The Tree in Training of The Circle

— by Allen Pittman

“We shall not cease from exploration
and the end of all our exploring
will be to arrive where we started
and know the place for the first time.”

— T. S. Elliot, in Little Gidding

Beginners or young people who need a lot of activity or introductory orientation to the circle can begin the circle walking exercise with a large circle of twelve to fifteen feet in diameter.

If you circle with a weapon add the length of the weapon to your height by holding the weapon straight up overhead and measuring the distance from foot to head – that will be a useful distance to train with. For example, if that height is eight feet then measure eight feet out from the center. This will cultivate the correct range of movement in space with hand-eye coordination.

With or without a weapon begin with the eyes focusing on the tree. Keep the body level and knees bent. How fast you walk the circle depends on the terrain and type of step. To condition the legs you can vary the steps. Circle with short steps for awhile then try long steps or high steps – raising the knees. You can also circle in a very low squat or stand very high when you need to rest or want to feel the musculature of the midsection. Feel the variations of step, terrain and circle size and practice for steadiness and overall strength and flexibility in the legs.

The younger son of Chen Pan-ling (President of the Chinese Boxing Association in Taiwan in the 1960′s) told me of one training implement used in circling: A bamboo pole with holes drilled in the chambers and steel shot put in. The pole was held overhead when circling. The weight can be adjusted by adding or taking out shot. The idea is to start with a light weight and count the revolutions around the circle. As it gets easy – add more weight. The key in this type of training is to realize you are working both muscular strength and aerobic stamina. If this is practiced daily, increasing the weight gradually – be prepared for a fatigue which will come often later in the day or even later in the week!

After you become comfortable with walking the circle at a 12-15′ diameter, come in a foot or two and circle closer to the tree. If you circle everyday you might come in one foot a week. Or if you really want to condition the body – a foot a month. By the time your circle is small enough to touch the tree go to circling around your outstretched hand.

Let your eyes look at your middle finger. Do that for about a month each day. Then go to circling around your elbow. Try this for a month. Then go around your own shoulder for about a month.

Next you will use your Tan T’ien or “Sea of Chi (Qi Hai)” point, which is your own center of gravity – four of your finger widths below your naval and anterior to the spine. That is, simply stand in one place and turn around your own center – toeing in and toeing out – with your mind in the Tan T’ien and at the head top – while watching your hand. Do not go too fast. The dissolution of dizziness or control of it is the objective.

Note that by this time you are occupying the place of the tree.

This is a return to some of the oldest Siberian Shamanism where you imagine entering a tree (an Evergreen tree) where you turn around, inserting your arms in the limbs and putting it on like a coat. The same action of “turning to go the other way” is the direct meaning of metanoia in the Christian tradition. This was the way – and still is in some places – where a shaman put themselves in communion with all time and space and the living and the dead (see Charles Muses’ The Shamanic Lion Path).

Videos

Bagua circle samples of Chen and Gao