There is a tradition within Taoism which equates the body and the landscape. So our bodies contain fields, rivers, mountains, and the lords and ladies who rule this internal landscape. It is a living ecosystem, with its demons and spirits who are nourished by our habits, either by our food or our emotions. So health in this classical way of seeing the body is often about starving the demons (by not eating grain, for example) and feeding the spirits (by proper breathing).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In \nthis view, you are the benevolent ruler over an internal kingdom, a \nlandscape with its own rules and needs. It is an accurate view of how we\n actually work, if not a correct anatomical rendering. This inner \nkingdom has various fiefs and dominions, each related to the other, \nconnected by streams, ruled over by lesser nobility. In the same way our\n organs are connected, nourished by blood and acting according to their \nown logic. The question becomes: are you an absentee landlord? To you \neven know who resides within you? Do you know what organ does what, what\n each organ needs? Are your rivers flowing with pure waters, or filled \nwith Red Bull and doughnuts?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But\n let’s bring this back down to a more practical level. The internal map \nshows the concern that Taoism brings to the inner world, both spiritual \nand physical. It is a way of engaging with the world, from the inside \nout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Similarly,\n Tai Chi as a martial art moves slowly so that the internal signals sent\n by the body can be heard and processed. A core function of the practice\n is to reveal to the conscious mind the internal structures within the \nbody, and how these structures can be optimized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A\n simple exercise is to face a wall, place a hand on it and push. Pay \nattention to the pressure, to the joints being engaged, and where the \npower is coming from. Notice how the position of the body matters. If \nyou are facing the wall squarely, the feet cannot help in the push. But \nstanding at a diagonal, with one foot slightly back, you can use your \nrear leg to help with the push. But for that to work, the shoulders, \nback, hips and legs need to be in line and properly joined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So\n stand in front of a wall, place the right hand on the wall (or tree, or\n pillar..) and the left leg back. Start to apply pressure, and pay \nattention to the bone structure of the body. Roll your shoulder. Where \ndoes the shoulder need to be in order to feel connected to the arm and \nthe spine? Play with your hips. Is there a position where the spine and \nthe legs become connected?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Can\n you relax the muscles that are NOT being used? Can you feel the \nconnection between the hand pushing and the foot supporting you? Can you\n feel the power of the thigh muscles, and how they are providing the \npower far more than the arm muscles?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now switch sides and do it again. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There is a tradition within Taoism which equates the body and the landscape. So our bodies contain fields, rivers, mountains, and the lords and ladies who rule this internal landscape. It is a living ecosystem, with its demons and spirits who are nourished by our habits, either by our food or our emotions. So health […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":882,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[73,65,18,72,30,41],"class_list":["post-881","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tai-chi","tag-inner-landscape","tag-meditation","tag-qi","tag-tai-chi","tag-taiji","tag-taijiquan"],"yoast_head":"\n