One of the principal obstacles in learning a new discipline such as Tai Chi Chuan, QiGong, a Martial Art, Yoga or other discipline oriented towards self development or self improvement, is the emotional tension. An expert  teacher can realize the character of a person after a few minutes of teaching, but such teachers are more rare than we would consider.

The majority of people confront an inner practice discipline as though they are in competition, to show to others and themselves, that they can do it better than others. This need for competition reveals a weakness in the personality of such people.

A sober and right education in an inner practice method allows one to face immediately, a problem that is common to all people, that worsens the relationship with others: the sense of shame. Such attitude shows itself in different degrees, but still influences almost every human being. I would dare to say all human beings: it’s something that enters into every aspect of our lives, determining tensions and often reactions that lack of balance.

The first approach to an inner practice highlights such a limitation that belongs to the education with which everyone has been subjected, and it’s one of the main obstacles on which to work on, in order to overcome it. Indeed, such attitude brings the apprentice to rigid movements that obviously come from a psychological discomfort.

The education on an inner practice could be of great help to the life of a human being if it is taught in a right way and approached with the right respect, so that it could allow to arise, the noblest qualities that are kept in the deep field of every human. But, in order to achieve such results, it’s necessary to observe from the beginning, how the sense of shame and the various opinions (almost always negative) we have about ourselves, prevents the free flow of emotions and movements.

What we notice during the performing of inner exercise is the reflex of how we are in our daily life, and this is a thing that is almost always ignored. This is why this aspect is one of the most important to which we must be attentive.

In the Center For Integral Self Development, the first suggestion we give is to put attention on this aspect; if we notice a tension, let’s try to relax and remember that we don’t have to show anything to anyone, nor to ourselves. The feeling of incompetence must be replaced with the pleasure of learning something new.

The best way to approach an inner practice is the constant seeking for relaxation. Even in a Martial Art (a term that shouldn’t be misunderstood as the various fighting practices that are usually linked with this term), from the technical point of view, the strength/power doesn’t derive from the muscles, but from velocity; and, velocity derives from the capacity to move in a relaxed way, free from mental interference.

If we have the luck to practice with a true teacher, we have to allow him to help us on this.

The worst error is to give space to considerations such as “I am not so good”, “I don’t understand”, “I am unable to…”, etc. A good teacher understands the best way to bring us to fully express our potentials. Thus, the approach used is not the same for everyone.

Practicing with confidence and without mental judgments is the fastest way to learn and, above all, it’s a deep realization that, once acquired, will reflect itself in all  aspects of our life.