“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”
– Sun Tzu​

Hello Friends,

These days it seems there’s a lot of fighting. In many countries the liberals and conservatives are at each other’s throats, while other countries are literally at war. Many of us feel divided among our own families. It can be oh so tempting to take a side. Many of our lives are hard. Faced with economic, environmental or health challenges. If you’re like me, some days you might want someone to be angry towards.

But I’ve heard it said that “a warrior doesn’t take a side – a warrior takes a stand”. What if we embraced the possibility that we could stand up for something, without needing to stand up to someone. Those in my Tai Chi classes know the experience in our bodies when we practice “peng” – drills where we hold our structure while neither collapsing nor pushing back. Once you get it, there’s a relaxation into a deeper strength that emerges.

The Chinese word for martial arts is “wushu”. However, the first term “wu” (for martial), actually means “to stop war”. Hence, in Tai Chi, a Chinese martial art, the intention behind the practice is to “stop war,” or as I like to put it “not fighting”.

Whenever you are fighting, you are really fighting a part of yourself. What I mean is – if you were them, you’d be them. There is a set of pressures and incentives that would get you to behave in the exact way “they” are acting. Therefore it’s possible not only to understand, but to empathize with, their point of view. If you do not (read “will not”) understand their point of view, it may be an indication that you are rejecting a part of yourself that feels that same way. That’s why we get triggered when talking about our favourite fighting topics. It’s always hard being reminded of your exiled parts.

Fighting takes a lot of energy, whether it’s external or internal. Imagine how we might change the world if we simply took a stand for what we thought was right, rather than needing to fight someone to achieve it. Day by day, I undertake the training of “not fighting”. I hope you will join me. Let’s take a stand for peace.

Let’s remember together,
Gabriel