What is Tai Chi?
“Whoever practices t’ai chi ch’uan, correctly and regularly, twice a day over a period of time, will gain the pliability of a child, the health of a lumberjack, and the peace of mind of a sage.”
- Grand Master Cheng Man-Ch’ing
T’ai Chi Ch’uan, one of the eight branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), as it is practiced today, can perhaps be best thought of as a moving form of exercise and meditation combined. The Chinese characters for T’ai Chi Ch’uan can be translated as the 'Supreme Ultimate Force'. T’ai Chi consists of slow, relaxed movements. For the body, it’s an exercise, for the mind, it’s a study in concentration and will power, and in general, it is a profound preventative and curative system of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
In Chinese philosophy and medicine there exists the concept of 'chi', a vital force that animates the body. A primary goal of T’ai Chi is to foster the circulation of this 'chi' within the body, similar to acupuncture, so the health and vitality of the person are enhanced.
The exercise consists of thirty-seven movements that are performed in slow, continuous sequence. They emphasize complete relaxation, accuracy of motion, and natural breathing. As the body is given a chance to relax within action, one experiences that life can be lived and all work accomplished with less effort. The concept of ch'i, the intrinsic energy that animates all living phenomena, plays a central role in the training. Tension interferes with the flow of ch'i in our bodies, and the purpose of T'ai-Chi is to restore the normal flow of ch'i by disolving this tension.
Many of the movements in T’ai Chi are originally derived from the martial arts (and perhaps even more ancestrally than that, from the natural movements of animals and birds) although the way they are performed in Tai Chi is slowly, softly and gracefully with smooth and even transitions between them.
An additional benefit of T’ai Chi is to foster a calm and tranquil mind, focused on the precise execution of these exercises. Learning to do them correctly provides a practical avenue for learning about such things as balance, alignment, fine-scale motor control, rhythm of movement, the genesis of movement from the body's vital center, and so on. Thus the practice of T’ai Chi can in some measure contribute to being able to better stand, walk, move, run, etc. in other spheres of life as well. Many practitioners notice benefits in terms of correcting poor postural, alignment or movement patterns which can contribute to tension or injury. Furthermore the meditative nature of the exercises is calming and relaxing in and of itself.
Ten Essential Points of Practice for Tai Chi Chuan:
Approach
Approach Tai Chi Chuan with no preconceptions. Experience it as meditation, physical culture, and as an exercise of ch'i. You may develop self-defense along the way, but you may also develop that which is truly supreme and ultimate.
Patience
Every person is an individual. Some things will come quickly, others slowly, and some, perhaps, not at all. Know that each person develops at his own pace. The student competes only with himself. Therefore, a student should not feel that he is falling behind if a fellow student develops a skill in a month that he cannot acquire in six. The student may develop more quickly in another area. But even if not, remember that progress in Tai Chi Chuan, for most of us, is measured not in months, but in years.
Perseverance
While most students experience some benefit from Tai Chi practice within the first few weeks, Tai Chi is the practice of a lifetime. Ever increasing benefits of Tai Chi Chuan accrue with the decades of one's practice. Practice should be morning and night all the days of one's life.
Straight Spine
This facilitates the flow of ch'i up the spine.
Breathe To the Tan T'ien
This develops ch'i.
Empty the Mind
Tai Chi Chuan is meditation. This improves sensitivity to input, ability to react, to concentrate and to be sensitive to and to control ch'i.
Single Weight
This enhances internal sensitivity and improves balance in the form, push hands, and self-defense.
Feel Air as Substantial
If the air has substance, how much more substance will even your most supple opponent have? Also, this will aid in doing the form smoothly and at an even pace.
Softness Through Root
Develop your foothold so that five or six strong men together cannot push you. Also, develop your ability at neutralizing and softness so that you need never use that root. In this way, while having substantial root, you will always feel light and supple.
Benevolence
Never try to harm anyone in practice, teaching, or demonstration. In push hands and self-defense, as in form, you are competing with no one except yourself. If you feel a need to overpower your partner in practice, then your real need is to overpower your own ego. Your partner is there to help you develop your skills, and you, his. When you are pushed by your partner, it is not your partner who has pushed you, but rather your inability to neutralize the push that has pushed you. You will be "unpushed" when you have sufficiently overcome yourself in body, emotions, mind, and spirit.
Dr. Michael Lipelt, founder and practitioner at Stillpoint Family Health Services received a Master of Science in Oriental Medicine at Meiji College of Oriental Medicine, in San Francisco, CA in 1994, his regional acupuncture certification in 1993 from the NCAA, and his Acupuncture License for the State of California in 1995. Dr. Lipelt completed post-graduate dental acupuncture studies at the UCLA School of Dentistry in Los Angeles, CA in 1992, and his Dental Acupuncture License for the State of California in 1993. He has practiced acupuncture now for almost 20 years, while integrating it with other holistic healing methods.