Update: finding the slim man inside

A couple of months ago I posted about the beginning of a journey to find the slim man inside of me.

Since then, I’ve been walking everyday, practicing qigong, and generally trying to eat a more healthy diet. My goal was to lose weight gradually, but noticeably.

I’m beginning to recognize the man who looks back at me in the mirror, someone I haven’t seen in years. It was difficult at the beginning, but I’ve managed to form healthy, habitual behaviour.

I’ve lost a little over seven kilos (more than 15 pounds) and I feel better than I have in a long time. I’m just now realizing how much extra weight I’ve been packing around, because I’d like to lose another 5 kilos, if not more.

When I began my journey I assumed that, if I spent an extra hour a day exercising, I’d find less time to do the things I enjoy; in particular, reading. And I was right, but in a way I hadn’t envisioned. I’ve spent more time doing other things I enjoy, like writing a novel, and organizing our home: things I’d been ignoring for far too long. Who would’ve thunk?

Anyway, if your interested, I’ll let you know how I’m doing in 2014, after my annual Christmas/New Year gluttony period. For a while, I was worried about the winter weather and how it may put obstacles in the path of my walking regime, but I’ve decided to prepare for that by starting a serious foray into a tai chi chuan form (the 108 posture Wu style, with Yang influences) that I was taught over twenty years ago, a magical exercise that I can adapt to the confines of our condo.  If one pathway is blocked, other avenues open.

Life is filled with twists and turns, an amazing journey.

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On finding the slim man inside of me…

I seek the slim man inside of me and I’ve decided to walk aimlessly every day until I find him.

I see it as a sort of peripatetic Zen; a journey with no tangible destination — the ‘destination’  (a virtual node in the stream of existence) will present itself without conscious effort.

If I walk enough, without a particular purpose in mind, I’m certain to eventually happen upon the man I seek.

I think I’ll practice some Qigong as well; it can’t hurt, will possibly center my being, and will surely increase the density of synchronistic events surrounding me.

But I’m convinced it is the walking that will lead me to the man I seek: “…a man returning home by climbing over a hedge, to the surprise of his walking companion. Oh, how I love to reach home by climbing over the back fence, and to travel on bypaths!” [from the preface of Lin Yutang’s The Importance of Living(p. v – vi)].

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The Bubbling Well

To fully appreciate the artform of taijiquan, the bubbling well — the yongquan point — on each foot is extremely important. If necessary, massage it gently to become aware of its location. It is just in front of the arch of the foot, at the rear of the front footpad, in the indentation found near the middle. The yongquan point is between the second and third metatarsal bones, approximately a third of the distance from the webs of the toes to the back of the heel. The yongquan point can be sensed while walking, sitting (with feet flat on the floor or ground), and standing (even while waiting (patiently) in lines).

The bubbling well is the foundation of the root, which is the core of tai chi: the root must be developed while stationary and sustained while moving. The practitioner must find a balance between mobility and double heaviness, which is the pitfall of over-thinking and becoming too rooted.

The concept of rooting can be sensed while shifting weight from one foot to the other: for example, shifting from the right to the left, you can sense the weight flowing from the right leg to the left. As the weight is transferred, you can feel the energy at the bubbling well in the right foot pushing up through the leg, flowing through your hips and sinking down the left leg, into and through the bubbling well of your left foot, and into the earth (as a side note, while you sense the energy sinking into your left leg, your left hand becomes ‘active’).

Do not consciously grip the ground with your foot; rather, as the weight sinks into your bubbling well (the yongquan point), the foot naturally adheres to the earth, as if you are sinking into muddy loam. When weight is fully onto the foot, it should be spread naturally: you should not lean to either side, forward (majority of your weight on the toes) or backward (too much weight on the heels). Your weight should be centered on the bubbling well, but the weight should be spread over the entire foot: the big toe and the heel should also adhere to the earth (sink into the loam), and should not be ’empty.’

Standing postures — standing qigong (chi kong), or zhan zhuang (standing like a post, or tree) — are excellent exercises for developing the root, as well as improving posture and leg strength. I’ll devote a future post to standing postures, and revisit the concept of rooting when I do.

 

 

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