When It Doesn't Work Anymore.... Stop

I never ceased to be amazed at the things that practicing Taiji teaches me - or reminds me - about everyday life. Most recently, the form reminded me that when you are doing something that USED to work... and that thing stops working, you should let it go. Stop doing the thing that did work just because it did in the past. When something is no longer effective - change. "You know Yìjīng易經?"

For example, I started a Saturday morning practice with the group leading at a slower pace than we sometimes do the form. It had been a slightly stressful morning and the slow pace helped me relax into the movement and calmed my brain down. Which was great!! But, towards the end of the form, I realized that something had switched. And that the slow pace that felt fantastic for the first three sections of form had started to take on a forced feel. Instead of allowing me to relax and move loosely, the snail's pace had started to feel more like a cage, introducing tension throughout my system. My muscles wanted to move a little faster and my neck was tightening with the mental control it took to continue at the initial pace. I admit, my first reaction was "this is the pace you set - you do this pace!!".... but.. you know Yìjīng易經!!

We shouldn't hold onto things that are not long beneficial to us.... even if they served us in the past.

So, I had to let that pace go. The last thing I needed was MORE tension. To end my practice with a "I won at all costs" attitude certainly wouldn't advance any part of my Taiji practice or do me any good in any way... not that day. Yes, we need discipline. Yes, we need focus. But we do not need to force things when something that just isn't working that day. We call Taiji an art form because it is not static. It should change to work with us every time we do it. It responds to us and we respond to it - new - every time we practice. We need to do the same thing - every time - but it is different every time. Just like our lives.

Instead of slowness, I practiced listening and responding to change and I changed. I moved faster.

Sounds so simple. And it is. But it is soooo hard sometimes. When we had something that was working, recognizing when it is no longer working is hard!! And letting go of that is even harder some days. Learning to know when change is beneficial vs avoidance is a process we have to learn. A good first step to that is know that change IS beneficial sometimes!

Remember, force = not good. Allowing something to serve its purpose and then letting it go... good.

Enjoy your practice - we can improve without fighting ourselves!