14/09/2026
Yesssss - and this is why practice is a life long exploration. Thank you Qi Journal! ###
The way most people see it, practice is something for which we allocate a certain amount of time. This might involve meditation, practicing qigong, going through a Taijiquan form, controlling our breathing, or simply sitting in silence until the mind has calmed down. After that, the session is over, and normal life once again starts.
However, from the point of view of Daoism, that distinction is not clear. Though practice may start in stillness, its true value is seen somewhere else.
Feeling at ease in a quiet room is easy; but when someone interrupts us, when traffic slows, when our plans suddenly change, or when a thoughtless comment offends our pride, it becomes harder. Although these situations may appear unimportant, they actually show a great deal about our spiritual development compared to a calm half hour of meditation.
It is possible to feel warmth, lightness, spaciousness, or a deep quiet as a result of practice and yet still get bothered by a small inconvenience just ten minutes later. This does not indicate that the practice has been a failure; it only shows that the qualities we have experienced have not yet become firmly established.
The practice of Daoism has never been concerned solely with inducing unusual states; its true aim is transformation, which involves gradually altering the way we respond to various circumstances, to other people, and to ourselves.
That's why ordinary moments are important.
Activities like eating a meal, washing a cup, walking across a room, waiting for the water to boil, listening to someone speak, or noticing fatigue before it turns into impatience. never seems particularly important, yet together they constitute most of a life.
We frequently fail to notice them since our attention is occupied elsewhere. At the time, we are occupied with thinking about something that had happened before, looking forward to what is about to happen, going over a conversation, checking our phone, trying to solve a problem, or merely going through familiar actions automatically.
Perhaps an ordinary moment is only ordinary because we were not fully present for it.
The Daoist tradition always leads us to what is simple, near us, and natural. Instead of encouraging us to seek constant excitement or remarkable achievements, the Daodejing once and again emphasizes simplicity, sufficiency, quiet, and the idea of returning.
The fact that it can return is true no matter where.
It occurs when we become aware of unnecessary tension in our shoulders and then release it. It occurs when we listen to someone without first planning our reply. It occurs when frustration starts to grow and we detect it before it takes over. It occurs when we taste our food rather than eating quickly.
It doesn't involve converting each action into a formal mindfulness exercise. Attempting to be intensely aware of every sensation can in fact take on the character of another kind of strain. Daoist practice is generally more subtle in this regard. Rather than keeping a close watch on every moment, the aim is to be less detached from our own lives.
It is still necessary to follow formal practices. Meditation shows us how to get ourselves settled. Qigong teaches us how to control our breathing, our posture, our intention and our movements. Taijiquan teaches us how to stay balanced when the circumstances are constantly changing.
Every day life provides us with an opportunity to put what we have learned to use.
Eventually the difference between practice and everyday activity may start to fade. The calm attained while sitting can still be present when walking. The relaxation developed through qigong might show up during a difficult conversation. The balance achieved in Taijiquan might turn out to be more than just physical.
At that stage, practice is not any longer limited to the time we have set aside for it.
It is in our lifetime that practice actually makes the most difference.
