Moving Meditation

[

THIS

ARTICLE

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PUBLISHED

REDICTION

MAGAZINE

, NOVEMBER 1998

]FOR CENTURIES MARTIAL ARTISTS HAVE KNOWN THE SECRET OF UNLEASHINGTHE UNLIMITED POWER OF THE UNCONSCIOUS MIND. NOW NON-MARTIAL ARTISTSCAN ALSO BENEFIT FROM THE TECHNIQUES OF `CONSCIOUSNESS IN ACTION'If you were foolish enough to run very fast down a flight of stairs with your eyes closed you wouldcertainly fall. If you ran down the stairs with eyes open yet concentrating on each individual stairyou would also fall. Why? It is a matter of extremes. We fall with eyes closed because we cut offvisual awareness completely. But when we try to focus on each step our conscious mind is unable tokeep up with our feet so we fall. So both cutting off awareness and focused concentration do notwork when the body has to perform at speed. Although if we walked very slowly down the stairs wecould do so with eyes closed or concentrating on each step without falling. The trick of runningdown stairs (which children master intuitively) is a balanced awareness. We look at the steps infront of us without concentrating on any one of them. Our unconscious mind then intuitively leadsour feet to each step - even at rapid speed - and ensures we do not fall over.This concept of letting our unconscious lead us (because the conscious mind is too slow andlimited) permeates the martial arts and creates the quality of "invincibility with no-effort". InKyudo, the Japanese Art of Archery, conscious effort would imply the likelihood of error but byletting the unconscious lead, the archer finds that missing becomes impossible. Chinese andJapanese martial artists masters use this unconscious no-effort to allow them to defeat severalopponents single handed.So how is this almost super-human skill achieved? Paradoxically, the martial artist must first trainby focusing his conscious mind on physical techniques in order to open the door to the unconscious.Practices such as Tai Chi Chuan and Zen-influenced disciplines such as Kyudo, Fudo, (calligraphy),the tea ceremony and flower arranging are all forms of moving meditation which free theunconscious mind. The slow and deceptively simple movements of such practices demands abalanced state of mind which is the essence of the martial arts. This mysterious state ofconsciousness can be defined as simply paying great attention to every movement, posture and

gesture. The Tai Chi Chuan form, for example, is rather like walking very slowly down a flight ofstairs being aware of where you are placing your feet. If we suddenly had to run down the stairs wewould intuitively `switch off' conscious attention and our unconscious mind would take over.Similarly, when we pay attention to the slow and meditative movements during Tai Chi Chuan'ssolo form, we can, if attacked, react instantly and our unconscious will lead us beyond meretechnique to invincibility.Can it really be as simple as that? Yes. But the difficult thing is maintaining the balanced state ofmind needed during moving meditation. Many people have learnt the physical movements of theTai Chi Chuan solo form but have been unable to gain the psychological benefits of Tai Chi Chuanas a meditation. This is because they could not attain this mysterious balanced state of mind. Sowhy is it so difficult?While learning Tai Chi Chuan solo form students focused attention on every movement; this meansthe conscious mind is totally absorbed in the learning process. But after learning the posturesthoroughly, many students find that something is “missing” - it is as though the spirit of thepostures has been taken away as soon as they are mastered. Where does the spirit go? Theexplanation is simple. While learning the movements, the students’ conscious minds are fullyoccupied but when the postures are mastered they become so familiar the conscious mind is nolonger needed and becomes `bored'. Then the postures are practised automatically (the body beginsdoing one thing while the mind is elsewhere). In this split state the conscious mind wanders idlysearching for things to do; we begin to think about what's for lunch or worry about tomorrow’smeeting or if we have to go to the dentist. The mind and body are separate and energy is dissipated.This automatic pilot is sometimes beneficial. For example when driving a car we don't want to thinkconsciously about each movement when changing gear because we need a broader awareness ofwhat’s going on around us. But in moving meditation attention to detail is necessary to become`whole'. The physical movements of Tai Chi Chuan are `dead' until we bring them alive with ourmind. The body is like a train set. Our will (conscious intent) is the electricity and when the currentis switched off the train must stop. So we must become continually attentive to every movement. Ifthe mind wanders we must stop moving because the intent is lost. Eventually, pauses the form willbecame less frequent as the conscious mind becomes used to being fully attentive to the postureswithout wandering. Then the form becomes whole again and Tai Chi Chuan is experienced as aholistic moving meditation; mind and body working together. But there is more to movingmeditation than just mind and body.The ultimate aim of meditation is the union of body, mind and spirit. The expansion ofconsciousness leading to spiritual enlightenment comes from the unconscious mind and in my

opinion moving meditation has a distinct advantage over passive sitting meditation in creating aconducive environment for this to happen.

Moving meditation V Sitting Meditation

Many people meditate sitting in lotus position trying to empty their minds and expand theirconsciousness. In fact this often proves difficult. When our conscious mind is `empty' thoughts andfeelings flow in because a vacuum has to be filled. The sitting meditator has to make consciousefforts to deal with these intrusions. So by attempting to empty our minds we often achieve thereverse. On the other hand moving meditation occupies our conscious mind by a simple physicalactivity and leaves our unconscious free to work its `wonders'.Moving meditation has many applications outside the martial arts too. If we are worrying about animportant interview or exam it is better to go to the cinema the night before rather than stay up lateand study or work on what we are going to say. In the cinema our conscious mind will be absorbedin the sights and sounds of film allowing our unconscious to solve any problems or rememberinformation that is too complex for our limited conscious mind to grasp. If I have a problem I take afew moments to focus on it then practice Tai Chi Chuan making sure I am attentive only of mymovements during the form. Some time later - it could be hours or a day or so - I usually have theanswer which has been solved by my unconscious.But why does moving meditation so often succeed in expanding the consciousness (as manyotherwise down-to earth martial artists will testify) while many sitting meditating nirvana-seekersare disappointed? The secret is that in giving attention to simple movements the conscious mind isdoing what it does best; working within limitation. One's unconscious is freed and works in parallelto bring up occasional insights of great profundity and feelings of peace and wholeness whereeverything fits in place. Thus, without striving for enlightenment (in fact ignoring the unconsciouscompletely) we have expansion of consciousness within the limitations of a moving form. Thepragmatic oriental mind discovered with the martial arts and other forma of moving meditation thata `prison' of form ultimately liberates the spirit whereas the “wide plane” of emptiness produced insitting meditation has nothing to focus on so we are drawn to wandering thoughts and emotions.This is why many sitting meditators are taught to pay attention to their breathing; it creates a `form'that the conscious mind can focus on.There is a wonderful poem in Lao Zi’s Tao de Qing for the concept of becoming free withinlimitation; `Without going out of the door we can know the World. Without looking out of thewindow we can know the way of heaven.'Relaxation is essential to attain a meditative state. Yet it is an illusive quality; if we `try' to relax we