Digging In: Earth Soles

Before we see how Earth Palms work…let’s feel Earthy Soles.

It’s best if you can go barefoot and find some good, grip-worthy soil. Sand will do; maybe you can find a garden or a good lawn.

Otherwise, if your ground is frozen or your feet are fragile, then push your imagination through your carpeting, through your house foundations, and then: into the Earth.

• Coil your feet. Grip the ground, like you’re clawing at it, but gently.

Grip the ground, just a little more. Grasp the Earth with your feet enough so that you must sink into your heels—some weight remains on the outside edges of your feet and in the tips of your toes—center your weight in your hefty heel.

• Sink from head to heel.

Let your weight drop, flow, fall through your heels into the Earth.

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Sky Palms

Try this…

• See the Sky: notice its colors; see the sun or stars or moon.
• Hold your palms up. Notice the weight (even in your room) of Sky.
• Soften your focus and imagine: holding it. It—pressing down. Feel it.
• Resist the weight of the Sky. Hold it up…really.
• Lighten up. Relax, and let its weight sink through you.
• Enjoy your Sky.

Why Sky, Not Heaven?

Baguazhang Systems typically revolve around Eight Palms: Heaven, Earth, Fire, Thunder, Wind, Water, Mountain, and Cloud (some prefer Lake or River instead of Cloud). Following my eyes, I see Sky not Heaven.

Why? I can watch Sky from here. Right now.

Heaven requires believing. Heaven conjures mental images. Heaven provokes, for some, imaginary ideals. In my practice and teachings of Baguazhang, I avoid integrating belief systems. I prefer tapping the shoulder of perception. See what I mean?

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Baguazhang, solemn sister of Tai Chi Chuan, is well-known among internal artists. While she’s whispered about by Tai Chi practitioners and envied by Xingyi-ists, the diversity of her changing palms wraps a serious face around practitioners.

We take our practice seriously, almost religiously, certainly ceremoniously, circling deliberately the center of something. We walk around trees. We slip circles in mud. We step around and around posts and poles, bushes and barrels, and we saunter ‘round and ‘round on circles we find or circles we make on the floor, on the ground, or in the Earth.

We try to act humbly. But we’re so self-centered. Who else stares at themselves so much, so often, with such intensity? We gaze at our palms. We stare at our hands. We look right into those metacarpals, our eyes twisting and wondering right into our center(s). It’s so serious, self-centered circling.

She’s so deadly—Baguazhang with her rising, writhing, falling, coiling, drilling, screwing, turning, twisting—she’s very hot. Consistent play with power and passion turns Qi over into Jing! We learn Dim-Mak and Fa-Jing and we slip past, around, and behind opponents while attacking with multiple deadly blows. Our deadly practice with deadly seriousness provokes grace and beauty. The freedom of grace and power of beauty emboldens passionate practice: quaking Qigong sessions and round after round of form work, circle walking, and palm changing.

It is serious—sometimes too serious.

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