being low...

The Valley.
In Taoist terms, being like a valley is to place yourself humbly beneath others around you. By doing so, even the persona of water--arguably the most powerful and adaptable force on earth--will be directed to your feet by the passive use of gravity. It is a great metaphor in terms of slaying the ego.
In terms of physical application, the valley is symbolic of letting one's opponent come to you. Stillness overcoming force. Gravity, as all martial artists realize, is a powerful tool, and is the root of many a valuable technique.
In fact, it reminds me of my sensei who I've often heard teaching students, when sparring with a taller opponent, to bend down even farther, and slowly lure the opponent into lowering him/herself to reach you. Then when you feel ready, the trick is to pop back up and execute your attack.
This is from the same teacher who insists, somewhat in jest, that the most balanced position the human being can find themselves in is lying flat on his/her back.
Likely some brazilian jiu-jitsu guys might appreciate this comment.

Maybe It's In the Water...

Maybe it's physical proof of Qi energy. But then again, maybe it's not.

I recently read Messages from Water and the Universe by Dr. Masaru Emoto, a Japanese alternative medicine guru. He has become well known over the past several years for his experiments with water, where he postulates that Hado, or life force energy, may influence the shape and symmetry of water crystals. Dr. Emoto takes H2O samples from a specific source and then freezes the water following an experiment where one sample is set aside and ignored, and the other is the subject of positive intent (via words, music, prayer, etc.). He claims water can store this energy like silicone and be positively influenced by the process. The result he presents is many microscopic photos of misshapen (ignored) and symmetrical (blessed) crystals--all from a common source.

Of course, there are many ardent supporters of Emoto's work, as well as the usual counter-balance of dedicated skeptics.

So, in essence, it's the Qi argument all over again. I mean, water is one of the elements, right?

How does the Doctor explain Hado you ask?

"Hado is the intrinsic vibrational pattern at the atomic level in all matter, the smallest unit of energy. Its basis is the energy of human consciousness."

In Chinese philosophy and Japanese martial arts we have witnessed this debate--albeit in a slightly different form--for millennia. But although the song remains the same, and opinions are divided, it really only matters what one's own perception is.