Apr 18 • Important Documents
The Essence of Taikokyu from a broad perspective.
The Essence of Taikokyu from a broad perspective.
It is said that the way that we nurture our lives is the acquiring that one keeps oneself as fluid and flexible and viable as possible. One should not stay still for too long, nor should one exhaust oneself by trying to perform impossible tasks. One should learn how to exercise from nature by observing the fact that flowering water never stagnates and a busy door with active hinges never rust or rots. Why? Because they exercise themselves perpetually and are almost always moving.
Lao Tsu, Chinese Philosopher
This of course is the essence of the aphorism: “The Rolling Stone gathers no Moss.”
転がる石に苔むさず
Korogaru ishi ni koke musazu.
Taikokyu aims at keeping our bodies essential fluids like our blood, our hormones, our lymph and our vital energy circulating and doing what it does best; work to carry the vital life, force energy through the body as essence connective highways. Our prime focus then, through the gateway of Taikokyu, is internal, not merely external. By getting our Essence moving, like a flowing mountain stream, through deep focused (kokyu 呼吸 breathing, balanced and rhythmic physical, exercise and movement (undou運動). The body and breath are then harmonized, and our vital energy is circulated from head to toe through every organ system, and into all the tissues, fascia and cells of our bodies.
There are many priceless lessons from the great Masters that have gone into the making of our body breath awareness. The distilling down of all of this beautiful gifts and lessons has given Taikokyu the Essence of its principles. Our natural rhythmic movement is the foundation for cultivating Our Life Essence and our energetic response to daily living. The moderation in which we practice brings balance and is truly the key to the stabilization of all systems working harmoniously.
Hard and strong versus soft and pliable.
強弱柔剛 Kyoujyakujugo
When we are born, we are soft and flexible; when we die, we grow hard and rigid. So it is with all things under the great spirit.
Whether it be plants or animals, all soft and pliant in life, but as they wither, they become brittle and dry in death. Most indubitably to be hard and rigid is the way of death; however, to be soft and flexible is the way of life.
That’s not verbatim, but its how I remember the expression from an old book called the 道德經 Tao Te Ching.
As we continue to practice the physical aspects of our Taikokyu in all, it’s working body mind and spirit it takes on a completely opposite approach to the western form of exercise or working out. Taikokyu opens loosens relaxes and stretches our bodies, whereas the western form of exercise tightens, compacts, impacts and makes our bodies tense and anything but supple.
Rather Taikokyu is rhythmic and often performed quite slowly again contrary to western forms that are fast and furious.
When we perform Taikokyu, we are naturally opening our energy stores to collect vital life, force energy that leaves us feeling refreshed; in western par of exercise, such as running, lifting heavy weights, like bodybuilding or powerlifting and many of the field sports like football soccer, etc. simply deplete energy from our bodies and leave it Feeling kind of wasted.
I’ve always wondered why we feel the need to rec havoc on ourselves in such a way.
At the end of such sessions over a period of time, sure we might’ve gotten stronger but generally, this methodology may leave us more wounded, distressed and agitated, rather than pleased, soothed and restored.
Fact is you could go as far to say that Taikokyu is more like aerobic training in the true sense of the word aerobic. (Aero-air, bios-life.) I say this because the movement-drills and overall care that we take in our bodies through breathing and the recognition of the nerve Meridian Involve specific breathing engagement.
Because of this different patterns of movement and different breath exercises that are associated with these movements, tune, and rejuvenate different parts of our bodies, but the switching on of the cardiovascular system and oxygenating our blood system, and most importantly, moving the lymphatic system, either by moving and breathing combined or by doing self pressure therapy. All our most helpful in our general health.
Take for instance, our diaphragmatic breathing, and how that benefits the palpitation of the internal organs in our midsection, but also stimulation of the lungs and the heart above the diaphragm.
As practice continues, these wondrous exercises become habitual, and our body breeze and operates so much more functionally harmoniously.
Diaphragmatic breath alone can palpate the heart, soothe it and let it work so much more effectively and taking some of the load off of it. You can see then, that some of the main differences between Taikokyu and western exercise are quite large.
But probably the most essential thing that Taikokyu helps with is keeping our joints and Associated muscle and fascia healthy. Of course there are many joints in our body from head to toe. There are hundreds, in fact our spinal column is made up of a series of joints from the bottom of our skull to our pelvis, each with specific muscular attachment and nerve innovation. Loosening and strengthening the vertebral column muscles with Taikokyu related exercise is supreme benefit to overall posture and the functioning of our central nervous system.
Taikokyu movement will absolutely restore operational nerve impulses throughout the body, especially to the vital organs by eating in their function. Any tension along the spinal column can block or impinge nerves and of course, this stops the vital life force Essence through the channels and the functioning is depleted.
The encouragement of Taikokyu is to get to a place where we can develop our physical relaxation to such a level that our body responds through a wider range of motion and is not carried with tension daily. Are absolute imperative breath, work engages energy circulation throughout the body, which, of course, in turn registers with the essential energy for strong, spiritual mental and physical health. Tension and the constant tightening of skeletal muscle depletes, vital energy movement and becomes the cause for the breakdown of our bodies physically. Muscle tightness without expanded range of motion is tantamount to health failure.
Jay Sensei
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The Essence of Taikokyu from a broad perspective.
