Unpuzzling

In other words, the attitude of the Tao — supposing we could personify it — would be to bring things into order by letting them go their own way. 

Alan Watts 

As I was teaching our Qigong class yesterday it occurred to me that learning how to cultivate and sense the flow of energy in oneself is a little bit like doing a crossword puzzle: as the answer to 17 across crystalizes, suddenly 22 down becomes clear. It’s fun! For example, I’ve recently been teaching acupressure points to bring healthy circulation and energy to the brain. Gently pressing on points while breathing and sensing how this encourages flow up through the back of the neck,”17 across” so to speak, very naturally helps us release the grabbing muscular tension that may be pulling our heads out of alignment. As our heads begin to release naturally and effortlessly upward, we may suddenly have a much clearer sense of how our feet are rooted securely to the Earth beneath us. That’s the “22 down”.

You know how satisfying it is when those empty crossword puzzle squares begin to fill with elegantly interlocked answers? That happens in Qigong, too, sometimes as quickly as during your very first class. Your previously cranky and out of sorts self melts into what may feel like magical harmony where body, thoughts, and emotions, instead of fighting it out among themselves, flow naturally into harmony. The really amazing thing is how this happens almost effortlessly, simply by allowing things to go their own way. That way is the Tao. It’s how things are when we get out of our own way.