While we were in Hawaii for the race, I introduced a Taoist principle that became the mantra of our trip.
Wu Wei (Non-Interference)
Wu Wei as described by Ted Kardash of Jadedragon.com:
“Wu-wei refers to behavior that arises from a sense of oneself as connected to others and to one's environment. It is not motivated by a sense of separateness. It is action that is spontaneous and effortless. At the same time it is not to be considered inertia, laziness, or mere passivity. Rather, it is the experience of going with the grain or swimming with the current. Our contemporary expression, "going with the flow," is a direct expression of this fundamental Taoist principle, which in its most basic form refers to behavior occurring in response to the flow of the Tao.”
This idea became increasingly pertinent throughout our journey. Not only during preparation for the race, but also during the race itself. My feeling is that you can utilize the Wu Wei principal throughout your training, along with your daily life. Many of us already practice Wu Wei during our everyday lives without knowing it, but it helps to recognize situations and opportunities where you might be battling against the natural order of the world, and it may benefit you to reevaluate and try to “flow” instead of “fight”. Your frustrations will quickly extinguish if you can acknowledge the dilemma and use that realization to apply a little Wu Wei as the perfect remedy.
Wu Wei (Non-Interference)
Wu Wei as described by Ted Kardash of Jadedragon.com:
“Wu-wei refers to behavior that arises from a sense of oneself as connected to others and to one's environment. It is not motivated by a sense of separateness. It is action that is spontaneous and effortless. At the same time it is not to be considered inertia, laziness, or mere passivity. Rather, it is the experience of going with the grain or swimming with the current. Our contemporary expression, "going with the flow," is a direct expression of this fundamental Taoist principle, which in its most basic form refers to behavior occurring in response to the flow of the Tao.”
This idea became increasingly pertinent throughout our journey. Not only during preparation for the race, but also during the race itself. My feeling is that you can utilize the Wu Wei principal throughout your training, along with your daily life. Many of us already practice Wu Wei during our everyday lives without knowing it, but it helps to recognize situations and opportunities where you might be battling against the natural order of the world, and it may benefit you to reevaluate and try to “flow” instead of “fight”. Your frustrations will quickly extinguish if you can acknowledge the dilemma and use that realization to apply a little Wu Wei as the perfect remedy.
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