Inner & Outer

Energy is nested: each of us is like a set of Russian dolls. Inside us there is as though another entity – an aspect of our totality – that has been called the Inner Child – waiting to be acknowledged, encouraged and accepted. Similarly, outside us – surrounding us – there is another entity – also an aspect of our totality – that has variously been called our Higher Self, fully realised Self, Guardian (Angel), conscience, etc – waiting to be trusted and surrendered to. In all likelihood these two aspects of us also contain and are contained – it certainly feels that way. Awakening the one inside unlocks our past – takes us to times and events as yet unresolved – freeing valuable energy. Becoming aware of the one containing us unlocks our future – our destiny. Both of these entities have definite structures and the student of Tai Chi should realise that whenever she reaches out to yield or attack, she is stimulating part of that large entity, and whenever she draws energy into the body – up the legs from the Earth, or from the environment and Heavens through the arms and sense organs, she is feeding and stimulating the smaller, contained entity. She should also be aware that the most important action of the body – turning/twisting – is also responsible for taking our awareness (and thereby our energy) into these two entities. The spiral tightens into the smaller one and relaxes into the larger one. Embracing and containing the smaller entity naturally makes us aware of the embrace of the larger one that we are contained within. Imagine cradling a baby and you instantly feel cradled in turn by the energy surrounding you. In a sense this is just Ward-Off energy.