The body in nature must remain in balance. If you lose one thing, something else will replace it. For example, if you injure your right hand, it is likely that your ability with your left hand will increase. If someone loses their eyesight, then their hearing might improve. The body compensates by adjusting to its circumstances.
Gaining something is also a change which needs to be kept in balance. One thing we gain as we practice Taiji is sensitivity. As our sensitivity improves, we need to remember that our physical ability also needs to improve. If these are not balanced, then we can never reach our maximum potential. We can use our increased sensitivity to learn to understand our body and use it more efficiently. The more we understand a tool and how it functions, the better we can use it.
The yin and yang of our inner spirit and our physical well-being are in constant adjustment and balance. Right now, we need to practice at home, so we are using new methods to find better balance and make needed corrections to our form. We have been taking this opportunity to practice the individual moves separate from the form.
This gives us more time to feel and understand what our bodies need. If you practice going a little bit lower in your stances, even a quarter of an inch lower, you are going to experience something different in your practice. Challenging ourselves between our physical strength and our inner sensitivity will help us to reach our maximum potential.
