Introduction
Consciousness
The ability to make choices. The feeling of being aware from the perspective of I / Me / My. Has always been, I am me, never someone else. This is the true, unchanging self. It is mysterious and has many layers to awaken. It is said that anything we are not yet aware of is in the hidden consciousness. Once we have observed and developed a new ability, like walking for example. We don’t buy it, we can't borrow or sell it. It is practiced, step by step until you become the ability. That power isn’t found anywhere, and we can’t really forget or lose it. It just becomes something we can now do. It was always there, just dormant. That is why it is called awaken ability .
To think, read, absorb and remember information is through Brain consciousness. Thoughts and ideas can lead us to understanding, but knowing something in the mind is not the experience of being able to do or be something. We will use this to understand the idea of wise motion but we have to practice to make it an ability.
The body, all its functions and movement is from the Subconsciousness.
Even if you read every book on tennis. Remember important statistics, all the rules, strategy from previous professionals and how they psychologically tricked their opponents and maintain the mindset to stay competitive and win tournaments. All that information or knowledge won’t carry over to the court.
​The experience and ability to condition and maintain the body, to hold and swing a racket, while running or changing direction, the causation to perform can not appear through the thinking of ideas alone. Knowledge needs to be practiced, applied and refined to become an actual ability or it is just a thought. If I tell you the stove is hot versus the feeling of touching it. The difference is the sensory experience of a searing burn in the moment, the ongoing healing time and associated memories. Knowledge is information while experience is developed wisdom ability.
Everything that happens automatically is from subconsciousness. Our digestion and waste management, inhaling and exhaling, Our whole existence is about moving or changing of different energies. If we are calm to observe, we can work with, rather than against them.
Overall
In Taichi or Chi Gong, the goal is to support our energy in the wisest, most natural way first connecting to the MacroCosmic Orbit with postures, forms or sequences. Using a straight centre lined structure to be in unison with the deeper nature of all energy.
Big motions gradually become fine tuned into a more detailed abstract network as the consciousness awareness sharpens. Eventually changing from straight Centre into the smaller rolling energy point known as centre point, or the MicroCosmic Orbit.
A tree needs a deep root system and a strong dense trunk. To last a long time the branches have to be lighter and then the twigs and leaves lightest. This procedure of how energy moves remains in harmony with gravity. The power is always flowing from under and up. From in to out.
In Taichi the foot and centre guides the energy calm and steady like a mountain while the arms are as light and abstract as clouds blowing around the peak.
Charging the centreline isn’t a one time squeeze and hold. Instead, it’s a never ending charge, relax, charge, relax repeating cycle. Pulsating or firing from the first chakra through to the crown out of the head and fingertips constantly. Yin is the opposite to charging, let go completely to rebalance.
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Another way of describing this charging centre line is through a laser line concept. Think of it as constant streams of light energy united in one concentrated direction one after the other. In Taichi, being completely focused on all the details matching the procedure of foot, centre-charge, relax, recycle and repeat, aligns the layers of our consciousness towards one purpose for a series of moments. Usually our heart, mind and body are spread out with contradictory intentions at the same time. Resulting in wanting to lose weight but still binge eating, or wanting to save money while still impulse buying.
For our mind, heart and body to be in unison we need to observe and curate our intentions, thoughts, speech and actions away from negative causation. Our character, lifestyle and posture is a subconscious habit. Creating a physical centre and learning to move in a more perfect way equips the consciousness with a foundation for observing and following practical wisdom.
Uniting intention, thinking, speaking and action towards being sensitively aware of body, space and surroundings. The final of this training system is called Wuji, which is defined as reaching complete freedom to recycle and rebalance all the opposite energies to the point of being unlimited apart from the practitioner's limited ability to concentrate and match the idea.
Taichi is the process of training to become unlimited. The highest level possible while still having limitations.
Maintaining complete awareness in each moment, feeling the detail in how energy flows from earth all the way to the fingertips takes full focus. Learning to follow a perfect system of wise disciplines instead of automatically occurring blind habits is a path to awakening the subconsciousness.
Finally being able to unite intention, thinking, speaking and action into joyful harmony stillness.
It all starts with being able to match the disciplines in this very awesome Phoenix Pose and then increasing the level of freedom to enjoy that ability.