Subtle Lessons
Some lessons are not obvious. They can be so subtle as to go unnoticed for a long time. When I began Internal Arts I was partially motivated by the compulsion to gather as much information as I could, as quickly as possible.
My feeling was that the sooner I learned all the forms, methods, meditations, etc. the sooner I would become proficient. Yet most lessons contained an instruction such as: “Practice this for a month before adding more information.” I would add this instruction to my practice yet still look for the next, more advanced lesson.
Over the years I started to notice a problem. The lessons were not being internalized within me and I kept having to go back to their starting point. A case in point is Standing. While I was taught the purpose and function of this exercise, I tended to overlook the basic posture in favor of the more advanced ones. Why? Because the sooner I advanced, the sooner I would be good at the skill promised by the lesson.
The subtle lesson that I missed in all this was simple – slow down! Take the time needed to imprint the function of a given lesson on the mindbody system. Investing in that month of practice was important. Otherwise, the promised skill will remain unrealized.
In days gone by in winter climates, people had to adjust the pace of life to that of Nature. This is the approach that I eventually found was most effective. I adapted my learning desire to the pace of the practice. It required patience which was itself a valuable lesson.
Internal Arts function on multiple levels in one’s development. Try not to make my mistake of overlooking something to get what you think you want.