A glimpse of this morning’s juicy practice. A little stretchy, some movement, and lots of stillness.

This dynamic between movement and stillness is something the Doaists deeply studied to embody. Zuowang, which means sitting and forgetting, is what most people think of when they hear meditation. There is no goal or purpose besides stillness, and it’s a way of unlearning unnecessary movement of the body and mind. Another type of meditation is called Jindan, or Golden Elixir. During Jindan, the body (Jing) is quiet but the mind (Shen) is engaged. The body is structurally aligned and empty of intent or the desire to move. However the spatial mind (not the ego, but our perception of space) is active: we give attention to or feel into the space that the body occupies. Keeping that sensation, we spread awareness to the open space that extends in all directions, until the edges of the expanding universe. What begins to reveal itself is the distillation between our body (Jing) and energy (Qi). The body can feeling floaty or tingly, space and time can become fluid because they are constructed by the mind- but the fruition of this practice is a sensation that goes beyond our typical senses.

This practice shows yourself to you, and provides you with information about what’s happening in your body. I do not practice to change myself, but rather to observe the changes that are occurring. This cultivation practice is not creating anything, but rather using the right conditions to reveal what’s already happening.

Sometimes my practice looks like this. Sometimes my practice is lying on the floor and staring at the ceiling. Sometimes it’s belting my favorite songs. Other times it’s solo dance parties. It can also be crying, screaming, punching a pillow. Or taking a walk in nature. I don’t limit my practice to a mat or cushion. My practice doesn’t start or stop.