When You Walk Through The Mirror…

We are programmed to think, to make lists, to take instructions and apply them.

We are taught in feet, then inches, then hundredths of an inch and carefully examine every minutia of or technique.

We ask questions, challenge the teachings and practice until we internalise and become them.

Then something strange happens.

Alongside those teachings a good teacher will also be teaching meditation, deliberately bringing us to this point.

Our body does the form or kata and the meditation teaches us to continue paying attention so thought stops and the form becomes an act of mindfulness.

In meditation we have learned the language of our body, energy and instincts enabling them to talk to us.

This means that instead of our mind instructing our body, guiding our energy and disciplining our instincts the reverse now happens.

Our body, energy and instincts now guide us, giving a stream of insights into truth. Where we were concentrating on what to do we are now feeling what not to do.

In Tai Chi the guidance is:
Do not protrude
Do not collapse
Do not lean

In a mindful state our body notices when it is weak and becoming unstructured.

All we have to do is remain mindful and pay attention and we get a constant stream of insight and wisdom in a somatic manner.

The body, energy and instincts have their own intelligence, but we can’t walk through that mirror and utilise them until we reach the point that we have the right skills, are able to understand the language and that the insights will be accurate.

And we can leave that troublesome mind the other side of the mirror.