Magic Mirror of Self Talk with Chi Energy
Made famous by “Snow White”, the concept of a magical mirror has been a staple in the cultures of mankind since the mirror was created. An article I recently came across “Why Saying Is Believing — The Science Of Self-Talk”, reminded me of my own magical mirror experiences, and has encouraged me to return to them with a more deliberate and focused approach now that I know what I have been taught in my Chi Energy training.
In the article, the author shares that “we all have an internal representation of our own bodies”. Furthermore the article states that:
“We need that very specific sense of ourselves to understand how much space we take up — so we can walk and not bump into things, or perform simple tasks, like reaching out a hand and picking up a coffee cup. Studies show that this internal sense of oneself is a powerful thing. Research on what neurologists call motor imagery indicates that the same neurological networks are used both to imagine movement, and to actually move. And imagining a movement over and over can have the same effect on our brains as practicing it physically — as well as lead to similar improvements in performance.”
And although the research was focused on eating disorders, it reminded me of my early teenage years when, like many of us, I was: uncertain; insecure and; frustrated with trying to fit in. I do not recall what sparked it, but I can recall a period of time, the better part of a year, where every day I would stand before the mirror, and tell myself that which I wanted to be – what I wanted to become: smart; cool; confident; graceful; strong; charming and; funny. I didn’t see it for what it was at the time, but I was speaking affirmations into my life. Time spent in the library strengthened my mind. Time spent in the dojo training in kenjutsu and tai chi made me both physically strong and very graceful. Growing in these areas helped me become confident and, I found humor in being able to laugh at myself. Looking back and reflecting on my life since then, these affirmations certainly came true.
The science of self talk has been explored in many forums and has been touched upon in this forum as well. What I find even more interesting is that I can now see self-talk for what it is: my spirit-self instructing my animal host body on what to think, how to feel, and how to respond. And although these instructions are akin to programming a computer, it is not as simple as “set it and forget it”. It is just the opposite: you must consistently and consciously remind and reassert your spirit-self over your animal host body. Over time, and before you know it, you will become that which you tell your animal host shell.
In a previous article I touched upon Science’s discovery regarding the plasticity of the brain and quoted Proverbs 23:7, “As a man thinketh so shall he become”, as an example of this age-old truth. In light of this article, we can see that the mirror is a tool that we can use for our own benefit, speaking from the spirit the instructions we want our animal host shell to model.
Like we have been instructed at the School of Chi Energy and reminded in the past to talk to our animal host body prior to any chi energy training, telling our host self that the workouts will benefit the body, I plan on taking it up a notch: over the next few months I will hack my shell yet again, using the mirror as a tool before and at the conclusion of my chi training. At the beginning of each workout, I will speak from my spirit and tell my shell what I am doing and why it will benefit by helping me along and afterwards; I will tell my physical shell it did a great job and remind my shell that by following my instruction it has become stronger, more resilient, faster, more sensitive and better than it ever could have on its own. I wager that incorporating this into my workouts, my results will prove exponential in nature.
I will keep you all posted as things develop… in the interim:
Be well and enjoy the journey.
Sifu Brown Chi Energy Instructor