Tonight’s Tai Chi Epiphany

I decided to break a long spell of misplaced intention tonight. As the season changes to winter, so too will the winter occur in the mind that you see expressed on these pages.

Winter is the time for the old ways to come to an end, so that we may remake our selves anew during subsequent cycles. It is quite often necessary for a winter to happen in our minds; this is natural, this is healthy, without it we become lost and a decaying spiral of stagnation ensues. With the changes, we may become more mindful of the world around us.

As we become more mindful of the world around us, we become aware of the actions that we are to take. When we set out on the path of mindfulness, the world takes on a completely different appearance; we begin to see that the enlightenment is actually right here, in this very moment.

Tonight, a wonderful series of interpersonal connections lead me, quite surrepititiously, to see the importance of physical self-improvement. I had a conversation about Tai Chi with my friend, we then watched the video of a Chinese Acupuncturist, who is capable of cultivating his Chi so well that he can project it, from his hands, into the bodies of other people. The video of this man is a testament to the vast powers that our bodies posses; powers which go far beyond the concepts of reality promoted by our societies today.

After the conversation, I decided to go outside, clear a spot beside the house, and practice Tai Chi for as long as my body and mind were capable of remaining mindful. From the very beginning I felt the gravity of my need for a new awakening. Without a warm-up, despite the cold weather and the late hour, I felt as if this was the moment that I would rebuild, if not now then when will it ever be the right time.

The form I was practicing is called, quite simply the Yang Family Form. When it is done at the proper speed, it takes about 20 minute for a repetition. Much faster and the form will be disconnected and inconsistent, while slower would cause the energy to be stopped and stagnant.

The form is a treasure, which has been passed down through many generations of practitioners. In this form, we have the secrets of the art, available to anyone who is willing to regularly practice.

After the first repetition of the form was complete, I started feeling the energy and the mind-body connection very strong. My body began heating up, since the Chi was circulating rapidly. I began to feel a warmth, the likes of which I have not felt in some while. The warm Chi is felt with the whole of the body and spirit; it begins to take a life of its own as the practice session progresses.

As the second form winds down, a state of hyper-awareness becomes apparent, and I begin to notice even more about what is going on. During the third repetition, I find myself doing all of the moves with a vastly improved fluidity. The Chi begins to flow the strongest I can remember it flowing in a long long time, and I slip into a state of deeply-felt ecstasy.

My legs began to tire, so I decided that 1 hour was enough Tai Chi for tonight. So I went inside to have some tea and wind down, when somewhere along the line I decided to do some mantras with my roommate. We ended up spending about a half hour working on this.

It was his first experience doing mantras and he seemed to be greatly impacted by the experience. He actually began to feel his own Chi flowing to his brow chakra and he enjoyed the experience so much that he wanted to do another set of repetitions.

These developments leave me with a feeling that this winter will be different from those that have preceded it. Henceforth the spiritual practices will not be neglected. The importance of self-cultivation cannot be forgotten easily when it is a part of your everyday life, not simply something that you turn to from time-to-time.

Indeed, it would not be very much to ask, to spend just one hour a day on Chi cultivation; practicing mantras, breathing exercises, meditation, Yoga and Tai Chi. These things I shall continue to do, and with these developments, I will direct these (formerly stagnant and unchanging) energies towards the edification of the mind-body-spirit complex; in an effort to free this mind from the material delusions of Maya.

Changes are happening everywhere, at an increasingly rapid rate. It is time to change our selves, so that we may become closer to the creative force that expresses itself as the unfolding of time and the flow of energy through our bodies and minds. Let us master this energy, and in the process, become master framers of our own reality.