圖片來源/ Richard Moh 莫仁維

覺 Awareness
 

Looking back since my youth, the education I received is often times based on the pursual of excellence, getting good grades, going to a good college, and getting a so called dream job.  However, I had often times, wonder is that what I want?  And often times I feel what I learning wasn’t just enough.  There was something more that I would like to pursue, and it wasn’t about economy, math, science, etc.  It was something that can bring a holistic learning and well-being.
 

There are hundreds of thousands of way for such teachings, and each person has a way that fits best to him/her.   In Daoyin, the teachings are one such methods.  In simple terms, it is a set of movements based on the concept of 具身認知觀.   In all the movements we train one step at a time to revive our ability to 覺.  With 覺 we may awake some time contemplate about the difference between 生活學 versus 生命學, which sooner or later we will walk the path of 修行.  We walk the path of 修行 not in the form of seclusion to monastery, but one of practicing it in normal daily life.  Below are some of my understandings and by no means are the descriptions based on academic preciseness nor based on scientific researches, but instead are based on my experiences as a 行著 walker in daily life. 

 

具身認知觀  Self-awareness
 

In literal translation, 具身 (jù shēn) refers to the human body.  認知 (rèn zhī) means understanding and 觀 (guān) is observation, self contemplation, awareness, self-awareness, comprehensive observation, self-introspection, looking, and reflection.   Putting the words together, 具身認知觀 refers to the self-awareness through the understanding of our body wholistically or the embodiment of the  person wholistically. The wholistic body refers to oneness (一致性) of the 三丹田 (three Dan-Tien) or in other terms 精氣神 (Jin, Chi, Shen) or 身心靈 (body, heart, spirit).

The various sets of Qiji Daoyin movements, opens up and strengthens the different parts of our body.  And through the process of repeated practices and mixed sequences, we start to learn about our body.

 

覺 Awareness
 

For those who has practiced for several years, we have started to learn not only about the limits of our body, but also have started to learn about the forgotten abilities of our body.  Throughout multiple practices over years, we nurture the abilities of focus, persistence, being at ease, courage, etc (refer to the May 2023 issue) and hence begin to learn the 覺or awareness ability.  

 

感覺感覺 Feeling our Feelings
 

With the busy schedules of the modern world, have we slowed down to be aware of our body conditions?  Have we slow down to hear what our body has been telling us?  Are we able to hear the pain of different parts of our body?  Do we know how our joints function?  Do we know our own habits may influence our body conditions?  Do we realize how our emotions may affect our physical body?  Do we know the limitations of our body or do we know the potentials of our body?   It is a beautiful process to slow down, take things steadily and give yourself a few hours per week to be aware of our conditions.

 

無預設立場的覺 Feeling without presumptions
 

When we do movement, we feel the dynamics of the body and the interlinks of the nine joints (ankle, knee, hipjoint, lower spine, mid spine, neck spine, shoulder, elbow and wrist) through the eight principles of movements ( 螺旋 Spiraling, 延伸 Extension, 開合  Expansion & Contraction, 絞轉 Twisting (Wringing), 靜心 Meditative, 旋轉 Rotation, 壓縮 Compression, 共振 Resonance).  As we practice the movements of the different forms, we take one step at a time to feel and avoid presumptions of the dynamics.   It is easy to presume that we understand.  However, during each practice, we try our best effort to feel (being aware of) the dynamics instead of use what we were taught to search for understanding.  Take the process slowly and be at ease.

 

覺在當下 Awareness is at-the-moment, at-the-present
 

Awareness is not thinking, but rather feeling.  When we do daoyin, we feel our feelings at-the-moment we do our movements.   From this practice, we learn what at the present means.  Zen teachings teach us to work at-the-present.  For any task on hand, we practice to focus the task on hand at your best effort.   Zen is the at-the-moment 覺 awareness.

 

放慢腳步創造自我放鬆的空間 Slow down and create your space to relax
 

With the busy schedules and constant information, we strive to slow down, take things one step at a time and find ways to allow our spirit to settle down.  Minimize line groups, detach from unnecessary information.   Find a quiet place at home, tidy it clean, and let the place be where you can sit, contemplate and relax.  These actions are more allow to help us unwind, settle down and thereby allow us to slowly practice our abilities of 覺 awareness, and as such we to have the “dialogue with our body” ( 與身體對話 ).

 

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回顧我的青春，我所受的教育往往要我們追求卓越、取得好成績、進入一所好的大學，並獲得所謂夢想中的工作。但是我經常在想，那真的是我想要的嗎？我常常感覺所學的並不足夠，應該有更深的東西可以追求，與經濟、數學、科學等無關，而是一種可以帶來全然的學習和幸福感。

 

教學的方法有千千百百種，每個人都有一種最適合他/她的方式，而導引也是其中一種。簡單來說，導引是基於「具身認知觀」概念的一套動作，在每一個動作中一步一步地培養我們「覺」的能力。透過「覺」，我們可能在某個時間點開始思考「生活學」與「生命學」之間的區別，進而使我們走上「修行」的道路；「修行」的道路並非要在僻靜的寺廟中，而是在日常生活中實踐。以下是我的一些理解分享，不具學術準確性或科學研究，而是做為一個行者(Walker)在日常生活中的實踐經驗。

 

具身認知觀
 

「具身」是具體的意思。指的是身體和自身的體現，而「認知」意味著理解，「觀」則包括觀察、自我沉思、意識、自我意識、全面觀察、自我內省、注視和反思。把這些詞組合在一起，「具身認知觀」 指的是透過對身體整體的理解而實現的自我意識。整體指的是「三丹田」、也稱作「精氣神」或「身心靈」（身體、心靈、靈魂）。氣機導引中的各種動作套路能夠開啟和強化我們身體的不同部分，透過反覆練習和組合動作的過程，我們才能開始了解我們的身體。
 

覺
 

對於那些已經練習了幾年的人來說，我們不僅開始了解身體的極限，同時也重新認識了身體被遺忘的能力。在這個過程中，我們即正在學習「覺」 或意識的能力。

 

感覺感覺
 

在現代繁忙的生活中，我們是否緩下步伐去意識到身體的狀況？我們是否放慢腳步去聆聽身體訴說了些什麼？我們是否能聽到身體不同部位所發出的疼痛訊號？我們是否知道關節是如何運作？我們是否知道習慣會影響身體狀況？我們是否意識到情緒是如何影響我們的身體？我們是否知道身體的極限或身體的潛力？

 

只要每週花一點時間去關注自己，感受將自己慢下來、穩定的面對生活的美好過程。

 

無預設立場的覺
 

當我們做動作時，我們通過八大原理（螺旋、延伸、開合、絞轉、靜心、旋轉、壓縮、共振）感受到身體的動態以及九個關節（踝、膝、跨、腰、胸、頸、肩、肘、腕）之間的相互聯繫，每當練習不同的動作時，我們試著避免一切覺知的預設立場，只是跟隨著身體一步一步感受，並且緩慢、輕鬆地進行這個過程。

 

覺在當下
 

覺知不是思考，而是感受，當練習氣機導引時，我們感受在動作時當下的感受。透過這樣的練習，我們學會了「當下」的意涵。禪宗教導我們要處在當下，執行任務時，練習將注意力集中在手中的任務上，並盡最大的努力，禪宗即是在當下「覺」的意識。

 

放慢腳步創造自我放鬆的空間
 

在繁忙的日程和持續不斷的資訊中，我們試圖放慢步伐，一次只處理一件事，且找到方法讓我們的心神安定下來。減少社交媒體社群，遠離不必要的資訊。在家中找一個安靜的地方，好好地整理一番，這些行動更有可能幫助我們放鬆、安定下來，讓我們逐漸練習我們的身體「覺」的能力，並從而讓我們得以展開「與身體對話」。