“Stand
like a sensitive balance;
move actively like a wheel.”
“A feather cannot be added to the body nor a fly alight.”
(Douglas Wile, T’ai-chi Touchstones, p.128, 123.
Brooklyn, New York : Sweet Ch’i Press, 1983)
A high
degree of relaxation can be reached by practising Tai Chi correctly. In
the beginning, students learn to fa soong (relax) every part of the body
until they are using minimum strength to maintain a posture. Excessive
tension prevents the qi (energy) flowing through the meridians
smoothly. Tai Chi training strengthens and stimulates the flow of qi
throughout the body.
Relaxation leads to sensitivity. It opens the door to inner perception
and allows us to experience the body and mind in a different way. The
Chinese describe this type of sensitivity as ting jing (listening
energy). Through your practice, you learn to listen to your body-mind
with your whole being. You feel your tension before it becomes
chronic. This process is very much part of knowing yourself. Often
tension masks many of our underlying feelings. Once we release our
tension, we can acknowledge hidden emotions. The process of relaxation
enables the mind, body and spirit to regenerate, helping us to cope with
stress and ill health. Gradually, we become mentally, emotionally and
physically stronger. This is when we begin to feel spirited. It is
easy to misinterpret relaxation for docility. Eventually, we feel the
relaxation a cat exhibits as it hunts its prey. Its body is perfectly
calm and relaxed, yet its eyes show alertness, displaying spirit or shen
in Chinese.
Once
you have developed ting jing in the Tai Chi solo form, this sensitivity
can be further enhanced in Push Hands. Through training with a partner
with softness and yielding in mind, you become aware of your own tension
when being pushed. You also learn to interpret your partner’s tension
or resistance. Now you learn to experience relaxation while under
pressure. This adds another dimension to your training and helps you to
take another step in developing your sensate energy.
Master
Yang Cheng Fu was a great exponent of Yang Style Tai Chi. He was often
challenged by other martial artists. Once in Guang Zhou, he was
challenged by a kung fu master. Rather than fight, Yang suggested that
they compete by attaching a piece of cotton to the index finger of each
hand. He invited his opponent to perform any movement he wished. If
the string became slack or broke, Yang would lose. No matter what his
opponent did, the cotton remained taut. His opponent soon became tired
and admitted defeat.
A high
level master can move like a leaf. He can follow an opponent’s fist
forwards and backwards. As the opponent advances, he moves so that he
is just out of reach. As the opponent withdraws, he is also there. He
can tell which movements one is practising, even if one is several
metres behind him. This is an example of being able to feel the
environment.
Ting
jing will allow you to understand yourself, others and nature. To be
able to truly listen under any conditions, especially during a conflict,
is a very valuable asset. Without relaxation and the ability to feel,
we become insensitive to and ignorant of our inner and outer world.
Ting jing is one of the tools in the Tai Chi kit which enables us to
live a more harmonious life.
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