My Taiji teacher, Matthew Komelski, said something this weekend that stuck with me. He was talking about how we "scan" our bodies to find various mis-alignments, sticking points, and other weaknesses during a movement or posture.
In Aikido, we do this too, of course. Perhaps we don't usually do it as "internally" as is typical in Taiji and Qigong, but we do it nonetheless.
Matthew was pointing out that sometimes our instinct when we find these sticking points is to treat them negatively -- as something to be eradicated. In a sense that's true, perhaps. But that mind set isn't usually helpful.
Instead, Matthew suggests treating them like the little gold flecks you would find whilst panning for gold. Panning for gold is a somewhat of delicate process. You need to stay calm, and aware, so that as you wash the mud and silt and sand out of the pan, you don't throw away the flecks of gold at the same time. You have to wash the sand repeatedly, calmly, rhythmically, to give the gold time to settle, so that you can see it and differentiate it from everything else.
How? By slowing down and being mindful. Matthew says that 70-80% of your training should be slow and smooth (Gee -- never heard that before).
I like this thought! I try and remember that making mistakes is the best way to learn and this reminds me of that thought process!! I will keep this in my mind when I meditate!
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this Mike!!