Enjoy this excerpt of a longer article by Marilyn Cooper at
Pushing For Peace :
T’ai Chi forms adhere to the laws of physics and human nature. The
postures are relaxed, stable, and connected to earth, freeing up the
mind and nerves to sense and experience force. Over time and with
experience, the T’ai Chi devotee is able to feel increasingly subtle
levels of energy, thought and force.
Very deliberately, the mind moves the body in space while energy
moves within the body frame. The slow pace gives the mind’s eye time to
synchronize many small details, from the top of the head to the bottoms
of the feet. Inner strength and awareness is developed slowly but surely
– and safely.
“True life is lived when tiny changes occur.” (Leo Tolstoy)
Push Hands has various structured drills that stimulate internal energy and can evolve into spontaneous style or natural boxing. Players learn how to relax and lower their center of gravity, to meet hard (Yang) with soft (Yin),
and to image an opponent during solo form practice. When based on the
actual experience of doing forms with a training partner, imagination
and memory are both engaged.
The more receptive and relaxed you are, the more you move with the
force being delivered, and the harder it is for your partner to find
your center. This is because you are responding to her or his searching
rather than initiating. Push Hands helps you to become more centered and
relaxed, one who stays calm, aware and patient, no matter how great the
stress.
T’ai Chi develops sensitivity; the ability to listen to
energy. Listening energy trains the ability to feel force as it
materializes, which is the first step towards being able to neutralize
that force. Before it is fully realized, by sticking (constant adhering)
to the ground-swell, force can be received within ones frame and
effortlessly recycled back at the giver of that force.
The mind should be empty and the body in a state of non-rigid
readiness. This is no different from most sports — except that the
poised, aware state is the entire modus operandi of T’ai Chi and Push
Hands. A lapse in awareness, a moment of distraction will be felt by the
more alert player, and is an opportunity for a gentle push, pull or
combination of the two.
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