CHI KUNG en CENTERED RIDING #1
Centered Riding is een methode binnen het paardrijden en rijinstructie, dat de ruiter tracht te helpen door deze gecentreerd en uitgebalanceerd is in het zadel te laten zitten. Centered Riding bevat elementen uit de traditionele martiale kunsten, Feldenkrais en Alexander Techniek. Het werd ontwikkeld Sally Swift (1913-2009). Vier essentiele componenten van Centered Riding zijn ‘zachte ogen’, ademhaling, balans en centreren.
Soft Eyes is een concept dat in veel sporten wordt gebruikt om de atleet te ontspannen en zijn perifere zicht te vergroten. Swift raadde ruiters aan hun gezichtsscherpte te ontspannen en meer aandacht te besteden aan de tactiele interactie tussen paard en ruiter. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centered_riding
Met ‘zachte ogen’ heb je een groot blikveld. Een strakke concentratie op het paard, de ‘harde’ ogen, veroorzaakt spanning en inspanning. Dit hindert het paard. Een ruimere blik zorgt ervoor dat je het te rijden figuur voor je kunt zien. Zo weten jij en je paard waar je heen wilt. Het resultaat van rijden met zachte ogen is een verhoogd bewustzijn van je eigen lichaam en van je paard, minder spanning tijdens het rijden en een gemakkelijkere voorwaartse beweging. https://natuurlijkpaarden.nl/centered-riding/
De onderstaande tekst komt uit: The Dynamics of Standing Still door Peter den Dekker
360 VISION
The eyes of hunters and the eyes of prey animals are positioned differently. They see different sections of their environmet. Hunters eye need to be able to focus and therefore perceive a relative small section of the circle arond them. At the other hand, the circle of sight of prey animals is much larger. Till recent periods of the human history we were both hunters an prey. But based on the below illustration human vision can be understood a belonging to hunters.
The space around us consists of three dimensions. In my daily life in the city, looking at flat brick walls, a city map, a computer screen or the television, I am often not conscious of this truth. A large part of my activities involves looking at letters and drawings that are written on a flat piece of paper, or are shown on the screen I carry with me. This is a life with width and height, but without depth. It is two-dimensional.
When the weather is fine, and I take a day off, I often leave the city and go to the sea. The open space of the dunes, the beach, and the sea itself make a wonderful counterbalance to the confinement of the city. A favourite place of mine for a longer break is the islands in the north of Holland. The world there is vast and wide. Standing on the top of a dune with the sea before me, I can see the curve of the horizon in front of me, and out of the corners of my eyes I can also see it to the left and right.
As I get used to this more expansive way of seeing, I realize that actually the horizon forms a circle around me. I not only see it in front of me and at each side, but without turning my head or moving my eyes, I also perceive it behind me. In such moments i come to realize, that the earth really is round, and that we really do stand on top of it. Unfortunatly, in our life in the city we often lose contact with this fact.
SIX DIRECTIONS
Standing on the earth, the sky forms a dome around us. This dome consists of the four cardinal directions and the zenith above. When standing facing south, the east is at the left, the west at the right, and the north is behind. Above the head is the pole star, the zenith. These five directions make a dome shape, an upper hemisphere.
This dome can be expanded into a complete sphere by adding one more direction, straight down into the earth, following the direction of gravity. Now you stand in an imaginary balloon consisting of six directions: front and back, left and right, above and below.
Six directions define the three dimensions: the vertical, the horizontal and the sagittal. While standing on the top of a dune, I realize the space around me, and I can reconnect with these six directions. The two dimensional space of the city becomes three dimensional again.
PRACTICE - STANDING ON TOP OF A DUNE
The following is a very simple visual exercise, yet it is a main ingredient in all the standing chi kung postures, both at beginners and advanced levels.
Stand straight in a natural way, with your arms by the sides of your body. Imagine that on a clear day you are standing on top of a dune. You can see the horizon in front of you. Your eyes are not focused on one point, but see the full width of the horizon. From the corners of your eyes you see to the right and the left, the beach, and the line of the dunes. Without turning your head you can see 180 degrees of the horizon.
If you turned around, you would see that the horizon continues behind you. But now, without turning your body, your head or your eyes, try to be sensitive about the horizon at your back. Aim to be visually aware of each of the four cardinal directions equally. This will make your standing posture naturally centred.
Next, imagine a small cloud directly above your head. You can perceive the cloud without moving your head or your eyes. The space above you has now become a part of your attention field. Now that you are aware of five directions - front, left, back, right and above - it is as if you are surrounded by a dome
The Duomo in Florence is an excellent place to have the experience of an hemispheric space around you. Inside the cathedral, find the very centre of the floor mosaic, and stand there, this time with your eyes closed. How easy is it to sense the structure of the dome, as you stand at its centre? The sound of the walking and murmuring visitors will embrace you, reinforcing the feeling of standing in the shape of the dome.
Finally, allow your attention to extend downwards. Be aware of the ground you are standing on, with-out turning your head or your eyes downwards. Down below there is as much space as there is above your head. The dome that encircles you now expands into a large balloon. The balloon is of equal size in all six directions.You are the middle point of the balloon, and the center of your body is your lower dan tian. In fact, the full awareness of six equally expanding directions around you will automatically define the centre point of the lower dan tian.