Taiji offers a good amount of relaxation-talk. Depending on who you talk to it can be the end or it can be the means. Physically,relaxation is the means towards efficient movement. Efficient movement is movement that uses only the necessary amount of tension required. The idea of relaxation is simple: though, the execution takes ongoing awareness and care.
An interesting thing happens when we try too hard to relax – we create tension! We get the exact opposite of what we wanted. I touched on this phenomenon in my article Pistol Qigong is a Blast. Here, mental tensions create excess physical tensions. In general, the more we try to get our bodies to do something the more tension is created which, in turn, negatively impacts our performance.
In terms of relaxation, the loop goes: mentally straining to relax–>creating physical tensions–>poor erformance–>mentally straining even more to relax–>more tensions–>poorer performance–>…etc. This is what I refer to as the Negative Relaxation Loop. We’ve all be there and hopefully through experience we find ways out. Here are six ways
that I use to interrupt The Loop in my practice:
- Shake it off. Use this one in the context of solo forms. A nicely placed Pah! is like hitting the reset button. Sure, maybe a vigorous shake isn’t in its rightful place according to the teachings, but that’s okay, you need it.
- Breath. Attend to your breathe. Belly-breath into the tensions you want to release. Fill tensions with breath and empty
them while expiring. - Slow Down. Use this one in partner work where a violent shake could be dangerous. As tensions created by the Negative Relaxation Loop escalate, you put yourself and partners at risk. The pace quickens with mounting tensions whereby mistakes can be costly.Take the time to slow down and breath.
- Indulge. Instead of fighting your tension, indulge in it. Deliberately create tension where you’re trying to relinquish it. Find it and bare down on it. Hold it for a bit. What does it feel like? Release it. Again, what does it feel like? If we can figure out how to create certain tensions deliberately, then we should be able to figure out how to alleviate them.
- Take a note. Mentally note how you’re talking to yourself when you’re in The Loop. Be nice. Understand. You’re learning and you’ll always be learning. Forgive yourself for not being perfect (an unrealistic ideal anyway). You may even notice more pervasive mental themes that aren’t exclusive to your taiji practice. As opposed to the previous methods, the interruption of The Loop isn’t as immediate.
- Get out of the way! Chances are your body knows how to do what you want it to do. It’s probably done it before. Let it do it again. Instead of thinking about doing it, do it. Better yet, don’t do it, let your body do it or let it happen.
If you have other ways to circumvent The Loop, please share them here.
There’s a lot of World Taiji Boxing Association activity in Salt Lake City. Eli Montaigue’s annual workshops and a fast growing WTBA student body under Steven Smith at Real Taiji make for great learning opportunities.
Are you coming from out of town and need a place to stay while you study WTBA methods? If you’re interested in a room with views of Salt Lake Valley, check out this list*. These high-rise hotels have commanding valley views of the surrounding mountains.
- Best Western – Salt Lake Plaza Hotel
122 West South Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Website: Salt Lake Plaza Hotel
Telephone: 1 (800) 366-3684 or 1 (801) 521-0130 - Embassy Suites
110 West 600 South
Salt Lake City Ut 84101
Website: Embassy Suites Salt Lake City
Telephone: 1 (801) 359-7800 - Hilton
255 South West Temple
Salt Lake City UT 84101
Website: Hilton Salt Lake City Center
Telephone: 1 (800) HILTONS or 1 (801) 328-2000 - Marriott®
75 South West Temple
Salt Lake City UT 84101
Website: Salt Lake City Marriott Downtown
Telephone: 1 (801) 531-0800 - Little America Hotel
500 South Main Street
Salt Lake City UT 84101
Website: Little America Hotel Salt Lake City
Telephone: 1 (800) 453-9450 or 1 (801) 596-5700 - Radisson Hotels & Resorts
215 West South Temple
Salt Lake City UT 84101
Website: Radisson Hotel Salt Lake City Downtown
Reservations: 1 (800) 333-3333 or 1 (801) 531-7500 - Red Lion Hotels
161 West 600 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Website: Red Lion Hotel Salt Lake Downtown
Telephone: 1 (800) RED-LION or 1 (801) 521-7373
If you know of others, please let us know.
* This list does not intend to be exhaustive nor does it intend to imply any relationship between Tai Chi Utah and the listed institutions. Tai Chi Utah does not recommend any one institution over any other. For more information on these businesses check out their websites and be sure to read reviews by folks who have stayed there to determine which is right for you.
Photo by Onera at http://www.onera.fr/english.php
It’s tough to put internal events into words and it often over-simplifies them. The truth is, you’ll never know what it’s like to experience the world as Jason Socci and I’ll never know what it’s like to experience the world as anyone but Jason Socci. It’s ultimate existential loneliness. This doesn’t mean it’s pointless to try to come as close as possible. Try with me now, won’t you?
Allow me to share my experience of sinking. I’ve noticed this experience most often during the dim mak heart qigong. It goes something like this: My hands hover at about chest level, elbows dropping downward. Just below my hands, running parallel to the ground is a membrane. It’s like a very viscous liquid. My mind slowly drops down into it. Other times it’s more like I find a small crevice or whole in the membrane to drop into.
Read Sink Your Mind Into This »
There’s a lot of WTBA activity in Salt Lake City right now. Eli Montaigue’s annual workshops and a fast growing WTBA student body under Steven Smith at Real Taiji make for great learning opportunities. Coming from out of town and need a place to stay while you study WTBA methods in Salt Lake City? If you’re interested in a cozy room in a beautiful home with a wonderful cooked breakfast, check out the following list* of beds and breakfasts:
