Questioner:
"You
would enter the house of a sinner?"
Jesus: "I would enter any house where I am welcome".
(Jesus
of Nazareth)
Complex
The sense of touch is actually quite complex.
Within the sense category of touch we may include: pressure, pain,
temperature, shape, softness, texture and vibration.
Tai chi aims to improve our brain's capacity to interpret and respond to the
data it receives.
Fear
There is a modern phobia of physical contact.
People quite often do not like to be touched.
Yet, touch is one of our senses and if we ignore it,
our world becomes far lonelier.
In tai chi we consider touch to be very important; by
working with somebody else we can help them
to feel how their own body operates and help ourselves as well.
We encourage people to become accustomed to physical proximity from the
start of their training, to relax, soften and be receptive to other people.
Open
A person cannot
very well learn self defence if they are uncomfortable touching other
people.
Even if you are learning tai chi just for health, it is necessary to work
with other people through partnered exercise.
Working alone offers no feedback.
Only through working with another person can you really begin to feel
what is happening.
Without a partner you will never know if your
connection is complete or your
jing
apparent.
The yin/yang symbol expresses partnership; the harmonious joining and
intermingling of two apparent opposites.
This principle lies at the root of all tai chi practice.
Communication
Touch is a form of communication.
When a person is afraid or ill, physical contact can help to reassure them.
If you are emotionally
calm and open to other people, this will be
transmitted through touch.
We can share our
compassion without the need of words.
Touch transcends the physical.
Softening internally will help you realise that you are part of the world.
If you want to interact with the world in a healthy manner, be willing to
relax your barriers and get in touch with
other people.
Page created 8 April 2002