Taiji is about balance, equilibrium; not repression. So if you're prone to emotional disturbance or mental instability, conditions you'd probably be mildly medicated for nowadays, Taiji suggests you strengthen your centre and root in order to balance and stabilise yourself rather than weaken or eradicate your feelings. Then your inner life, your imagination, becomes contained by strength and can be directed more usefully into your life and work. Unfortunately gaining such strength takes time and work and commitment. And it is a work that starts out terrifying you because it really threatens the ego. So the beginning of spiritual work is always difficult – painful – though also exciting and challenging. The work then is to keep it always beginning, to eschew the accolade of expert.