In our first Tai Ji class of the year, Miss Li began by introducing Quiet Sitting as something which everyone in that class might do, and which would help their Tai Ji. Though she emphasised it was better not to start unless one had the time and the right attitude to keep going consistently. In martial arts circles it would often be referred to as Jing Gong, or ‘quiet repeated practice’, rather than Jing Zuo, ‘quiet sitting’.
It is not a form of meditation, because the mind does not concentrate on anything, rather the mind does nothing ... very hard to achieve! By using the mind’s power to trace the circuit we assist the already existing flow of energy. Miss Li recommended that one not think of the circuit over the top of the head, as that can lead to high blood pressure: instead trace it to the back of the lower neck and then go straight to awareness of breathing out through the nose. Begin with just a few minutes and gradually build up: it can be built up to as long as 20-30 minutes.
She would not want to describe the effects in terms of Qi or heat, as that may set up false expectations, think of it rather as ‘ventilation’, of the back in particular. She also likes to feel her back ventilating in this way when doing Tai Ji.
In the Daoist tradition we focus on the body and on health, so it may not be as ‘high’ as Buddhist meditation, which is more connected with the ‘spirit’ and thinking processes.
