The teaching
You've been saying the Shema your whole life. Have you ever actually listened?
Shema doesn't mean hear. It means absorb — with your whole being. Become what you receive.
In tai chi, we train listening energy — ting jin. Standing still, eyes soft, the skin becomes an ear. You feel your partner's intention before their hand even moves. The body hears what the eyes miss.
This is what Devarim asks of us in Va'etchanan. Not attention — total presence. Body, breath, nervous system tuned to what is true.
That's why we close our eyes for Shema. Not to shut the world out. To finally let it in.
