The Crack Between the Worlds

THE CRACK BETWEEN THE WORLDS - Barcelona 1999

This is a gazing exercise that is preceded by a sequence of movements from the Heat Series. The passes are done with different instensities on the left and right side: the Left side is the side of passion, sensitivity and exploration. The right side is the side of immediate action, sobriety and alertness. One has to place all of one's attention on the side that is immobile so if one is doing a pass with the left side of the body one's whole being and attention is on the right side.

When it it said to take a step forward, the foot is put back in its initial position immediately after the movement; you remain stationary troughout this pass.

STIRRING ENERGY

1. Gathering energy of the left and right bodies in a circle which is perforated with the tips of the fingers (MP2) -after the two circles step forward and then do the perforations.

2. A Wheel with the fingers contracted at the middle joints(MP9) -No step in this pass. The wheel is rotating backwards. Just as the left slow wheel is about to finish, the right one snaps into action.

3. Smoothing energy out in front of the body. (MP10) Do it with a step forward.

4. Drawing one circle of energy laterally with the index and middle finger extended. (MP14) Use one hand at a time. As the pass finishes the knee comes up to push energy into the trunk.

5. Stirring energy around the temples.(MP15)- Use one hand at a time. As the fist comes down from the temple to strike behind the same side foot steps back and the head tilts back as the eyes glance over the shoulders at the fist.

- Moving energy with the breath from the top of the head to the vital centres.

MIXING ENERGY

1.Piling energy onto the left and right bodies. (MP18)

2.Gathering energy from one body and dispersing it on the other. (MP22) - as you strike step forward.

3. Hammering energy from the left and right shoulders on the midpoint in front of the face (MP23) - as you strike step forward.

4. Pushing energy to the sides with the elbows (MP26) - Step forward slowly with the left foot while crouching to bring the fists under the axillae then step up fast bringing both feet in alignment and simultaneously strike the elbows to the sides, then step back fast with the right as arms fold once again to bring the fists under the axillae and finally step back slowly bringing both feet in alignment as the body straightens and you simultaneously strike slowly with the elbows to the sides.

5. Striking energy in front of the body with both fists and on the left and the right. (MP29)- Begin to step forward. As the left knee comes up both hands strike down on either side of the knee; then as the foot plants itself on the ground twist to the left and slowly do the remainder of the pass.

- End the sequence with the Lateral breath.

THE GAZING

During the gazing the head is kept immobile. Only the eyes move.

- Eyes open wide, then close tight, and open softly.
- circle two times to the right, then two times to the left.
- Open your mouth wide, relax the jaw, then close.

- "Walk" with your eyes from a nearby point, step by step towards the horizon.

- Close the eyes.
- Rub the temples with index and middle fingers up and down.
- Rub the area between the eyebrows with two fingers up and down (using the right hand).
- Draw clockwise circles on the crown (using the right hand).

- Open eyes and walk with your eyes to the horizon and go up vertically until you look into infinity. Let's call this point Z.
- From there, folow imaginary circles in a diagonal plane, coming down to your far right on the horizon. The circles are in a plane between you and infinity. Return to the center in a straight line to a point a little below point Z.
- Repeat this two more times, each time returning to centre a little more below the previous starting point. The third time you end at a point on the horizon straight in front of you.

- Close the eyes.
- Touch the temples. Don't rub but press gently.
- Touch mideyebrow (using the left hand).
- Press on the crown of the head (using the left hand). Lift the hand like you pull an antenna out of your head.

- Open eyes and walk with your eyes to the horizon and go up vertically until you look into infinity (point Z).- Now Zigzag down diagonally to your left, the zigzagging is a piercing movement of the gaze; nearby-far away, nearby-far away.... End on the horizon as far to the left as possible, dwell there with your eyes for a while. Come back to the center a bit below point Z. Repeat until you have dome it three times in total, ending on the horizon in front of you.

- Close your eyes. Look through your eyelids. Walk with your focus point towards the horizon, then go up high.
- ZigZag down with the eyes (left-right-left); following the same path, zigzag up with the eyes. Do this a couple of times. This is how you trace or define 'the Crack Between the Worlds'.

- Gaze for a while.

- Break the gaze.