6 Surefire Ways to Circumvent the Loop

Taiji offers a good amount of relaxation-talk. Depending on who you talk to it can be the end or it can be the means. Physically, relaxation is the means towards efficient movement. Efficient movement is movement that uses only the necessary amount of tension required. The idea of relaxation is simple, but the execution takes ongoing awareness and care.

An interesting thing happens when we try too hard to relax—we create tension. We get the exact opposite of what we wanted. I touched on this phenomenon in my article Pistol Qigong is a Blast. Here, mental tensions create excess physical tensions. In general, the more we try to get our bodies to do something, the more tension is created. And that, in turn, negatively impacts performance.

In terms of relaxation, The Loop goes: mentally strain to relax–>create physical tensions–>poor performance–>mentally strain more to relax–>more tensions–>poorer performance–>…etc.  This is what I refer to as the Negative Relaxation Loop. We’ve all be there and hopefully through experience we found ways out.

The following 6 methods interrupt The Loop in my practice.

6 Ways to Circumvent the Negative Relaxation Loop

1. Shake it off. Use this one in the context of solo forms. A nicely placed “Pah!” is like hitting the reset button. Sure, a vigorous shake might not be in its rightful place according to the teachings, but that’s okay, you need it.
2. Breath. Attend to your breathe. Belly-breath into the tensions you want to release. Fill tensions with breath and empty them while expiring.
3. Slow Down. Use this one in partner work where a violent shake could be dangerous. As tensions created by the Negative Relaxation Loop escalate, you put yourself and partners at risk. The pace quickens with mounting tensions whereby mistakes can be costly. Take time to slow down and breathe.
4. Indulge. Instead of fighting your tension, indulge in it. Deliberately create tension where you’re trying to relinquish it. Find it and bare down on it. Hold it for a bit. What does it feel like? Release it. Again, what does it feel like? If we can figure out how to create certain tensions deliberately, then we should be able to figure out how to alleviate them.
5. Take a note. Mentally note how you’re talking to yourself when you’re in The Loop. Be nice. Understand. You’re learning and you’ll always be learning. Forgive yourself for not being perfect (an unrealistic ideal anyway). You may even notice more pervasive mental themes that aren’t exclusive to your Taiji practice. As opposed to the previous methods, the interruption of The Loop isn’t as immediate.
6. Get out of the way! Chances are your body knows how to do what you want it to do. It’s probably done it before. Let it do it again. Instead of thinking about doing it, do it. Better yet, don’t do it, let your body do it or let it happen.

If you have other ways to circumvent The Loop, please share them here. [This article was first published 01 February 2009.]