Friday, May 15, 2009

(Part 2) Suggested Mental Unification Paradigms of Wujifa Practices

There are as many different ways to train as there are different methods and frames we might choose to engage in doing. As this blog is about Wujifa practice, I’m sure it will also be bound to apply to other aspects or practices. Saying that, here is part 2 of the series and some more simple suggestions for other ways for practicing Wujifa, let’s say as an awareness practice, for an example as in standing.

Suggested Mental Unification Paradigms of Wujifa Practices (part 2 of 3)

Have you ever noticed how many different kinds of people there are? People have different personalities and different approaches in how they engage, how they train, and the methods of their practice. In Wujifa, let’s keep it simple and say in the practice of standing or side to side. Some people like and follow the belief that ultimately the key is in training the mind... others the body. Some would like to skip over basics and seek out and/or move right to more advanced practices or aspects. Foundations are always so important to whatever you’re building.


What I have noticed for myself over the years is “You are where you are,” and that is the simplest place to begin. Although, I want to say that it is also important to have skilled teacher’s (or teachers’) insights (we’ll leave that for another series.) Although, I will say having these insights and verifications are key for also discovering useful methods and truly making progress. At the same time, remembering that you are always the one who makes the choices is very grounding. In this choice, be honest with yourself and what you choose to do.



Personally, I believe the very basic practices are the most important, and where the most gain can be found time and time again. Simply remember, whichever door you chose to enter, the body and the mind are an important connection in whatever you do. Allowing these to connect and develop can be so helpful in rediscovering more depth in your training, motives, and overall outcome.



By noticing connections... and attuning with ones attention... and developing the options to explore the results of one’s intention with congruency one will discover these fundamental keys and opportunities. Here are some examples of ways to engage in them.


  1. A grounded Intention… Each person, his or herself, is responsible for their re-organization. Whether they know it or not, the power for change is with self. Owning this is a mind-set I believe is basic for practical self discovery and practice in Wujifa. In saying that, I will repeat that working with a qualified instructor and validating progress is also very important. It may take years to weed out the crap, as well as to understand what works for you.

  2. Experience... the body and mind "dance" in a sense that they influence each other... willingness to allow how they influence congruency is a response-ability within.... notice the word "willingness." Experiencing the dance is a key to the mindset, and for making personal progress.

  3. The Dance of Mindset… For example, trance as in Milton Ericson’s world is similar to what I’m talking about. It is more about letting the subconscious respond effectively and directly... there is a difference between zoning out while training Wujifa, and in trance, or (being "in" as in a focus that leads you to the door) entrance... allowing you to open (the entrance) to the possibility (the entrance) to change... "Notice, how, you feel"... and how you can... do this more... as you train.


Milton Ericson, in a paper titled “Hypnotic Therapy” (1948/1980b, p.461): The induction and maintenance of a trance serve to provide a special psychological state in which people can re-associate and reorganize their inter psychological complexities and utilize their own capacities in a matter and accord with their own experiential life.


More on this for those who are interested can be found at Google Books in: The Psychobiology of gene expression By Ernest Lawrence Rossi http://books.google.com/books?id=srNWwwslgjQC&pg=PA141&dq=1948+Milton+Ericson


Zoning-out while practicing Wujifa “stance” training for example is akin to, or a component of what might be called a dead-post stance. I will suggest that this willingness, this sub-conscious focus and how this engages RAS responsiveness is more about waking up, and seeing with new eyes as you train as we are walk through what I’m suggesting as the entrance as stated above. For example, notice how so many arts talk about the beginner’s mind. This beginner’s mind is or can be so helpful, as this can allow one the space to be critical in a “functional” way to what one is doing or what we are doing at the time. This is one form of personal “allowing” I find helpful, as there is always more to be revealed and discovered.


Notice... how many... useful ways... You can

Do this all the time... naturally...

Even when you notice those things… you

Might believe distract you... yet you notice

How they are really

Contributing to…

This place you find yourself

Right now


So, here is a practical simple focus one can start with: being open to noticing the feeling. Being, open is a keyword here: feelings can change as you grow and learn... also, over thinking for example, can bring too much focus, and a closing down... A “simple” focus in noticing may "ALLOW" more opening to noticing with congruency and intention to be discovered. The beginners mind, open to discovering and with the willingness to “eat bitter” (eating bitter for most people is a developed taste, and like a medicine, at times very useful), as well as the other more pleasant flavors.


The beginner’s mind I believe is so helpful in so many ways as you’re learning. Being open to discover… as it may be easier for one to have less ego attached to old habits and patterns that may hold back noticing of more useful practical aspects that could really boost progress.


I have found that self discovery and moving toward exploring this energy (I mean that in a normal everyday way) develops as we learn “how” to notice ourselves, and how we grow and change in the process. This is the unique opportunity for noticing, growing and caring for ourselves. This opportunity is not the methods themselves, but in the quiet time we take to look inward and outward (for example as we stand) and notice. Yes, that is still a method, depending on how you look at it... Yet, this is an opportunity to discover and train self discovery... within the method or process.



This is Part 2 of 3 in a series on some of the various mental unification paradigms various people use to assist in their Wujifa practice and training.

Click here to read: Suggested Mental Unification Paradigms of Wujifa Practices (Part 1)
Click here to read: Suggested Mental Unification Paradigms of Wujifa Practices (Part 3)

3 comments:

  1. Really great post, Rick. Your thought processes continually amaze me. My way in is kind of through the body, but I get stuck when the mental stuff gets a little flaky... How might I connect the two instead of flip-flopping between them?

    I was thinking today about what the mindset might be that would correspond to a grounded, relaxed, connected body, and how best to run V, A, and K processes in stance. I know Chen Xiao Wang says "Eyes closed, listening behind, calm down relax your body", but you and I have been working on having my eyes open so that I'd be more present. How would I best use my visual pathway right now in connection with my practice?

    You've talked about the zen practice of intense focus on one spot vs. global focus, and global focus tends to zone me out while one-point focus zones me in, so I'm going to play a little more with the one-point. Is that a good direction for me to begin right now?

    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey there ToDiscoverFreedom,

    For me... "noticing" where I have gotten or where I get stuck has and is a real key for me. I know that this series "Suggested Mental Unification Paradigms of Wujifa Practices" is a little bit wordy. Yet, for me it's when I have returned to, and have been "willing" to take the time to work on and with those aspects... that could have been called sticky points, that in time, I have found the answers, right there like the Daoist saying about "hide universe in universe" and then do the work. Most of the time these answers have been are right there in plain veiw for me when I'm ready to notice.

    Saying that, I would say that you are noticing what might be called a sticky point, or better said an oppertunity. Cool... and there is the key. Attention and intention, the oppertunity to nominalize with these keys. In China the concept "to eat" is nominalized as "that which is eaten."

    So I might suggest you simply continue to notice and in being aware, soon, it's time to eat and discover how when you allow your noticing to show up there it is "that which is eaten." This to me is one of the best parts of training and of discovering more about self.

    I posted a bit about different flavors in this second posting of this series. Bitter and sweet... and for some reason I'm remembering that really extra dark Chocolate meant for cooking and when I was a kid... it was difficult for me to understand how it could be used to make something taste so good. I didn't understand the art of cooking very well back then. So I ask to help my Grand Mother and I had a lot of fun too... both in hanging out and in what I learned...

    I guess what I'm suggesting is to start cooking with what you are noticing above... working with this oppertunity and I'm sure you will end up creating something, "that which is eaten"... sweet... just take the time to bake with this noticing and adjusting with the oppertunities you are noticing now. As I said at the top of this comment, so many times this is where I ended up finding the key.

    Thanks for the question and the helpful reminder as well.

    Thanks,
    Rick

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great post again! Something that has really helped me an immeasurable amount in my practice recently has been adopting an attitude of play, and playfulness.

    By that, I don't mean "frivolity" - I mean the way kids play...focused, intent, but experimenting, feeling, sensing, finding. It works!

    ReplyDelete