A practice like tai chi is kinesthetically based. That means, the dominant sense used to help you experience and learn is the sense of touch. Or more broadly, your sense of orientation in space, your feeling of control and momentum, and sense of balance. There is a big difference between seeing a path in the forest and sensing all its details when walking on it. Are you aware of each little rock under your shoes? Do you feel the little variations of angles with each step? Can your feel the heat or coldness emerging from it? How moist or dry is the air?
The visual sense is the dominant sense in the body. And in today’s world of all-night lighting, TV, computers, digital window signs… our visual sense is highly over-stimulated. A good amount of your brain is dedicated to the processing of visual information. Your sense of balance is greatly affected by visual cues – close your eyes and stand on one leg for as long as you can. Then do it again with your eyes open. Notice the difference? Your visual sense is naturally far stronger than your kinesthetic sense.
If you want to experience a fascinating shift in your practice, you need to dampen your visual sense in order to let your kinesthetic sense get a chance to become stronger. Very simply, close your eyes of darken the lights! If you practice at night with a dimmer switch, you have a perfect tool at your disposal. If you have a safe backyard, try practicing outside in the dim lighting, and eventually on a pitch black night.
If you can find a way to dim the light that enters yours eyes (sunglasses maybe?) as you practice, you will develop a heightened kinesthetic sense. The kinesthetic sense is reputed to be the gateway to the world of intuition. Try it and see for yourself how differently you will perceive your world.
It is also better to practice in dimmer light at night as it allows your brain’s production of melatonin to adjust to proper levels. Melatonin is a hormone mediated by light. It allows you to get a good night’s sleep. Practicing at night in dimmer light is an excellent way to reduce stress, amplify your qi, and then combine it with a deeper state of healing sleep.
Most people never think of practicing in the dark. But id you can do it carefully (always put your safety first and accept full responsibility), you will make all kinds of progress that other people never will, because they are stuck in practicing the same way all the time. May you awaken your kinesthetic powers.
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