Balance

It is more than just physical balance we wish to attain. There is spiritual, mental and emotional balance as well. In fact, it will be impossible to achieve true balance if any of these aspects is out of line. In saying that, the balance we try to achieve is a balance in flux. It is constantly changing, as we ourselves are constantly changing. If we imagine a state of perfect equilibrium, we would be wrong. The ancients believe that a state of perfect equilibrium is death. Life is movement. So anything that forces us to move keeps us alive.

So in practising Tai-Chi, we need to test the limits within which we can still recover. If we move our body weight to the left, how far left can we go and still recover? Why is this important? If we are close to perfect balance (and life is perfect!), something will happen that will cause disruption. To use a physical example, if you are going for an evening walk, a jogger may come round the corner and bump into you. You will be pushed to one side. If you practise Tai-Chi movements regularly, you may be able to move so as not to be pushed past the limit of recovery and therefore not fall.

How does this apply when you are practising your movements? When you shift your weight, go as close to the limit as possible. Beginners tend to stay close to the centre and therefore closer to death. When they take a step, their movements become jerky because they have to shift their weight quickly to one leg in order to free the other to move. Not only is it not graceful, it is actually slow and inefficient.