My Meditation Practice Today
Posted on Wednesday, May 02, 2007 at 6:14 PM by Sifu Smith
Posted in Chi Kung, Meditation, Raleigh
I went to our favorite park today to practice. It was a warm 90 degrees when I got there at 1 pm. Nearly 18 years of nearly daily Zham Zhuang and Yi Chuan practice their have been many excellent experiences, and some not so. Today was a funny one. I was about 30 minutes into my meditation practice, between two oaks and near the creekbed. The sweat was pouring, and it felt great to be circulating, the chi was strong. All was calm, when within just a split second I felt something run up my leg. Yikes. I bounced instinctively and was startled.
It was a 5 inch chameleon lizard, that was apparently running from shade tree to shade tree and thought I was the next trunk. I was laughing as the little bugger just scooted off under the next shade and relaxed and I managed not to break my position. After that the next 15 minutes my mind went back to other exciting and learning experiences.
Once while watching Wild Discovery, they were reporting how most bees do not want to perish, so when they sting you, if you are still, they will pull their stinger back out and take off. If you practice Zham Zhuang long enough outside, their will be a spring morning where a pollinating bee will come by to visit. It is good to report that the TV report was correct. At least two are three time, I have watched on land on my hand, deliver, remove, and take off.
One cool fall morning, in the woods, I heard this hopping, and pretty soon a rabbit was withing just 2 feet. Its little nose was twitching, as if he was smelling the air. I knew he was looking for me, but with my brown coat and black pants, and complete stillness, he was quite making me out. So when I gave a little "pssst", he bounced a good foot in the air and was gone.
Three years ago, one fall afternoon, I heard this big rumbling in the woods about 30 feet away. I was a little concerned because I knew their was plenty of wildlife in the area. I held in their, and this beautiful young deer put her head through the brush and was looking right at me. Neither of us moved, then another rumble, she turned her head, and then there was a very good size buck standing beside her. Having grown-up in the country and seeing what a buck can and will do during mating season; I pulled that practice in and moved to higher ground.
I have learned that most people fear what they don't understand. Countless instances where parents are walking their kids through the park and they see me practicing. The kids will ask their mom, "is that a statue", "is he real"? The parents will come up with some kind of answer and just tell the kids to keep on going. We were practicing one day and one child was sneaking up behind one of my classmates with a stick, preparing to poke him to see if he was real. Then a bellow, "hey kid, go find your mother" came out. Sifu Chin had caught the activity and adjusted it. My classmate never moved.
And the last one for today. Ten years ago, in Fayetteville, I was practicing standing meditation on a summer morning. I had been there for almost 45 minutes and in that time I heard a couple voices yelling "hey you", "what are doing"? That had happened so many times before I just ignored them and stayed with practice. Then a rumble, 10 feet away, then another, and this time I saw what it was, they were throwing stones down at me. I took a breath and pulled practice in. When I turned there were three men on the hill above. They said "what in the *x*$" are you doing?" I told them "this ain't going to happen" as I walked toward them, one said, "are you crazy, there are three of us". "We will find out" I responded, and they scattered.
This was one of the strongest realizations I had that it is the unknowing that spook people. If I would have doing jumping jacks or pushups, like many others out there that morning, they would have had no problem. However, since I was still, and not responding to their verbal probing, it made them nervous.
Master Chin always says, "the real kungfu is invisible". It is not in the technique that one practices but the integration and chi that makes it work. It also that invisibility that leave people wondering; "what is he doing" and "how did he do that?"
My Meditation Practice Today Edited on: Thursday, May 03, 2007 11:54 AM