Feldenkrais and the funny physical exercises, which he recommends for all kinds of purposes (as for instance well-being, the expansion of consciousness and competence, more power and courage, for healing...) are not so funny after all.
Visiting the Kulturkaufhaus for the second time today...
I read in the introduction of B.K.S. Iyengar, Licht of Yoga, the violonist Yehudi Menuhin's statement (my translation), "Yoga, by its very nature is closely tied to universally valid laws". Menuhin does not here elaborate on these laws. For me, however, it is Yehudi Menuhin himself, his person, who validates this statement. I remenber, how - years ago - I was practically glued to the TV screen for his three hour ARTE documentary...
In Iyengar's book on Yoga I find detailed instructions and photopgraphs of - well? - physical excercises. Their style and presentation is not much different to those of Feldenkrais'. I pick up another book. Klaus and Barbara Moegling's, Tai Chi Chuana für Einsteiger (Tai Chi for Beginners) also features photographs and detailed instructions of physical exercises. In the introduction I read (my translation), "Tai Chi initiates inner processes, which are guided by (eternal) principles."
Yoga, the age-old Indian wisdom on how to live and Tai Chi (or Taiji, as it is also spelled), the Chinese equivilant, reach back to anitquity, to the centuries before the birth of Christ. Both consist of physical exercises. Twentieth century's physicist, physiologist and Judoca Moshe Feldenkrais, 2.500 years after the fact rediscovers physical exercises and the human body as a gate way.
What is the point here? Early Taoists, I read, knew the concepts of Quanten-Physik and Einstein's Theory of Relativity!? And, by the way, both Menuhin and Feldenkrais are Jews.
India and China, today on the fore front of global economic development, have the globe's fastest growing populations. We are in the Internet age. World population has doubled in the last fifts years.
For new numbers there is a fitting change in global communication based on completely new scientific concepts. And the concept of the human body as gate way to more finally reaches Europe and the Western world just now...!?
And the question arises, "What about Christianity?"
The Jew Jesus walking among men, healing their bodies, dying in the body, coming back to life in the body, ascending to heaven in the body, sending the Comforter, who comes along side and gives (physical) gifts...
Please scroll to the entry of June 27, 2006 to read on in The Human Condition (2).
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