Matted Locks of Shiva

A usual morning and yet another practice of TaiChi opened the self to an imagery of the matted locks of Shiva twirling to channel the raw might of the Ganges into a gentler river as we know it. The image is yet another motif behind Indian calendar art and some spontaneous story telling of elders when I was growing up. But till date I never recalled it nor paid much thought to it. Until today, a simple day going through the regular warm ups and into the forms. The body was the matted locks of Shiva and the formless intensity Ganga. The TaiChi form came to an end, body soothes the intensity into the mundane.

The intensity within is obscured by the body. It sustains all movement in the body and yet it is not recognized. It can only be intuited. We observe a dead leaf moving about and intuit breeze correctly. The dead leaf would be the body and the breeze the intensity. When a right balance struck between the intensity and the modulation of that into action by the body we have harmony. Ganga would represent our intensity and without the right disposition of the body there will not be harmony.

But what is the body to do in front of that raw intensity. It just has to reflect and tell her who she is. It is no coincidence that Qi is Yin and Shakti is feminine. In essence the body does not have to do anything. It just has to represent the intensity and add to the ballast to make her look good. Dancing with it, tempering it but always being aware of its place. However without sturdily standing Shiva, what are matted locks to Ganga? Shiva would represent our intent of staying and witnessing our intensity transform into movement.