In our sometimes manic, always fast-paced, world we spend the majority of our time hustling and being productive. We are always stressing (no wonder) to achieve, attain, and get ahead. Do we ever have enough? Are we ever enough? Talk about stress! Unfortunately, our children often learn by emulating their parent’s actions, words, and attitudes. This doesn’t have to be the case.
Yes, we need to take action, but it can be done without struggling, controlling, overthinking, or forcing things to happen the way we want them to. When we continue in our current stressful state, the result is usually illness, ulcers, or worse!
The ancient Chinese approached “action” much differently: Wuwei (无为, aka Wu Wei). It is a way of navigating life’s challenges “with ease and grace”. In other words, creating a harmonious and balanced life. Wu Wei requires letting go of our ego and not interfering with the “natural processes” and flow of life. We are not being passive, we are engaged, but without creating any conflict or resistance. By adopting this approach, we can enhance our productivity through effortless action.
Wu Wei means “doing nothing”. Does that sound like laziness, relaxation, or non-action to you? Actually, it means “effortless action”. We can still be productive, skillful, and efficient without being frenetic. Instead, we learn to approach our “tasks” while maintaining a sense of peace! Sounds confusing? It can seem that way so I will attempt to explain further.
Wu Wei is a core principle and at the heart of Daoism/Taoism (aka The Way). According to the Tao Te Ching (aka Dao De Jing): ‘The Way never acts yet nothing is left undone’. Sounds even more confusing, doesn’t it? Let’s think of Wu Wei as a relaxed sense of wakefulness or even “a peaceful alert attention”. Wu Wei represents a method of (in our current vernacular) “going with the flow” or even “effortless action”. Life has a flow and pace that is, at times, beyond our control. Do we fight, force, and struggle to have our way? Instead, how about if we respond effortlessly and “align with that flow”? At times we may find that we just know when and what to do. I hate quoting Nike but: Just Do It! When you do, you may find that things flow peacefully.
Now the hard part: Your mind wants to be in control!
For the majority of us, not allowing our mind to be in control is extremely difficult and probably feels counterintuitive. Do know that your mind is going to fight to continue that illusion of control! So how do we begin to practice Wu Wei? Well, for starters, do it a little bit at a time. Don’t think you can decide that tomorrow is the day when you are going to “go with the flow”. Not going to happen!
The first step is to start when you are NOT feeling stressed or rushed. And, here comes the magic word that all Tai Chi and/or Qigong instructors utter to their “stressed” students: RELAX! Wu Wei will not work when we are exhausted, angry, upset, or in any discomfort. Let go of the physical tension in your body first. You can even do a little “shake it off” like dogs do. It does work. Just ask Taylor Swift!
If letting go of the physical tension doesn’t work, maybe we need to take a break and try later when we are “refreshed” and relaxed. You will find that when we are relaxed, we develop a clarity of mind, and can see situations and obstacles more clearly. Just like in our Tai Chi practice, we need to look (not only with our eyes) and listen, with all our senses. Before you begin, take a couple of deep, cleansing breaths first. Once we begin to see things clearly without being reactive, we can use our knowledge, experience, and intuition to decide our course of action (or non-action).
How does Tai Chi fit into the concept of Wu Wei
Our slow, flowing Tai Chi movements follow the natural rhythms of the body and breath. Obviously, we are not focusing on the outcome, nor are we forcing our movements. Instead, movements come from within. They are part of our internal energy flow! We develop an awareness and sensitivity to our internal and external environment. The more you practice, the more relaxed you and your movements are. Regular practice is extremely important because in order to attain a non-striving mental state, there is a reliance on muscle memory.
There are so many benefits to be reaped from practicing Wu Wei: reduced stress, anxiety, depression and inflammation, better balance and flexibility, and improved cardiovascular health. By focusing on Tai Chi’s movements and breathing, as well as the meditative aspect, we enjoy relaxation, peace, and calm.
Even when we are not practicing Tai Chi, we can incorporate Wu Wei and mindfulness into our daily lives. The word mindfulness is one that is a bit over-used today. It simply means being present and aware of our environment, thoughts, and feeling without judging them nor being distracted by them. It also means being open and curious rather than being dogmatic. We get so very focused on our expectations and controlling the outcome that we frequently don’t see the proverbial forest for the trees.
A Wu Wei mindset is also known as Mushin in Japanese and Wuxin in Chinese (無心 “no mind”). We have talked about this in a previous blog. Interestingly, there are martial arts Masters who don’t even consider themselves “fighters” because they move spontaneously. In other words, they feel free to move because they understand the “uselessness of techniques”. Obviously, they are at a much higher level than the majority of practitioners!
Bottom line: Always do your best - the rest is not under your control. You are only responsible for your own actions (or non-action). It is very difficult for many people to surrender the illusion of control. But it is necessary in order to develop more relaxation in all areas of our lives.
Wu Wei is not the easiest concept to understand. Therefore, I want to throw in a recommendation for a book I read many years ago which is, in my humble opinion, the quintessential example of Wu Wei: The Tao of Pooh (as well as the Te of Piglet).This/these are NOT children’s books, although they are enjoyable to read. I often lend my copy to students. My edition is from 1983 but there are much newer ones available on Amazon and Ebay, or in used book stores. Mr. Hoff is/was a practitioner of Tai Chi Chuan and Taoism, in addition to being a gifted writer.
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