emotional stabilization: general 723

Authoritarian patterns disturb one’s ability to find orientation within oneself and to make sense of and act sensibly in the situations one faces. The new alignment that authoritarian patterns cause suggests the necessity to find clarity and direction in external authorities which reduces the ability for self-reliance. The more authoritarian the external guidance, the less the relationship between one’s context and oneself is a supporting one and the more it instead is an instrumentalizing one (機心). The natural ability of the internal organs and the musculoskeletal system to collaborate effectively and constructively is disrupted. The potential of open spaces to unfold is destructively impacted by the compression and stiffening of their surroundings. (三十輻共一轂當其無有車之用) Trust in one’s own bodymind and its feedback is eroded. (信不足焉有不信焉) As the musculoskeletal system and the internal organs become disturbed and dysfunctional, emotional destabilization is a natural result.

I am primarily talking about this in the context of a bodymind practice and the issues one faces in daily practice because of one’s socialization. Since I am focusing on traditional Chinese bodymind practices that are conceptually grounded in the 道德經 Tao Te Ching and since the philosophy of the Tao Te Ching is essentially concerned with action and reaction patterns (無為、損、…), particularly with their wide-ranging effects on an individual, social, and political level, an individual practice is, both practically and conceptually, definitely not to be limited to the individual transformation that one can undergo in a bodymind practice alone. There is clearly a much broader horizon.

In Taoist philosophy (the 老子 Lao-tzu and the 莊子 Chuang-tzu) there is a clear focus on the multidimensional chain reactions initiated by disturbance. Disturbance is a vicious cycle. Disturbance is not dealt with by diving into more disturbance. A redirection to (more) tranquil settings is required to regain and regrow balanced and balancing relationships across dimensions (反者道之動、孰能濁以靜之徐清、靜為躁君).

Intellectual abilities to recognize and to reflect on observations are only one part in this. Caring for the whole, kind open eyes (面帶微笑、心澄貌亦恭), and broader perspectives are so essential. It is important to focus on overall vibrations and frequencies and their constructive collaboration.