Complementing the Spiritual Quest

Meditation is the silent and still contemplation of being. As the stillness and silence overtake the noise and activity of everyday living, you free yourself to an increasingly greater extent from the thoughts and actions that bind you to the earthly life. Taking on meditation as part of your spiritual quest is to pursue an evolutionary progression of your mind. As part of your Taijiquan practice, you expand that evolutionary pursuit into both your mind and body.

There is no requirement to follow a spiritual path to acquire Taijiquan skills. The fact is there are many proficient martial artists who do not endeavor to seek the way toward heights of spiritual development as they advance themselves in physical prowess. However, the complete art of Taijiquan comports well with traveling a path toward wisdom and wholeness should you choose to do so.

The spiritual journey is a conscious movement toward the highest aspirations of being human. It is the movement away from ignorance, dissatisfaction, and suffering. It is a movement toward greater awareness, peace, and compassion. Naturally, the question arises, “What does this spiritual journey have to do with a martial art?”

A Greater Attainment

When you attempt to discover the highest attainment you can as a human being, you must do so with full recognition that your physical form comes with you. Reaching the potential of what it means to have a mobile body that moves on two legs goes hand-in-hand with the spiritual quest. Also, as a human being, you exist in relationship to other humans. Taijiquan develops your ability to use your body optimal both alone and in relation to another.

Relationships with others tend to challenge your capacity to remain neutral. In conflict, the tendency is to freeze, flee, or fight. Each of these reactive responses causes a disruption in the equilibrium you may feel when alone. Taijiquan teaches you how to maintain your equilibrium while under threat.

The Heart of Meditation and Taijiquan Reside Together

At the heart of the spiritual journey is the place of equilibrium. At the heart of Taijiquan is balance. These two ideas are one and the same, and can be applied equally to both the body and the mind. This is the way the two aspects of human endeavor support one another mutually.

To become proficient in the martial arts, you take on a grave responsibility. You become adept at physically being able to dominate, harm, and even kill another human being. Committing an action that causes pain has far-reaching consequences. First of all, you must face your own conscience. The question inevitably arises, “Could you have done anything different?” You may face legal consequences that can cost you time and money.

Balancing Necessity with the Responsibility of Power

There can be circumstances when you must defend yourself or those under your care. The actions of another person or people can place you in a situation where you have no choice but to use your martial skills. You may even have a profession in which confrontation is part of the normal course of business. You may reside in or travel through dangerous places where attackers lurk. Whatever the case that brings you to the point of committing violence against another will ripple through your life. Those who practice martial arts in a balanced way will understand the dual obligation to control yourself and the other, to be appropriate with your responses.

Sitting and Standing Meditation

Seated meditation with an erect spine removes the complexity of maintaining balance as is required in standing meditation. Having to keep some attention on balance can be a distraction. The point of meditation is to focus the mind and dispel the wandering attention. An acute awareness of the present moment opens the doorway to the profound essence of consciousness. Much of the arduous work of meditation is simply returning to the non-distracted state where thoughts quiet, and awareness purifies.

A variety of standing postures taken from Taijiquan are highly beneficial when performed as meditation positions. Even the moving practice is conducted slowly with great sensitivity so that you can be constantly aware of the subtle changes in the body. A disciplined, focused mind will allow you to melt away physical, energetic, and emotional blocks. The meditative process is one wherein you establish the intention to clarify your mind at the beginning, and then turn your attention to observing the phenomenon as they are avoiding the temptation to manipulate or deliberately change them. This includes leaving bodily sensations and tensions alone to resolve simply by awareness.

Advanced Practice

At more advanced levels, when the natural process of release becomes clear, you can accelerate the evaporative process of resolving inner blockages. A major stage of spiritual development involves first accepting conditions as they are. Change is only possible when the starting place is known.