Wu the Master said:
“On that depository of corpses, the battlefield, if there be certain expectation of death, there is life; if there be happy expectation of life, there is death. The good general is like unto one sitting in a leaking ship, or lying under a burning roof; the wisest man cannot contrive against him; the strongest man cannot destroy his composure; and the enemy’s onslaught can be withstood. For procrastination is the greatest enemy of the general; disasters to the army are born of indecision”.
It is possible to feel at ease even if you are working intensely at maximum effort. It is just that you often need to wait for some time for this stillness to wash over you. for example, when the breath quickens after running up a flight of stairs, a balanced equilibrium is soon reached once the blood has circulated around the system and the body has caught up with the increased breathing rate. There is a process of acclimatising to activity. For instance, when sprinting it is normal to get out of breath. There is a certain period of quickened breath which occurs before the body catches up. When it does, balance is achieved from what initially appears to be turbulence.
When the body catches up and starts to engage with the breath, there is balance. The heightened frequency of breath translates into increased blood flow and wider circulation after a few minutes or so. This leads to enhanced fitness over time, as well as a sense of invigoration and liberation. This liberation is a consequence of pushing yourself beyond certain limitations, which initially starts with a sense of turbulence. Many people give up before they are able to push through this turbulence.
If you do not successfully synchronise the breath with activity, then there is often just hyperventilation, which can lead to physiological anxiety. In other words there is just a stimulus without the necessary corresponding activity. It is for this reason that heightened anxiety is often accompanied by a decline in physical activity levels in modern society. Modern society is going through a widespread increase in such conditions of anxiety largely because physical activity levels have declined so dramatically.
Following exercise, there is a certain sense of ease, once the energy situation is worked out and you have ridden the wave of physiological change. If you want to ride a wave, you float on top of it rather than being dragged by it and shot off course. This involves moving with events, rather than being moved by them involuntarily. So you use the energy of the wave to get to new heights. For example, in sailing if only one end of the ship is moved by a big wave, the other sinks down and the ships ends up taking on water and sinking. The ship has failed to ride the wave. To remain one an even keel, the ship needs to sink into the water line evenly from both ends in a certain way. In the same way the martial artist should remain grounded and focused on keeping their balance whilst their heart rate is elevated so that they remain on an even keel.
An initial rise in activity levels is often the beginning phase of you later moving towards a certain inner stillness. Turbulence is a phase of any given high intensity situation. It is also part of your own reaction to the situation as a whole. However, the laws of keeping yourself balanced do not change just because the is moving through turbulence. For example, you cannot reach well being by bringing turbulence or chaos within yourself, only by keeping on top of it or outside of its direct influence. So it must be used and transformed.
importantly, turbulence is a necessary state for balance to express itself totally and dynamically. The initial instability of a situation is simply a call to action, and a phase to move through. It is a stimulus, much like when the sunlight warms the earth and causes the seed to crack open. It is only later that it grows to its full stature. This is why many people find balance and stillness through high intensity work and even chaotic situations. With an unwavering discipline and determination, they can enhance their own growth through what appears to be turbulent environments.
