Well, what is “Yi”? Some folks have a quick and easy answer to this question. It’d be along the lines of “It’s intent silly!” or “It’s just willpower – the mind over matter stuff”. Sure, why not? I guess we can all go home now, comfortable in knowing the meaning of “Yi”. Maybe next time someone asks us the very same question, we can appear equally clever by spitting out a similar answer.
Alas, but the truth about “Yi” might be a bit more subtle than this.
Sifu Jimmy Heow has said to me on many occasions that his personal training objective is to cultivate an increasingly greater understanding of “Yi”. In fact, as sifu puts it, the underlying purpose of the Wuji I Liq Chuan training system is to cultivate “Yi Dao” (意道) or ones understanding of “Yi”. Often he says to me:
Nishad, I can’t tell you or show you what “Yi” is. But I can show you the path so you can find the meaning for yourself! All of I Liq Chuan is ultimately about “Yi”.
And I believe him. Completely. Perhaps this “Yi” thing might not be all that obvious after all…
Now without making a grand (and clearly false) claim about completely comprehending “Yi” or suggesting yet another grossly inadequate label to slap on to the phenomenon, I’ll share with you a particular perspective, or a guiding principle if you must. It has helped me immensely in my own training.
To give you a bit of background, after I’ve been training for some time, there was a point where I wasn’t making a lot of progress to show for the amount of training I was doing. I started getting a little anxious for results. As a way to resolve this frustration, I started looking for ways to train better. It is during this time I came to realize that there is truth to a simple, often ignored idea. The idea that common notions like intent, will power and ambition might be a bit too focused on “doing” rather than “being”. As I looked more, it started becoming very clear to me that the process of spending large amounts of energy towards “doing” was causing much distress. It was creating a lot of insensitivity, anxiety and many negative consequences. I suspect this is probably because of the blind attachment to results inherent in notions like intention, willpower and ambition.
Even though these notions are heralded as great personal qualities which bring fantastic results to those who are devoted, they simply weren’t working in my own training and perhaps even in my own life. So I decided to depart from this approach familiar to us as night and day, to find something which might work a bit better. I began exploring ways in which I could focus more on “being” than “doing”. Turns out there is a very large body of practices from various different domains, cultures and spiritual traditions which aim to embody this very goal. I began feeling confident I could find something that I can start using right away.
And I did find something. It is the idea that one should rather focus on maintaining what could be perhaps better described as a sense of comfortable yearning, than focus on “doing” something to achieve a particular outcome. A yearning to observe the process by which a particular outcome takes place instead of struggling to make it happen. Sounds simple doesn’t it? Unfamiliar but? All I can say is that trying to apply this approach whenever I’m mindful enough, to my training, and to some extent my day to day existence, has rewarded me more than I could have possibly imagined. Just don’t take my word for it. Test it out in your own training. See if it helps!
So let’s look at how we can test this approach in a training setting.
Imagine you’re taking part in a sticky hands exercise with your training partner. Once you guys get going, your partner will be placing various forces on your body, correct? You are trying to not lose your balance and deal with your partners force, correct? Maybe you’re even trying to uproot your partner. Break his balance. Hard work isn’t it? Now think. Doesn’t this feel much different to how you felt at first when you touched hands with your partner? At the beginning of the drill before he started putting forces on you? Wouldn’t it be nice if you could experience the same feeling of comfort while your partner is trying to uproot you? Feel at peace even with all these forces he is putting on you? Okay, then let’s observe your partner for a second. He is really trying hard isn’t he? Isn’t it so clear to you what he wants to do? Recognize this strong will of his. Appreciate the effort he is putting in. Does it bring a smile to your face? Be patient and observe how the forces your partner puts on your body starts to disappear, leaving only that feeling of comfort and peace. A sense of stillness in the movement. Just watch how his will is not creating any discomfort for you anymore. Feel how you’re moving in perfect synchrony with him. In space and in time. Not rushing into him, not running away from him. Not too hard, not too soft. Is there a sense of frustration building inside him? Isn’t he becoming more and more scattered? Wobbly even? Is there a small sense of desperation bubbling within him? Now be nice and when you feel it’s time to stop, or to start all over again, just observe your partner getting uprooted, pushing himself out…. As simple as that.
Different isn’t it? If you feel that there is still too much struggle, ask your partner to slow down a little or put less force on you so you can maintain that wonderful feeling of comfort. But don’t let him go too easy on you either. After all we’re training. It’s okay to lose that comfort from time to time during the drill. When that happens, don’t struggle. Just find it again. You’l ll be much better for it next time. When it’s your turn, make it easy for your partner to cultivate this same process. After all we’re here to help each other aren’t we?
Please feel free to share your experience with this approach. I for one am eager to hear how it helped!
Until next time, peace, harmony and happiness to you.