Sunday, November 11, 2018

Tai Chi Chuan - Behind, With, Ahead of the Curve

Tai Chi Chuan - behind, with, ahead of the curve

Process. For me, as I watch students work a new exercise, there are three ways to “be” with that exercise.

First, you are learning. So in essence, you are behind the curve. You look, see, feel, attempt to understand. Correct, self correct, adjust, revise, look again.

Then you are experiencing. You are inside of the exercise. Deeper deeper deeper if you can. With the curve.

Lastly, you are looking at where this might take you, the future, the value, the benefit, how it will add to your grab-bag of skills. Ahead of the curve.

For me, the most important one is #2, experiencing the exercise. Out of this moment, other ideas, feelings, sensations, strategies and so forth will emerge. NOT thinking of what this will get you in the end, not comparing this to that other exercise, that other teacher’s opinion/experience, not being anywhere but where you are is the most valuable place to be.

If this is the 100th time I have approached this exercise, I put aside all the other 99 to get to what is happening TODAY and NOW.

How many times have we entered an exercise from a place of I know this, I don’t need this, I’m ready to move on…? (OK, not all exercises will have the same value for you as time moves on.)

Alas, we all want to think we can climb K2 and just go forth and be there. Ahead of schedule, you know where this is leading and you want to be in that future fantasy place.

I’m not saying that future fantasy has no value. It does. It may stimulate an aspiration, a goal.

But it doesn’t teach you as much as the place that you are fully experiencing NOW.

It seems so simple to me, but I say this because I see MOST students jumping to the third place, ahead of the curve.

I see my own tendency to assume expertise that I don’t really have, flatter myself to think I don’t need this moment, and jump to where I think this will take me.

Sound familiar?

A silly example, I was tracking a pathway on Google Maps and it would show me exactly where I was on the map, and where I should be on the map. I was so confused thinking I was following the directions carefully and then observing my body indicator going elsewhere. It was difficult to stay the course and be where I needed to be so that the next moment was accurate in completing the journey.

I like to make things dumb and dumber. Dumb and dumber until you are in it. Then you can move in a better direction.

Try that on for size!