lighter and brighter than when we began. It reminds us of our higher nature and greater possibilities and it challenges us to bring more of ourselves into the rest of our lives as well.

As I ponder the 10 Important Points of YCF, I am reminded of this in the very first point: Empty Neck, Raise Spirit.* Here we are encouraged to allow the neck to be be relaxed and free from exertion so that the chi and blood can circulate easily and the Shen or “Spirit of Vitality” can reach to the top of the head. There is a sense of being gently suspended as if from the top of the back of the head while the arms, shoulders and torso relax easily.

In my practice, I have worked with Zhan Zhuang qigong quite extensively and return to it often as a reference point when considering deeper or new material. In ZZ, and by extension other qigong and Taiji practice, the first point of YCF is powerfully supported by centering first in the lower dantien.

This energetic and structural center lies a bit beneath and deep to the navel. It is our center of gravity and a key to moving from our core. I find that by settling attention on this center and relaxing into my alignment, there is a natural upward lengthening that also occurs. It passes through the middle dantien, then through the relaxed neck to the top of the head, and a “Spirit of Vitality” rises almost as if by it’s own accord.

We then have a sense of rooting deeply into the earth while simultaneously lengthening upwards. Our legs are strong and supportive while our arms and torso are relaxed and responsive.

Carrying this idea a little further, when our alignment is clear and relaxed and when our energy and our Spirit rises, we can expand this feeling through our will and attention. We can become more sensitive to movement that is authentic and spontaneous and uplifting. We can likewise feel a sense of good will directed to ourselves and to the world around us. A heartfelt smile will often arise and our surroundings will seem to join with us in our discipline. At this level we are sourcing our practice from a deep, authentic place within us.

Yes, it requires a LOT more attention to practice this way. Your sense of connection will likely click in and out, feeling disconnected sometimes and then reaching into new and deeper levels in others. But once we pass through basic choreography, this approach is ultimately far more fulfilling and effective and will speed us on our way to the kind of progress we truly desire.

Next: Moving From Center

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* Reference is to Sam Massich’s translation of the 10 Important Points of YCF

A quick reference video for the Bellingham Monday evening Taiji group.
I’ll get better at making these as I go

5-section taiji: section one

“A secret to qigong (and much of life) is to move ourselves from an abstract idea, to a heartfelt intention, and from there, to consistent, committed action. This is where magic lies and transformation can occur.”

- from Dynamic Qigong

I came across this today while reading Yang Family Secret Transmissions. It is the words of Yang, Lu-chan to his grandson Cheng-fu as he explained why he spent so much time and energy on his Tai Chi. I find this insightful and very relevant for those of us wanting to support positive change in our world today.

“The reason I practice and teach this art is not to challenge others, but for self defense; not to bully the world, but to save the nation. The gentlemen of today know only of the poverty of the nation, but not of its weakness. Therefore our leaders anxiously formulate policies to alleviate poverty, but I have never heard of plans to rouse the weak or raise up the ailing. With a nation of sick people, who is equal to the task? We are poor because we are weak; truly weakness is the cause of poverty. If we examine the rise of nations, we find that they all begin by strengthening the people. The virility and vigor of the Europeans and Americans goes without saying, [and the] Japanese, while short in stature, are disciplined and determined. When the gaunt and emaciated members of our race face them, one need not resort to divination to predict the outcome. Thus the best method of saving the nation is to make saving the weak our highest priority… After completing my studies, I came to the capital and swore an oath to teach this art freely to all comers. Before long, I saw that among my students, the thin filled out, the obese lost weight, and the sick became healthy. I was enormously gratified.”

Any plan of national reform must include a strategy to help our populations become healthier, stronger, and wiser. As always, the most important place to start – and continue – is with ourselves.

I’ll begin this next entry with a few general thoughts on the 10 important points and ways that we might study and benefit from them.

For any new readers, this material comes to us from Master Yang, Cheng-fu (the grandson of Yang, Lu-chan, the founder of Yang style Taijiquan). Yang, Cheng-fu was among the first teachers to offer Taiji instruction to the general public at the Beijing Cultural Research Institute during the early 1900′s.

The current look and feel of Yang style Taiji is largely do to changes he made during his study and teaching career.

During this time, Master Yang compiled a list of 10 important points he considered essential to the mastery of Taijiquan. I’ll be referring to a translation done by my teacher, Sam Masich. You can find this Here.

My personal introduction to this material came a couple years after I had been doing Tai Chi. I remember at the time thinking, “hm.. that’s interesting, makes sense I suppose…” and then pretty much left it at that. It was not until I really started digging into the deeper aspects of the study that I revisited the 10 and saw them for the gems that they are.

It is my hope through this series to encourage even beginning students to make these principles their constant study companion and thereby advance their practice with greater clarity and enjoyment.

In my opinion, “the 10″ really point to one fundamental quality of movement and being that represents the essence of Taijiquan. Sam refers to this as “the one feel”. Ideally, this “one feel” should accompany us through the whole of our Taiji study. Whether we are practicing barehand form, saber, sword, spear, or tuishou, the 10 important points should support us. They are the glue that holds the pieces together giving the whole of Taijiquan consistency and intelligence.

Each of the 10 points likewise supports the others in much the same way as the 6 core principles of qigong* support and give rise to one another. Because of this, we will see some noticeable overlap when discussing them. This is important to bear in mind during practice as well.

It is also worth noting that the 10 points are based on natural human dynamics – both external and internal. They are not arbitrary nor are they something that we must impose upon ourselves. Rather, I believe they are best discovered within us through our experience. More on this as we go…

Because we are speaking of a subjective experience, there are other “important points” that could be added to further describe the “one feel”. Likewise, there are many different ways to discuss and clarify its meaning. Fortunately, the 10 important points are quite helpful as written and offer a lot of rich material for us to cultivate in our practice.

A good way to begin is to simply read them through, pausing after each one to ponder its meaning. They can be a bit tricky to digest, especially if one is early in one’s Taiji career. That’s ok, see if you can pull one idea out of each one that resonates with you in some way. I always encourage students to have a notebook for Taiji; it comes in especially handy for the ongoing study of the 10 important points.

Next, choose one of the points that seems clear and helpful to you, and take it into your practice. See if you can apply it consistently and in such a way that it makes what you are doing feel better, stronger, and more energizing. This is a good clue that you are moving in the right direction. Then choose another, and so on.

Also, talk to your teachers and fellow students about them, read about them (lots more coming in this blog), and continue to ponder and apply as you go. In this way, you will surely grow in your understanding and mastery of the art of Taijiquan, moving well beyond the level of mere choreography. Here there be dragons…

Next: Spirit Rising

* 6 Core Principles of qigong: balanced posture, conscious breathing, dynamic relaxation, coordinated movement, mental and emotional focus, and continuous evolution. See my book Dynamic Qigong for a thorough exploration of these

It all comes down to our agreements…

If you’ve been following this series on the 10 essential points of Yang Chengfu, you may have noticed I haven’t said much about them yet. As I pursue this series as an ongoing meditation, I keep finding compelling preparatory work bubbling up in my thoughts. For instance the concept of “covenants” has been strong with me of late.

A covenant is simply an honored agreement. They can be religious or secular, individual or collective, they can even be conscious or unconscious as we’ll see in a moment.

Perhaps the most important thing about covenants is that we participate in them for the benefits we hope to obtain as a result. They are essentially sets of principled actions and limitations we adhere to in our attempt to live a fulfilling, uplifting life. At their best, they help keep us focused and intent on our objectives. They form a supportive structure that guides our overall progress. At their worst, unconscious covenants are repressive and can impede even our best efforts in life. When this sort of agreement is discovered, it is our responsibility to create new and better ones.

The word covenant carries a quality of dedication and sincerity; they are not to be taken lightly. Nor do they imply slavery as a slave is in no position to agree or co-create. Rather, covenants should inspire participation, integrity, and strength of character – so long as one genuinely, even passionately, supports the spirit of the agreement. This is key.

I was recently listening to an interesting talk on the early principles of the American experiment and what the founding fathers were trying to accomplish. A point was made that in the “olden” days, there was a much stronger respect for agreements – and a heightened sensitivity to when agreements were broken. People had a sense of covenant with their neighbors through commonly held values, with their Source through religious or spiritual beliefs, and by extension with themselves as individuals. This is something we are seriously lacking in our modern mish-mash-anything-goes-grossly-inequitable culture. I believe there are multiple reasons for this, many of which are hidden from plain view. But for us to be successful as a nation – or a state – going forward, we will have to come together on a set of very basic, fundamental agreements. We will need to forge a new covenant with each other.

When we are born we inherit a collection of already established covenants. These are cultural, political, and sometimes religious in nature, and they are often enforced through very passive/aggressive means. We thus become committed to a status quo through pressure and constant exposure.  We are taught to “go along to get along” and that the systems in place, while not perfect, are there for our own good. We should trust and respect our public officials and their policies and do our patriotic part. In this scheme of things, there is very little room or encouragement for genuine personal development if such efforts take one into areas beyond mainstream viewpoints or interpretations of power. For instance, when was the last time what you or I thought about war actually mattered to the decision makers? When was the last time we could decide to opt out of some new law or program because it ran counter to our sense of ethics? And, honestly, what is “God” in the mainstream culture if not “money and political power”?

If one never thinks to seriously question the underlying philosophy of his or her culture, the unconscious covenants we inherit as children become prisons which restrict our ability to grow and reach our true potential. That said, questioning the national covenant, on many levels, is now very much at issue as they are breaking down left and right.

All this is leading me into a deep inner dialogue which I am calling Covenant 2.0. I am rethinking, reworking, and recreating a new foundational set of agreements and commitments I have with myself. Our world is in rapid and fascinating flux and its time to grow a new set of wings…

So, what does this have to do with Taiji? Pretty much everything. The principles of Taiji lead us to consider the quality of our lifestyle. How is our posture through the day? How present are we while working? What is the quality of our connection in relationships? Are we supporting our community? Are we supported by it? Where are we compromising our core values and what can we do about that?

The more we extend the principles of our practice, the more room we find for strengthening our integrity, our sensitivity, and our involvement in the larger world. This, of course, includes culture, economics, politics, etc. It’s all one thing and it begs our conscious participation, however we decide that will be. The trick is staying clear and focused in a world where distraction comes so easily.

To this end, I recommend writing a Covenant 2.0. The one we are born into is long outdated and inappropriate to the times, neither is it genuinely expressive of who we are as individuals. My process involves looking at the different areas of my life (purpose, relationships, home, work, health, etc.) and writing a short, concise statement of intent with added specific details where needed. After soulful consideration, we will have clarified a set of standards to which we can live up to as we endeavor to be our best. We will also have shaken off some of the detritus of past entanglements in favor of commitments that are more uplifting and empowering.

In addition, I believe that we can achieve a higher level of attainment and relevancy in our Taiji if we approach it as a covenant we have with ourselves and perhaps our training partners, teachers, and students as well. As practitioners, we all have a certain level of commitment and an unspoken energy that we bring to our art. For some of us it is sporadic and shallow, for others it runs very deeply, extending into something that is powerfully spiritual. Master Shouyu Liang was once asked how many hours a day he practiced and he answered with a quiet smile saying, “I think… 24 hours.” Such is the nature of his covenant with the art – and with himself.

Much of the power of Covenant is that it is conscious and purposeful. It is not a thing that is entered into by accident, but rather through thoughtful consideration and volition. It then grows with us as we grow, expanding as we expand, and evolving in ever more meaningful ways. For some this is a very natural process, for others it may be important to sit down with pen and paper and revisit the process on a regular basis. But, whatever approach we take, our agreements are powerfully important and surely it serves us well to “think on these things” as our lives unfold. If you find yourself drawn to such a process, drop me a line. I would love to hear of your insights along the way.

… Next time, we start on the 10.

- AB

One of the main reasons I practice Taiji is that I see it as a metaphor for life.

As such, it affords me an opportunity to decouple from cultural biases and limitations and peer more deeply into what seem to be natural principles and methods of self cultivation. I tend to prefer Taiji o other systems of meditation and philosophy in that it offers ideas which can be dynamically practiced and tested. This can occur both within the context of the art as well as within the activities of one’s day to day living. As we interpret and apply the concepts of our discipline, we gain immediate feedback and thus can learn very quickly – if we choose to.

Here in a way, is the rub. Taiji is literally about change. If we follow it diligently, if we apply the ideas beyond the obvious through extrapolating reasonable meaning in multiple areas of our lives, we will change. There is no two ways about it. We will come closer and closer to our own nature because we will be listening, connecting, and responding to what is real rather than what is contrived.

In my experience, this requires discipline and the willingness to relax and let go of the extraneous. A little at a time, a lot at a time, it doesn’t matter so much as long as we stay in the game, consciously, diligently, even doggedly at times.

Taiji will wisely demand more and more of us as we progress and go deeper. There seems no end to the depth nor height of this art, no limitation on the degree to which we can apply the natural principles of our practice to release the inconsistencies of our personalities. It runs far beyond mere movement, well past martial applications, and deeply into the heart of who we are as beings.

All that said, Taiji is but the vehicle. The work is, of course, being done by our own non-physical nature as it contemplates and applies, interprets, translates, and lets go of all that is extraneous while enjoying the unfolding of what is real in each of us.

Along these lines, I’ll be posting reflections on the 10 Essential Points of Yang Cheng Fu over the next who knows how long… Pondering pipe in one hand, tool box in the other. Feel free to drop me a line on your journey as well…