Losing means shedding psychological barriers to the reality of the way,
barriers created by self-assertion and the accretions of mundane
conditioning.
(Cleary)
Skin
Your skin is an organ in its own right.
It needs to be flexible, strong, resilient and kept in good condition.
It is important not to neglect skin care.
When your skin becomes dry, it hardens and becomes immobile.
Over time, it will lose flexibility and tear more easily.
Breathing
You breathe
through your skin as well as your nose.
During
tai chi practice your skin becomes blotchy
as the capillaries open and you breathe.
Exfoliate
Whilst your body will shed dead skin naturally, it is beneficial to scrub
using a cactus brush.
Scrubbing will remove dead cells, invigorate the skin,
and stimulate healthy blood flow.
Moisturise
In the time of
Chuang Tzu, moisturisers were used to keep
the skin in good condition.
When skin becomes damaged and dry it will split.
The ancient Chinese found that this was a serious disadvantage if you wanted
to hold a weapon and wield it effectively in combat.
Moisturising is an easy and effective way to keep your
skin healthy and soft.
Massage
Massage is an excellent way to keep your skin pliable,
toned and healthy.
Feet (in particular) usually suffer from neglect, which seems absurd given
how much we use them.
Dynamic Balancing Tai Chi teaches massage as part of the
qigong
syllabus.
Tanning
Lizards are cold-blooded and lay out in the sun to
increase body heat.
Human beings are not lizards.
It is unhealthy for you to lay out in the sun.
You can become dehydrated, receive sun stroke and seriously damage your
skin.
Years of sunbathing will make your skin dry and wrinkled, lizard-like...
Page created 28 June 2002