I receive many enquiries from readers wanting to know why I post poems on this blog. It is not just because I like poetry. It is because there is something about the way a poem and a poet gives that, for me, precisely models the way we as students of Tai Chi should give. Energetic connexion requires unconditional giving. No holding back. And it's not just giving the bare minimum, it's giving whole-heartedly with friendly enthusiasm – overflowing with giving – so that the channels of giving never get a chance to close down.
A while back I posted two beautiful photographs by Astrid Korntheuer, nicked from her website that I had chanced upon accidentally. About a month later I received an email from her threatening to sue me if I didn't remove the pictures. In contrast whenever I post a poem from a living poet it usually isn't long before I receive a friendly email from them thanking me for firstly reading their work, and secondly giving it exposure and introducing it to a new audience.
Back about 1987 when I was deep into practising Tai Chi all hours of the day, one of my colleagues asked our teacher why he hadn't asked me to teach for him yet. His reply was, "I am waiting for him to develop sexual charisma." At the time I thought he was being flippant but later I realised that sexual energy is just energy and what he meant by sexual charisma was enough good energy to draw peoples attention in and create a healthy (flowing) connexion.
I'm just trying to say that I feel it wrong if we as teachers mete out our knowledge. The action of giving takes care of what's given. We need to have exactly the same kind of relationship with everything in our lives. The model is the one with the Earth. If it's not relaxing, free-flowing and opening (expanding) then Tai Chi is reduced to body-mechanics and the only energy is kinetic.
1 comment
a pity about Astrid - i loved that picture, and wouldn't have even heard her name if not for your noble theft. i steal many fine pics (usually of girls) for my blog but always credit them, and hope the photographers won't mind.
i've always felt the jealous hoarding of a gift (the ability to write or take photos, for example) is liable to diminish the gifted in some way. It's one thing to be careful about one's livelihood, of course; but i think the openness of spirit that one has during inspiration should be maintained if possible at all times, though alas many great writers were mean-spirited people when not actually writing. i worry that not being open will shut you off from further inspiration, and so it's best to be as generous with giving as you've been generously gifted.
i don't think you can really read poetry without going into it, opening yourself and entering into the poet's vision, which means it enters you - been reading some HD this afternoon, aloud, it's like possession, but do you possess the poem or does it possess you?
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