Internal harmonies

Shen fuels intention which in turn directs the energy:

1. Shen (spirit)
   - emotional content: "the shen is like that of a cat about to catch a rat" (Wu Treatise)
   - vitality "When the shen is raised, there is no fault of stagnancy and heaviness." (Wu Treatise)
   - at one with the moment/immersion "The shen is relaxed and the body calm. The shen is always in the mind." (Wu Treatise)
   - loss of self, ego, self-consciousness, vanity, pride
   - The Tai Chi Classics speak of shen being the focus, not qi
   - shen can be seen in every movement and in your eyes
   - not macho, fearful, angry, frustrated or aggressive, competitive - "Inwardly make the shen firm, and outwardly exhibit calmness and peace." (Wu Treatise)
    
2. Intention
   - intention is not to be confused with 'willpower' (forcing)
   - it is about coordinating mind and body; having your mind in the here and now, feeling your body itself and relative to another person
   - clarity, awareness, presence
   - going with the flow; yielding
   - adapt, change and improvise
   - respond to what is taking place, not to thoughts, opinions or ideas
   - intention enables the student to manifest specific jing - "If the mind wants to move upward, it must simultaneously have intent downward." (Chang San-feng)
   - "Throughout the body, the intention relies on the shen, not on the qi. If it relied on the qi, it would become stagnant." (Wu Treatise)
    
3. Energy
   - bad poise/posture putting the body under duress
   - the need for moderation; not too much, not too little... just enough
   - failure to rest, relax, stop
   - time management/commitments, personal life, work
   - gaps & deficiencies "The whole body should be threaded together through every joint without the slightest break." (Chang San-feng)
   - "In motion the whole body should be light and agile, with all parts of the body linked as if threaded together." (Chang San-feng)
   - removal of impediments: tension, stiffness, compressed cavities, closed joints, collapsed muscles, pushing (physically & mentally), hands too close to the body or too far away, thinking 
   - 'dead movement' - when a movement ends and then a new one must begin afresh "Taijiquan is like a great river rolling on unceasingly." (Chang San-feng)
   - failure to perpetuate the use of energy is a mistake in taijiquan (solo/form or partnered/application)
   - stretching, exaggeration, over-commitment, disconnected movement and exertion are all physically taxing; wasting energy
   - applications of a start/stop variety fail to use energy skilfully
   - jing-based practice- lightness, agility & grace "A feather cannot be placed, and a fly cannot alight on any part of the body." (Wang Treatise)- not li (force against force, more than 4 ounces of pressure exerted by you or expressed by you, localised arm and shoulder movement, deep, long or wide stances, fixed legs - disconnected upper & lower, tensed muscles, over-emphasis of the hip joint, incorrect use of the pelvis and hips, pushing upon impact, aggression)