A long time ago I copied the above sentence to my Tai Chi notebook. It is a powerful truth about spiritual practice and one of the most important reasons why I practice Tai Chi - emphasis on the word ‘practice’.
I remember a cartoon I saw many years ago. There were two doors: in front of one door there is a line of many people waiting to enter. The sign on the door reads: Tai Chi Lecture. In front of the other door there is only one person waiting to get in. The sign on that door reads: Tai Chi Practice.
The message is clear. It is easy to listen to conversation, even serious academic discussion, about spiritual practice and imagine that you understand it. It is quite another to involve yourself in actual practice. You can sit in a class and take copious notes on body mechanics and principles of movement, but if you never hold a posture or move through a series of them with presence, you are clueless.
1 comment:
This particular blog really hit home with me. Coming to classes regularly keeps me “good” you might say, but I struggle with a routine of daily practice. That isn’t to say I only practice tai chi in class. I do manage to practice on the weekend but often struggle during the week. The more stressed out I become over things that occur in everyday life the less I seem to practice, although that is when I need it the most. I wonder if others have this problem, especially the people who have 9:00 – 5:00 jobs. I would be very interested in any input others have on this topic. I’m open to suggestions!
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