THE CIRCLE OF LIFE
In many cultures the circle is a symbol of power. The circle can represent seniors giving their lifetime of knowledge, wisdom and skills, back to the next generation. In our culture, the emphasis is on constant change, and the knowledge and skills of the past are not as valued as they used to be.
The circle also represents the constant renewal of the life-giving properties of nature. The ceremonies of many cultures welcomed each new season and celebrated the cooperation of human and nature. Imagine spending time welcoming each new day and each new season, rather than plunging headlong towards each year’s vacation or towards retirement. Celebration of the cycles of nature becomes an important part of the culture, as important as inventing faster computers and new cell phones is in our society.
I think we have all noticed that in one generation, people have become faster, louder, more frantic and less fulfilled. While we are told that fulfillment depends mainly on improving the economy and inventing even faster and more powerful equipment, we can also examine how repairing the cycles in our lives plays a part in our psychological and physical health.
One of the purposes of the Tai-chi forms is to allow the body to move in smooth, unbroken circles. This heals the “rush, rush, rush” modern attitude, and allows us to feel comfortable and relaxed in our bodies. I have noticed, in my years of teaching Tai-chi, that most people do not feel comfortable in their bodies. When you do not feel comfortable in your body, you do not feel comfortable among other people. You feel unsettled and not centered.
The smooth, flowing Tai-chi form also heals the attitude that life consists of always rushing to finish the next project. We have to run faster and faster, to get more and more done, so we can be happy at some unknown time in the future. The form gives us a few minutes each day to just be relaxed, happy and content in the beautiful feelings of the body, mind and emotions flowing with the cycles of nature.
In a society dedicated not to the cycles of nature, but to constant rushing, the form, or the Zookinesis exercises (or whatever similar practice you are involved in) becomes the daily ceremony reminding you that everything is alright because you are always part of nature. It reminds you that the ancient wisdom of our connection to nature is still relevant and in fact, is vital to our physical and psychological survival. By keeping you healthy in many ways, these exercises keep the circle unbroken. They remind us that it is often the simplest things in life that are the most fulfilling.
