"T'ai Chi Ch'uan bases itself exclusively on gentleness, softness, naturalness and bringing you back to your original nature. Daily training makes the muscles and bones become softer and more pliable, and it especially causes the breath to become natural. These are the results of disciplining and refining the ching, ch'i, and shen to the end of your days. How then can you consider dispensing with your kung or wish to suffer bitterly."
- Chen Yen-lin, 1932, Cultivating the Ch'i,
Translated by Stuart Alve Olson, p. 30.
I find that emphasizing the quality of "Sung" while practicing Taijiquan or Qigong is very useful. For me, "Sung" includes meanings such as relaxed, loose, pliable, yielding, responsive, open, soft, flexible.
I believe that putting the concept of continually refining one's self is why we call it a practice.
ReplyDeleteYou have to be somewhere and you have to be doing something. Time will pass regardless of how we use it. We might as well be doing something positive for ourselves.
Yeah, that would be great, if work permitted more time for self cultivation.
ReplyDeleteEarly retirement is still my aim, then I will train more than my 10hrs a week, grow more veggies & fruits, meditate more, get more refinement into my life.