Greetings. I love this time of the year here in Port Townsend. There were a few pairs of shorts to appear at our Park practice, yet it isn’t too hot to be enjoying the sun. More and more sail boats drifted by in front of us, and Mt Baker looms snow covered in the distance. Paradise.
External Energy Field
In the martial arts, our first line of defense is our mind – a combination of what we call Yi, or head mind, and Hsin, heart mind. These two minds, or energy centers, work together to direct the energy that we call our aura or external energy field. This energy extends beyond our skin, and the distance is dependent upon the amount of chi we have. When we are sick or depressed, our energy field is almost non-existent. Our energy is required within just to carry on with the essential functions of living. When we are fully alive, or charged, our field can extend quite a distance, certainly a number of feet. When someone who is charged enters a room, all can feel this energy. And conversely, when in the presence of a sick person, we feel a sucking of our energy towards that needy individual. So our minds, which directs the movement of our energy, make up our first line of defense.
The second line is our skin. The skin is such a miracle in that it is super sensitive. There was a cranial osteopath in Tucson whom I knew, whose touch was so sensitive that he could feel a single hair under 18 pieces of paper. The skin is also super tough. Normally it takes more than 500 pounds of pressure per square inch to penetrate the skin and cause injury. Yet a constant, unrelieved pressure as low as one pound per square inch can do damage. We can take full punches and not get harmed, yet a shoe that is a bit too tight can soon bring us to our knees, begging for relief.
So the moral of this tip is to take care of the little things before they grow out of control. Constant worry is harder to deal with than an occasional crisis. The practice of Tai Chi will strengthen your mind and body.
Best Wishes,