Sky Palms in Baguazhang
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?
The world is rich and diverse and wonderful as it is…take a look. You do not need to strain it through beliefs, nor encumber your experience in abstractions. See it, hear it, feel it, smell it: the world is right here.
Start with Sky.
You can see it. And at some point in your training…
You can feel it. (Maybe that’s Heaven.)
posted: 25 Oct 09
author: Steven Smith
twitter: Sky Palms in Baguazhang
I love how Bagua connects you to everything around you. This is as real as it gets. Love to use my imagination, but I agree that you have to pay attention to what it really is, what you really feel.
My favorite thing is that this stuff is absolutely devastating in martial application while still diving so deeply into so many areas of yourself and those things around you.
Connect with animals and understand them better. Hey Steven – any plans to write on that?
Love digging into the palms!
Nate,
Yeah…I like when imagination supports experience rather than filtering or twisting it.
I’d love to write on animals, but it will require more tangible experiences. The wilderness area east of me may provide that.
It’ll be a while before the 64 Changes are published and complete here. In addition, when I dig into real connections to animals, expect some shifts away from magic creatures like unicorns, toward real animals, like elk.
Imagine an elk horn weapons form…
Steven,
I have a question for you. Do each of the respective 8 Mother Palms’ properties (such as Fire “clings”, Water is “abysmal”, Mist/Cloud is “joyous”) also inherently describe their martial energies, and if so, what are they?
Based on my experience, I would guess that Sky lifts, Earth squashes, Fire blasts, Thunder smashes high, Water crushes low, Wind pierces, Cloud drills, and Mountain cuts.
This is just a guess, however…
Peace.
It’s a good question.
More details will follow in January with some Palm Changing shows…but briefly consider this…
It’s best, I think, if the palms do not contain just one feeling. Fire, for example can blast but one would not enjoy sitting by a blast furnace. So let’s give the palms a range of options…not just martial, but a spectrum.
Good response. Thank you, Steven.