Here in Colorado there are hints of spring. Yes, today will be unseasonable warm but we'll have snow again during the upcoming week. It's that in-between time.
Yesterday was the first full moon of the Chinese Lunar New Year, the Lantern Festival. Ken Cohen tells us this is "a time for family reunions, lighting lanterns, guessing riddles, Lion and Dragon Dances, and eating special foods."
Today I am turning my attention to dragons, tigers, and bears. I'll be practicing forms with friends in our beloved park. We're coming out of hibernation, at least temporarily. My motivation for our practice is found in this poem also provided by Ken Cohen.
Subduing the Dragon, Taming the Tiger by 毛玄漢 Mao Xuanhan
心中元氣謂之龍，身中元精謂之虎。性定龍歸水，情寂虎隱山。二家和合了，名姓列仙班。
The original Qi of the heart-mind is called the Dragon; the original Essence of the body is called the Tiger.
When the inner nature is stabilized, the Dragon returns to water.
When the emotions are quieted, the Tiger hides in the mountains.
When these two are in harmony, your full name will be listed in the ranks of the immortals.
Today we'll be pouncing like tigers, swimming like dragons, and moving like grumbling bears emerging from their winter's caves. The dragon forms will conjure images of water as we twist the spine, moving in reptilian fashion. The tiger will connect us with our muscles and tendons, as we stretch upwards and search for prey behind us and quickly pounce forwards. And the bear, well, the bear: slow lumbering movements waking up the body to what's outside our comfortable winter retreat.
Through our movements we'll be telling a story based on the Neijing Tu, the Taoist chart of inner alchemy.
The Dragon swims and plays in the deep blue water center of the body, the pelvis. It swims towards and then slowly up the spine. With every inhalation and exhalation it climbs higher through the lower back, the heart center. Twisting and turning its way into the cervical vertebrae of the neck, up the back of the skull and it finally emerges through the Bai Hui, the crown of the head. Here it enjoys the mountains, the sunshine, the clear blue skies, the light breeze. The Dragon relaxes, falling asleep at the crown.
The Tiger has been hiding at the fire center of the body, the heart. This is above the cliff you see in the Neijing Tu. This cliff represent our diaphragm. On this cliff you see trees, wood element, the element of muscles and tendons, the element of spring. The tiger also moves towards and then up the spine to the Bai Hui, the crown. Here it meets its arch enemy, the Dragon. But the two, feeling the warmth of the sun and the expanse of the sky, are drawn to each other and become the forces of Yin and Yang.
And the bear? Well, being the animal of the "in-between time," looks around, sniffs the air, enjoys a bit of sunshine, but then goes back in for another nap. The bear will commit to coming out of hibernation once it is confident that spring is truly here.
Tiger forms from a couple of years ago, the year of the Tiger
Dragon Forms by Konstantin Rekk
Be well, be happy, and follow your bliss
Brian
The source and inspiration for a lot of my thoughts, Ken Cohen
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