The Group Symphony: A Gestalt

Sometimes when we do a group practice, I feel like we’re an orchestra producing a beautiful symphony. Although each of us is performing as a uniquely different instrument actuated by a uniquely different inner vibration, we are all playing the same group chord. With teacher as conductor, the group flows as a single body and the conductor serves as the group tan t’ien, in a sense. When this happens, our individual Chi synergistically blends together into a group Chi.

The natural magic happens when this group Chi emerges in a subtle gestalt: If there are 10 of us, the group Chi is 11-fold. If there are 11 of us, the group Chi is 12-fold. And so on. When our group practice subtly blossoms into a group symphony – with such harmony, resonance, and synergy – we get E Pluribus Unum.

Editor’s Note: Complete Conference coverage begins on page 8