02/10/2025
The deep emotions
One of the benefits of the spiritual training of Taiji is that beyond the physical benefits of health and energy we also gain tools of emotional management as our sensitivity into the subtle functions of the nervous system gives us earlier awareness of the effects of our hormonal and psychological patterns of response on the level of the body. This gives us a gradually increasing freedom from the animal responses of the body as we get better at catching ourselves before we fall into ingrained emotional patterns of reaction.
However, the greatest emotional benefits lie in the first level of our being beyond the body, sometimes called the deep emotions.
The deep emotions are beyond the physical and chemical patterns in the nervous system and the hormonal system, beyond the animal reality of our physical bodies, and is the source of our deepest most positive emotions independent of the temporary physical body. It is by feeding, nourishing and growing stronger our deep emotions that we gain not only freedom from the negative emotions of the body, but also allowing our deepest most positive emotions to take a larger and larger place in our lives.
Gradually the animal is reined in and selfless respect, gratitude and humility can take its place in our lives.
In the photo Taiji-master Patrick Kelly practicing yuantui(round arms,圆推) with his wife Marianne
