Practice as Spiral

The first steps are never the true journey.

When you begin to repeat a form, the early movements are like knocking on the door. They are not yet the practice — only the invitation to enter.

At first, your body is stiff. The mind is restless. Each repetition feels like rehearsal, not truth.
But you continue. Again. And again.

Then, as the spiral turns, something shifts. The body grows warmer. The mind becomes quieter. Your movements are not for show anymore — they are for yourself. Energy rises, is spent, and falls away.

Effort fades, and presence takes its place.
Tiredness — or something deeper — strips away the unnecessary. What remains is practice in its purest sense.

This is why practice is a spiral, not a straight line. Each cycle brings you closer to the center. You do not simply repeat — you return, each time with less noise, more truth.

The spiral is endless, yet each turn brings you deeper. That is practice.

When we think of practice, we often imagine it as a straight line: do it once, then again, and you'll get better each time.
But real practice doesn't move in a line — it moves in a spiral.

Settling (Reps 1–3):

The first few repetitions are just to arrive. Your body adjusts, your mind shakes off distraction, your breath finds rhythm. These are not yet your real practice — they are the doorway.

Exerting (Reps 4–9):

Once you're warm and focused, you push. You spend your energy, test your endurance, and wear down tension. This phase is demanding, but it clears away the clutter.

Arriving (Reps 10+):

Only after you've passed through effort does the real practice begin. You are tired enough to be honest, yet present enough to be precise. Movements become natural, mind becomes still.

Why the spiral matters:

Depth over repetition. You don't just repeat the same thing; you return to it at a deeper level.

Patience is part of training. Don't expect the first attempts to feel profound — they're just steps on the spiral.

Consistency unlocks clarity. The more often you travel the spiral, the faster you settle into its center.