Pushing Hands

Compassion is not pity. It is simply the creation of a benign and beneficient energetic space into which both your energy and the energy of the other are drawn. Compassion is the prerequisite of togetherness, communication and understanding. It allows, encourages and in some instances actually creates the Third Heart. Compassion is the bedrock of my teacher's teaching. Without compassion at its core a martial art is just the practice of overcoming others. With compassion a martial art has the opportunity to become the practice of creating connexion – creating life. Gentle, non-competitive Pushing Hands is surely the best way to practice and develop compassion – close enough to smell their breath and feel their heartbeat. The practice of being with another – spending tender time together with a gentle passage of energy and feeling – back and forth. Opening up in Pushing Hands is the key to making the solo Forms of Tai Chi meaningful – taking them beyond simple personal relaxation and development and into the realm of energy and communication. With enough sincere practice of Pushing Hands your energy starts to behave naturally – do its own thing despite the thinking mind – and the natural functioning of your energy is always to communicate – to seep and swirl with other energies.