STRESS: SOMETHING ABOUT WATER

The Eastern sages were great observers of nature. They noticed that water, despite its softness, was so strong it could wear away the hardest rock, if it patiently and persistently dripped onto it for long enough. From this observation they formulated the ‘Inevitability of Gradualness’ principle, which they applied to everyday life. This principle holds that if we see our goals clearly, patiently and persistently, and despite all obstacles, work towards those goals, we will achieve them. They noticed that each drop of water that hit the rock momentarily disintegrated but quickly reformed to flow off the rock as a drop of water once more. Those who are successful and enjoy high levels of well-being have elected, like water, to bounce back after each hard knock. To regroup their forces, put that knock behind them and move on as a fully contained entity once more.

They noticed water’s flexibility and that those who had a flexible body and mind were better equipped to cope with the vagaries, vicissitudes and hardships of life. Conversely, they noticed that those who have rigid, uncompromising attitudes are less tolerant and therefore more easily stressed by life’s events. They noticed that water’s flexibility enabled it, according to circumstantial dictates, to be as hard, cold and immovable as ice or as soft, warm and elusive as steam. Just as in life, there are times when a hard stand is appropriate and times when a diplomatic backing away is appropriate. That water readily returns to its neutral state when circumstantial catalysts are removed they equated with humans’ capacity for forgiveness and urged that this capacity be regularly exercised as the main vehicle for keeping stress levels down.

Water, they noticed, is agreeable and impartial. It serves all species willingly and equally, it is not bigoted. Water is tolerant and adaptable. It readily adopts the shape of whatever container it is placed in. Water’s ability and willingness to accept change is a quality we can exercise and develop, if our stress levels are to remain low and our levels of well-being high.

The Eastern sages also noted that, for the main part, the structure of a living species governed its functions. As humans are made up of 55-65 per cent water they reasoned that they would try, wherever possible, to emulate water’s behaviour patterns. For this reason the movements of the exercise disciplines they devised were fluid and continuous rather than short, sharp, intermittent and jerky. These same fluid movements were incorporated into the self-defence regimes of the East, Tai Chi being one of the most effective.

The Eastern sages recommended watery behaviour and response patterns as the most effective way of dealing with conflict and confrontation. They recognised that human conflict was fuelled by intolerance, arrogance and aggression, which is represented by the element of fire. Water has the ability to extinguish fire and when used in sufficient quantities, always will. The aggressee can invariably disarm the aggressor by emulating water in his/her mental, emotional and physical response to aggression.

Bullies rely on a fiery retort from the bullied to work up their aggression and vindicate their attack. Equanimity and impassivity on the part of their victim comes as a surprise to them. It takes the steam out of their attack, putting them off balance and making them vulnerable to mental, emotional, verbal and physical control by the victim.

Nowhere is this principle of acquiescence and yielding more successfully employed than in the sticking hands technique of Tai Chi. Here the aggressor’s strength is absorbed from and used against him by this flowing self-defence technique which exhausts and dominates him totally. Tai Chi’s great forte lies in the fact that a calm mind is infinitely more successful at assessing and controlling a situation than an agitated and disturbed mind. A calm mind enables us to be more confident and watery in our behaviour than an opponent who is fiery in his. Two fires make a conflagration, fire and water make a nullification.

Traditionally (though less since World War II), Eastern humans have sought to learn from, and live in harmony with, nature and their environment. Conversely, European humans (though less of late) have sought to bend nature to suit themselves. This is not to say that our competitive, achievement-orientated society is wrong and we should all drop out to become yogis or Zen monks. Challenge and response is, and will always remain the catalyst for all growth and development.

The good news is, we are in a position to have it all, the material comforts, the good health and the peace of mind, if we adopt those attitudes that facilitate a day to day function that is more in line with our structure.

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