a presence of mind
a mind that heals
that makes things better
makes things right
energetic – lively

From the Chinese perspective, emptiness is not, as one might suppose, something vague or nonexistent – it is dynamic & active. Linked with the idea of vital breaths and with the principle of the alternation of yin & yang, it is the preeminent site of transformation, the place where fullness can attain its whole measure.

—François Cheng

Relax sufficiently for your surfaces to bleed without losing their integrity.

Tropisms
Tendencies
Propensities

When, for whatever reason, I catch sight of myself in a mirror I get the shock of my life. Not because I've aged so much (I have) but because that image is so obviously not me. The creature looking out of those eyes is still the child – eager for, and amazed by, this strange adventure called Life.

My icons do not raise up the blessed savior in elaborate cathedrals. They are constructed concentrations celebrating barren rooms. They bring a limited light.

—Dan Flavin

relaxed yet not relaxed
tense but not tense

The closer we are to the point of failure, the more energy.
The further from that point, the more force.

What distinguishes the good student? They take things to heart. The head only comes in when they get disheartened.

error stems from the imposition of a priori categories

—Roch Charles Smith

The advanced student is often technically no better than many a talented beginner, she's just more full-time.

We subconsciously manipulate our world
to protect our tension (Ego)

Permanent vigil
(or as close as possible)

The poor student maintains a critical distance:
far too fearful to get close

What makes an event an event rather than just another occurrence is the presence of spirit.

Meditation: sitting quietly and letting gravity wash you clean. And what is it that washes away? Tension, self-image, Ego.

Just had one of those "Oh shit! I've been doing it wrong all these years" moments...

There are reveries so deep, reveries which help us descend so deeply within ourselves that they rid us of our history. They liberate us from our name. These solitudes of today return us to the original solitudes.

—Gaston Bachelard

Ego rules the empire

I spent 9 years at university, earning various degrees & research posts. I left when I realised that I wasn't going to find wisdom there, only over-specialised experts. Imagine my delight & relief when I encountered my Taiji teacher. Suddenly someone who spoke to my heart rather than my head.

Privilege:
empty over empery
energy over force
fluid over solid
process over state

It's all in the touch. The contact. The connexion.

Touch is everything & everything touches.

The teacher tells stories not to relay a narrative but to illustrate, or better still evoke, spirit.

Simplicity & lightness
form & emptiness
have become the
focus of my
practice

This life is really about showing up and doing the work, day after day, especially when you don’t feel like it. The practice supports this continuity.

—Steingrímur Gauti

Spirit is an onslaught. All day we are being bombarded by spirit, imploring us to wake up and take notice. But 99.9999% of the time we remain slumbering self-engrossed idiots.

Energy connects
the real & imaginary
making things complex