Life in Motion

When you push, just push

A common habit when practising, is to make the adjustments while carrying out an action. In the context of Tai Chi, you might have seen people bobbing up and down, or pushing forward with various hand gestures, looking very awkward as though their clothes just don’t fit them. Then one day, my teacher said,

“When you push, just push”

It’s a simple instruction, but as with all simple instructions, it’s so simple that it’s difficult to carry out.

When we do the form, we may go through it as though it’s a formality. We may go through it as though it’s a dance choreography. We may even go through it just because your spouse is going through it, and it’s something you want to do just to spend some time doing something together. For all the reasons that we go through it, the main purpose is to go through it. And yet, when going through it, we do not actually go through it.

There may be dinner plans to think about, there may be work to think about, there may be kids to think about, relationships to think about, and of course, even the Tai Chi principles to think about. We might be going through the form, and at the same time trying to remember to apply the principles of Tai Chi.

And yet, the way to learn the principles is to forget the principles. Ok, maybe remember one, to relax. There’s that word again. But let’s not talk about this word this time. Just remember, when you push, just push.

I guess it’s like doing anything. When you eat, just eat. When you walk, just walk. When you sleep, sleep. Very Zen like. Zen Tai Chi. It does have a nice ring to it.

© 2008 shang lee . com.