March 2, 2009
There are many cryptic sayings inside of the many versions of what have come collectively to be known as “The Tai-Chi Classics”. For the sake of quick clarification Taichichuan refers to the martial aspects of the Art. Tai-Chi refers predominantly to the healing side. Although this is true Tai-Chi has become a generic description of both and the Authors will take the prerogative of using the simpler title of Tai-Chi when referring to the Art.
Tai-Chi is like threading Chi through a pearl with 9 holes. This is one of hundreds of ancient statements that many have no idea what it means. Like all statements and techniques there are several possible levels of meaning. There are those who understand, and deeply.
Ok, to start with: If you have been practicing Tai-Chi for any time at all you know that when one part moves, all parts move. You should also understand that the movement begins in the feet, feeding the energy of earth, gravity, to the legs. The waist then directs this energy through the torso into the arms and finally manifesting in the tips of the fingers. Think about it if you do not yet understand this, it will come to you. (more…)
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March 2, 2009
We must as Westerners understand that there is a need to express the theories and philosophies of Tai-Chi in a way that is easy for the Western mind to comprehend. To understand Xin and Yi one must simply realize the clarity and wisdom that arises as a result of quieting the mind. For instance the notion of Xin and Yi. There are not actually two different parts of our mind that could be subdivided in this manner. It is a way of speaking to teach that an overly emotional mind can cause one to be out of balance. Calmness directly experienced through the physical comprehension that Tai-Chi offers becomes a Physical foundation to build deeper mental experience. It is perhaps wise to say that when we have a mind that is calm and our emotions are in balance we make wiser decisions. (more…)
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March 2, 2009
Reuters – ABC News
Mar 30, 2005 – By Amy Norton
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – A new take on the ancient martial art Tai Chi may offer a gentle way for even frail elderly adults to keep moving.
The style, known as Tai Chi Fundamentals, combines the traditions of the Chinese practice along with modern therapeutic principles to form an exercise plan feasible for elderly adults with a range of health problems – from arthritis to heart disease.
. . . Long used in China as a way to promote wellness, Tai Chi focuses on building strength, balance and flexibility through slow, fluid movements combined with mental imagery and deep breathing. (more…)
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March 2, 2009
(by Bill Douglas, Founder of World Tai Chi & Qigong Day, Copyright 2005)
“The great empires of the future will be empires of the mind.”
Winston Churchill
I see T’ai Chi as perhaps the most important aspect of humanity’s future. In fact, in June, Consumer Reports Magazine named Tai Chi the #1 exercise of 2000. Paradoxically, I realized just how important T’ai Chi was going to be for humanity, by being told to “let go” of just how important I thought it was. Everything changed for me a few years ago, when I went to a weekend growth seminar, and during my discourse on why T’ai Chi was “very important” to everyone’s health, one of the moderators interrupted to suggest, “why don’t people just do it because it is fun?” (more…)
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March 2, 2009
We must as Westerners understand that there is a need to express the theories and philosophies of Tai-Chi in a way that is easy for the Western mind to comprehend. To understand Xin and Yi one must simply realize the clarity and wisdom that arises as a result of quieting the mind. For instance the notion of Xin and Yi. There are not actually two different parts of our mind that could be subdivided in this manner. It is a way of speaking to teach that an overly emotional mind can cause one to be out of balance. Calmness directly experienced through the physical comprehension that Tai-Chi offers becomes a Physical foundation to build deeper mental experience. It is perhaps wise to say that when we have a mind that is calm and our emotions are in balance we make wiser decisions. The balance in our mind between wisdom and emotion comes about through calming the mind so that what is real can be perceived by the individual for themselves.No one can walk out the steps of the path for someone else. We can only so called “point a finger at the moon”
(more…)
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March 2, 2009
Hello Everyone. I hope you have had an enlightening day in some way that you either understand now or will understand further down the River of Time.
Sometimes when I teach a meditation course I will discuss the nature of meditation as “training wheels”. Let me explain.
Sometimes we sit and learn a new special breathing technique. Or perhaps we learn a Mantra or a series of Mantras. We might study and practice a Mudra, ( a way of holding our hands while we meditate.)
I could go on and on because there are practically an infinite number of different forms of meditation.
From time to time we have a discussion about mindfulness. This is when I occasionally will compare “practicing Meditation” to a set of training wheels.
Truly we are learning to hold our mind in the moment and not allow our consciousness to get stuck in the past or in the future. (more…)
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