Presence: A Bagua Path to Fulfillment
Presence: A Bagua Path to Fulfillmentis a retrospective on the beginnings of this path for me, as a teacher and a student. Being introduced to the concepts of Baguazhang changed my life. While I did not pursue a martial lineage path, I did adopt a strong and (often obsessively) consistent practice that exposed these principles to me. I came to discover that the foundational training of internal arts are built into our primal beings and revealed through intent-driven life experiences. The purpose of this book was to initially expose the truth that, ultimately, "body" is teacher.There are many lineages of martial arts, some legendary, some mysterious, some lost. Why do we choose the paths we do? Do we seek to be connected to historical perspective, to martial celebrities and their fantastical accomplishments/super-human feats? How does this pursuit of the extreme benefit our daily lives and the lives around us? This book was written to introduce a stripped-down, non-fancy, non-martial approach to a life practice that does not inflate ego or build a combat-proof body. And these concepts are only the surface of what I have gleaned from my continued training. Embodiment is about application, self-testing and environmental balance. This book, this Personal Circle practice, is for those seeking to embody purpose and truth about their role, in their bodies, in their community and environment.For those only viewing this text as a manifesto on Bagua or Baguazhang, then please read deeper. It is not. Nor have I claimed it to be. "Presence" is about questioning your lineage. Questioning your teacher. Questioning your purpose, what is real. No more mysteries. Explore the drills. Seek further into Personal Circle philosophy. I only share what I have come to know and continue to refine. Thank you for those who have supported this project and training. Much more to come.Peace, Presence,Keith M. Cowley