Find Your Everlasting Now: How to Embrace Change and Connect to Your True Self, your Authenticity.
Everything changes. It’s the one constant in life, isn’t it? From our bodies to our circumstances, from our thoughts to our feelings, nothing remains static. But amidst this perpetual flux, there is an unchanging essence, a timeless part of ourselves that connects us to the Tao. The connection stems from our authenticity.
"The ancient child asks, what is it that is beyond opposites and extremes? To stand upright amid the tao source of life amidst the chaotic commerce. Reveal the mysterious channel of unlimited capacity with neutral will and intention. distant mind ever surprised distant thought ever alert distant traveler. ever aware." -Tao Te Ching Chapter 25-Lao Tzu. Translation by Sifu Fey
Tao Te Ching Chapter 25 speaks of being genuine and perennial, of connecting with your authentic self while simultaneously embracing change. It speaks of a force that is self-sufficient and not affected by external forces. It’s a beautiful paradox, isn’t it?
The Taoist Insight: The Tao is not a rigid structure but an ever-flowing river, constantly in motion, yet always itself. We, too, are both flowing and unchanging. Our true self, our core essence, is the deep riverbed, the ancient stones at the bottom of the water, remaining constant as the surface flows on.
The Modern Application:
• Drop the Masks: Let go of who you think you should be. Release the need to please others or fit into prescribed boxes. Dare to be your authentic self, even if it's messy, imperfect, and perhaps, a little unconventional.
• Embrace the Flow: Don't resist change. Instead, allow it to move you forward. Be like water, adapting to the landscape, finding the path of least resistance.
• Find the Eternal in the Everyday: Notice the cycles of life – the changing seasons, the ebb and flow of energy. See the unchanging essence within this constant dance of creation.
• Trust in Self-Sufficiency: Recognize the inherent power and wisdom within you. You are part of the Tao, a complete and self-sufficient entity.
Trust your inner guidance and allow your actions to flow from that source. This is not about escaping change but about finding stability within it. It’s about recognizing that even as the outer world shifts and transforms, your core self, your connection to the Tao, remains a constant source of strength, wisdom, and peace. It is a dance, an eternal dance, of being and becoming.
Playing Tai Chi is an extension of many ancient texts The Tao Te Ching and The I Ching among them. Tai Chi, mainly the Nei Chia Style of Tai Chi, is a physical embodiment of these texts. The postures are all designed to lead the players of Tai Chi to come to their own revealed knowledge. It is primarily an unfolding process. By playing the postures and engaging the imagery and the movements the player learns how to engage our connection to the Tao.
This week, practice acting from your authentic self. It is harder than you might think because we have so many conditioned responses to life. However, this revealed knowledge brings with it a calm knowledge of oneself and where we begin to find authenticity. A Great Way to start is to learn to play Tai Chi. For classes and times for our classes in Birmingham. Crestwood Classes. Vestavia Classes
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