The Journey Within

I was having a shower, and for the first time after a very long time, I started to feel what washing feels like again.

Shower has become such a routine that you don’t think about it anymore. You strip, you go in, you turn on the tap and you let the water run. You wash your hair, you wash your body, you turn off the tap, you dry yourself. All with military precision without the military whistle.

After reading Leo Babauta’s The Power of Less, one of the instructions is to be present. To pay more attention to what you’re doing now. If you’re walking, focus on walking. If you’re eating, focus on eating. A bit like the Zen sayings “If you’re hungry, eat. If you’re tired, sleep”.

My shampoo routine was still a bit off (my mind wandered to some faraway land), but my soap routine was definitely more pronounced. I always can’t remember after a shower if i’ve washed my hair or if I’ve washed my body. I only remember I went into the stream of water. Even though the routine only has 2 activities, if my mind wasn’t there, I don’t remember.

This time, I’m actually using the soap, and feeling how the soap is getting into the nooks and crannies of my body. It’s a strange feeling, but a potent one. It reminds us that we’re capable of enjoying the present. We’ve just forgotten how to. Do you remember really washing yourself lately?

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It was amazing. I haven’t seen so many people in a class before, for push hands at least. The class room seems small in comparison. All these people were curious about what push hands is. My teacher looked a bit taken aback by the enthusiasm, but managed the crowd eventually nonetheless. A few of us took in some of the new students to show what push hands feel like.

One person, in particular, seem to come here for a challenge. I sensed his hand, and I knew he knew what he was doing, so I kept quiet and just push. After he realise my skill was below his, he started bragging and teaching. He thinks his technique is superb, and was showing why I should do this and shouldn’t do that. By “this”, he means I should be using 2 hands to spread the “attack” in a single handed push hands. And I shouldn’t be moving my kua much. He was standing almost upright, as if trying to mock me I guess… (he said it himself actually – “look! look at my posture!”).

I felt a bit bullied, but I kept on because I actually found it fun to be trying out different people. He did push me off to the wall at one point. I reiterated with one myself which almost hit someone else. Then he became more aggressive. And I just stopped. I just told him my teacher would not condone such practice. Which is true. He stopped amicably as well.

An otherwise uneventful session I suppose.

Now, I don’t know why some people do this, but I guess this is common throughout the martial art history. I probably have gotten a mild treatment already! I do find it sad that people define themselves by how much he can overpower the other person, but at the same time, I’m glad to be seeing these other things. I might have been cooped up for a while now. Time to spread the wings.

There was also a 70 year old lawyer in the midst who part timed in “energy psychology”. Then she showed me some tapping exercise. Apparently cured blindness once.

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Somehow, the “learn to say no” speaks much to me recently. A diagram by Bud from whatconsumesme.com.

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Would you be seen wearing this around town? I like the concept. I’ve been trying out Nike Free shoes for running the chi running way. I haven’t tried this. It seems like the closest thing to bare feet by wearing shoes. There’s a long review here by Tim. I’m definitely tempted.

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I don’t know why, but I just love this bag. Found out about it when Sharon went to Manchester. Anyone there en-route to Singapore?

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I came across 2 competing ideas. Leo from zenhabits suggested that to change your life, you’ve got to start small. If not, the process will be just too overwhelming. Then I picked up a book by Tammy Kling called The Compass. The first quote said:

Sometimes you must let go the life you had planned in order to make room for the life ahead of you.

That to me, is a big change. So, which strategy works better? A big change or a small change?

I think those 2 strategies should be complementary. Sometimes, it takes a big change to effect those small changes. Sometimes it’s the small changes that suddenly lead to the big change.

What change do you prefer?

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