Tai chi is an exercise. It is an exercise of the body, the mind, and the spirit. It is performed very slowly, as if the practitioner were moving through very thick air. Moving slowly allows one to breath deeply and permits the mind to become deeply concentrated. From the deep breathing and concentrated mind one becomes calm and tranquil, and can profoundly center oneself.
In learning tai chi, one studies a series of movements. This series of movements, or postures, functions as the medium through which one attends to learning and practicing the principles of tai chi. These principles are the real essence of tai chi. They are concepts of mind and body comportment which are the depth of tai chi and also the depths of life. Concepts such as proper body alignment, relaxation, vitality, naturalness, fluidity, rootedness & balance, mindfulness, raising the spirit, and stillness within movement are the fundamental maxims which are these principles.
Regular tai chi practice enhances health by activating the mind, by calming the nervous system, and by keeping the joints flexible, the muscles toned, and the internal organs invigorated. The slow, graceful movements of tai chi help neutralize stress and release the tensions which tend to accrue in daily.
Done correctly, tai chi enlivens and refines the human organism by stimulating and mobilizing the chi - or life force — which courses through the body. The activation of chi is complimented and balanced by the fluid, calm, and soothing movements. This harmonization of energies is the quality unique to tai chi. Through its action tai chi improves the health of body, mind, and spirit.
Tai chi can be done by people of all ages and temperaments. It is taking time out from the fast, sometimes overwhelming pace of life to relax into the present. Allowing time for tai chi can offer the practitioner respite from the vicissitudes of life and permit regrouping — or it can center and energize one for being in the world. How one uses tai chi is up to the practitioner.
In the end, tai chi is about balance, connecting one to nature and nature's principles. It restores a frame of mind which is more appropriate for happiness and well-being. It fosters cherishing and connection with life. It is a profound exercise which reaches deeply inside the practitioner, and inside life, and unifies the two. All this results in the reputation of tai chi as being the finest exercise known.
Tai Chi was created in China and is rooted in the Chinese philosophy of Taoism — a philosophy of naturalness. Taoism seeks a harmonious way of life — a life which lends itself not just to survival, but to a quality existence. Those follow the ideas of the Tao are those who strive to walk a path of peace and serenity and be in tune with nature. Such people strive for vitality, health, ethical behavior, and connection to all in life that is life sustaining and life enriching.
Taoist thought says that it is humankind's refusal to regard itself as part of a greater natural order that causes confusion, ignorance, and unhappiness. Taoism says that if one can balance oneself with this order, one can live a life of simplicity and understanding. To be following the way of the Tao is to believe that respecting and working to uphold the Interconnectedness of all things helps foster peace and accord within oneself and also in the world.
Of course tai chi is simply an extension of the taoist philosophy — a vehicle for the ideas of naturalness and unity which are the same concepts Taoism embraces. With tai chi nothing is overlooked. All the ingredients of life are of equal importance. What one eats, how one exercises, and the way one acts are as important as what one thinks and believes. Such a philosophy of life guides one toward self-growth and refinement, toward living longer, with better health, and toward realizing one s highest potential. The tai chi person strives toward having a positive spirit and toward letting go of negativity. Tai chi people seek to know themselves and to cherish life. The tai chi attitude chooses care and mindfulness not speed and insensitivity.
As one goes through the movements of tai chi, passing from posture to posture without any break in flow, the tai chi form expresses the passage we all make through life. There are traumas, there are blockages, there are easinesses, there are ecstasies. The form is a perfect expression of the constant and continuous field of energy flux that life. There are no places where we can grasp it and stop it. When we are in tune we just allow, and all is in place.
To be sensitive, open, spirited, healthy, and in tune with nature are qualities that would benefit anyone. These are the goals of tai chi.
Tai Chi Chuan Serves Many Purposes Tai Chi Chuan, literally "Supreme Ultimate Fist," is a centuries-old Chinese discipline for health, relaxation, meditation, self-defense and self-cultivation.
Sometimes called Chinese or Taoist yoga, it emphasizes relaxation and inner calm rather than strength. Because of this, it can be learned by anyone, regardless of age, sex, or athletic ability. It is practiced slowly and evenly in circular patterns.
Tai Chi Chuan is considered a healing exercise because of its reputation for alleviating many ailments, such as hypertension, gastric problems, arthritis, heart disease, and anemia.
It improves circulation, balance, and helps relax and strengthen the nervous system. The stretching movements make the body limber, tone up muscles and help release tension. Practitioners find that it creates a sense of well-being.
As meditation, Tai Chi Chuan is a way of harmonizing body and mind dynamically. It fosters an inner quiet that nourishes a continuing awareness. It blends easily with other kinds of meditation. As a martial art, it is one of the inner schools based on yielding and cultivating inner energies. It avoids use of external strength.
The philosophy of Tai Chi Chuan is rooted in Taoism, which advocates natural effort, and in the I Ching, or Book of Changes. The movements and inner teachings are derived from the complementary relationship between Yin and Yang, two fundamental forces that create and harmonize the Universe by their interaction.
The interaction of Yin and Yang is vital to the practice of Tai Chi Chuan since physically and mentally the practitioner is continually shifting between empty and full and soft and hard to achieve a proper and evolving equilibrium.
This produces both physical and mental flexibility and the power to adapt to circumstances in a way that provides the practitioner with the necessary leverage to deal with a martial opponent or someone less physical but still combative.
This practice produces the ability to yield while maintaining contact that will ultimately produce a satisfactory resolution. At the same time, Tai Chi Chuan has the capability to produce strength physically by the proper repetition of the movements. In addition to generating the qi, or inner energy, which revitalizes the system, it also produces jing, sometimes referred to as inner strength. Tai Chi Chuan masters are famous for their strength, cultivated through years of practice.
The perseverance in practicing Tai Chi Chuan requires and reinforces mental strength and stability because of the focus and concentration that are inherent in its correct practice.
Diligent practice of Tai Chi Chuan also increases self-knowledge and self-mastery. It leads to a greater appreciation of one's self and others. Tai Chi Chuan is intimately connected with qigong, also known as chi kung or chi gong, an ancient Chinese discipline that involves the mind, breath, and movement to create a calm, natural balance of energy. One of the best kinds of qigong is Tai Chi Chuan, which combines mind, body movement and spirit.
Qigong: An Ancient Way to Balance Mind and Body
Qigong, also known as chi kung or chi gong, is an ancient Chinese discipline that involves the mind, breath, and movement to create a calm, natural balance of energy that can be used in work, recreation or self-defense.
Qigong exercises have a reputation in China for aiding in the treatment of heart disease, high blood pressure, pulmonary emphysema, arthritis, digestive disorders, arteriosclerosis, skin diseases, depression, cancer, and many other illnesses.
For those seeking physical fitness, qigong loosens the joints and increases flexibility and suppleness, while strengthening the sinews and tendons. It has been known to improve the function of the internal organs, delay aging, and prolong life.
Qi, or chi, is an intrinsic energy in the body that travels along pathways in the body called meridians. At certain points along the pathways, acupuncture points, acupuncturists may place needles to cure or alleviate a patient's conditions. The purpose is to restore the flow of qi to a natural, healthy balance.
Qigong exercises are intended to achieve the same goal through use of the mind, breath and movement. There are thousands of qigong exercises, some for specific purposes. One of the best kinds of qigong exercises is Tai Chi Chuan, which can also be used for self-defense. Treating people with qigong can be traced back 2,500 years in China to the Warring States Period. People found out by accident that when a man with qigong released his energy on an injury, the affected part would heal quickly.
From then on, qigong was often used to treat war injuries. It was later extended to various diseases.
The book, "Wonders of Qigong", compiled by China Sports Magazine and published by Wayfarer Publications, describes the discovery of ancient documents about chi kung and another related fitness exercise called daoyin.
Daoyin exercises are a method that combines regulated breathing with body movements and it is good for all the joints in the body, particularly the shoulders, waist, knees and the respiratory organs. The daoyin exercises were merged into chi kung methods to form a body of techniques practiced today.
Qi is most often defined as life-breath, a vital force, or spirit. When used in connection with neo-confucianist Li (the eternal principle), qi means matter-energy.
Chi is said to come out of the Tao (a source that is itself inexpressible) to create Yin and Yang, which create Yin and Yang energies.
Qi is inherent in everyone and everything. It is a Chinese word for something that really is universal. So long as a person breathes, he or she has vital qi.
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