I bought a Tai Chi book when I was 16 or 17 years old where I first learned the movements. Surprisingly, the 24-form movement came easily, and I distinctly remember being excited showing my brother that I can do the movements in the book.
SEARCHING FOR SIFU
The naivete approach without a teacher guiding me worked well for a time, and I was happy with what I did but after a while, I found myself searching for a teacher who can guide me through difficulties and roadblocks in the path towards improvement.
And, I found what I was searching for. A good teacher who taught us not only Tai Chi, he also shared his personal philosophy about how he approached life and living and his real world experiences on health and business. He started a vegetarian coffee shop back in the 90's, which did remarkably well, and even expanded a few branches before eventually closing down. I did my own vegetarian food stall thingy for a while, which closed shop a few months in it's existence, but that is another story to tell.
BREATHING IN HARMONY WITH THE WORLD
I became more aware about breathing when I started practicing with a sifu who also helped me understand posture, balance and harmony - with oneself and the environment - this was always emphasized.
The practice also helped me learn and understand the feeling of chi running through the body, which became invaluable in my energy healing practice later on. Makes me wonder now if it was all planned and not just petty coincidence.
I still start meditation with breathing, most of the time, but it doesn't really matter to me that much now, because eventually the awareness of my breathing comes around, whether I start with it or not. Whether I am meditating, cooking, praying, playing, singing and resting. It's just a natural part of being alive.
AWARENESS IS IN THE DETAILS
I learned how to direct chi from another teacher; the connection of chi to emotions, disease and mental health. It was great learning from so many #awesome people. It's really a grand scheme of many coincidences and series of events, and I'm in awe on how it all worked out for me.
I don't remember when I began to do what I call micro-adjustments during meditation but it works for me. I used to have that side-to-side or slow spinning movement from the torso and up, which was normal to me for a time until it went away. At any rate, I did not feel that it was a bad thing. It just felt natural. And for me, this is the benchmark that I always look out for: is it natural? If it doesn't short-circuit my thought process, or trigger a pain that might potentially lead to injury, and not just a roadblock to be removed, then it is natural. There's a subjective feeling that might be too biased and that's where the teacher comes in or a colleague to 'spot' you when you bench-press your awareness muscles. :)
I did not exclusively practice a single method or school so everything was welcome; all good. It was always the community that draws me to a group, much like the #naturalmedicine community now.
MEDITATION IS LIFE
I still don't advocate any particular meditative practice these days. It's easy to find groups and teachers. Just do what you feel is right. As meditation for me seeks to calm the mind, to be connected to your innermost being and be grateful to whatever life gifts you, it is a practice to remind us to be mindful of life and be connected to life itself.
It is an experience that can be shared with others, but ultimately a personal journey, because meditation isn't just about calming the mind, it is about connecting to the world outside and bringing the light of the Divine to shine on the world.
And I will end here. I hope you found some nuggets of wisdom in my ramblings about meditative practice, life and the people who helped me understand myself more. Wishing you all good vibes and a happy disposition throughout the day. Have a bright day ahead and keep safe. :)