The Practice of Tai Chi Chuan
Tai Chi is recognized as the unification and balance of "Yin" and "Yang" energies that are present within each of our bodies. In order to understand Tai Chi and its many benefits we must first understand the fundamental concept of Yin and Yang.
The Yin energy is charcterized as the energy associated with the Moon, as the Yang energy is associated with the Sun. The energies are also connected with the cycle of the day and correspond to their respective light cycles. The connection between these two energies is unrelenting in that they cannot exist without each other. Yin cannot exist without Yang and vice versa. Even in the diagram shown to the right, the term utmost Yang means mostly Yang with a little bit of Yin. The ancient Chinese believed that it was the imbalance of Yin and Yang that resulted in ailments and disease, and in order to balance Yin and Yang they tried to develop a form of meditation that satisfied both conditions.
Balancing these two forms of energy is not a simple process and many centuries ago Tai Chi was organized to help stabilize the equilibrium. The Chinese had previous knowledge of how to satisfy they two forms of energy individually but they had to combine the two forms of stabilization. Yin was generally controlled through meditation, whereas physical activity satisfied the Yang portion. By incorporating the slow powerful movements with the soothing mental relaxation, Tai Chi was born. There are several forms of Tai Chi that developed as time progressed and the different cultures transformed the original Tai Chi into its several forms.
These forms are Chuan, Yang, Wu, and Sun. All of these forms have the same basic fundamentals like Strong Stances, Fluid Motions, Firm resolve, etc. To do Tai Chi you simply need some soothing music, comfortable loose clothing, and the willingness to relax. If you have these things then you are more than prepared to begin with some of the basic moves in the video below.
The movements in Tai Chi are representative of the the many struggles that any one person may endure at any point in their lives, and by duplicating these struggles your internal energies become one with each other, creating an equilibrium. This desired equilibrium gives a new meaning to relaxation and clarity of the mind. Consequently that is the exact purpose of this form of dance. The combination of the many moves and positions are very similar to any other dance in terms of organization and purpose but the difference lies in the pace and skill required. That is what make Tai Chi so great.
The Yin energy is charcterized as the energy associated with the Moon, as the Yang energy is associated with the Sun. The energies are also connected with the cycle of the day and correspond to their respective light cycles. The connection between these two energies is unrelenting in that they cannot exist without each other. Yin cannot exist without Yang and vice versa. Even in the diagram shown to the right, the term utmost Yang means mostly Yang with a little bit of Yin. The ancient Chinese believed that it was the imbalance of Yin and Yang that resulted in ailments and disease, and in order to balance Yin and Yang they tried to develop a form of meditation that satisfied both conditions.
Balancing these two forms of energy is not a simple process and many centuries ago Tai Chi was organized to help stabilize the equilibrium. The Chinese had previous knowledge of how to satisfy they two forms of energy individually but they had to combine the two forms of stabilization. Yin was generally controlled through meditation, whereas physical activity satisfied the Yang portion. By incorporating the slow powerful movements with the soothing mental relaxation, Tai Chi was born. There are several forms of Tai Chi that developed as time progressed and the different cultures transformed the original Tai Chi into its several forms.
These forms are Chuan, Yang, Wu, and Sun. All of these forms have the same basic fundamentals like Strong Stances, Fluid Motions, Firm resolve, etc. To do Tai Chi you simply need some soothing music, comfortable loose clothing, and the willingness to relax. If you have these things then you are more than prepared to begin with some of the basic moves in the video below.
The movements in Tai Chi are representative of the the many struggles that any one person may endure at any point in their lives, and by duplicating these struggles your internal energies become one with each other, creating an equilibrium. This desired equilibrium gives a new meaning to relaxation and clarity of the mind. Consequently that is the exact purpose of this form of dance. The combination of the many moves and positions are very similar to any other dance in terms of organization and purpose but the difference lies in the pace and skill required. That is what make Tai Chi so great.
Personal Connection
I personally find that Tai Chi is extremely relaxing and when we performed some of the movements in an intro to dance class I was enthralled by the fact that I was in fact much more calm and at peace with myself after only one brief session. Realizing that I wanted to do this many more times I signed up for a Tai Chi class and have been attending at least once a week ever since. I would gladly recommend this to anyone who simply wants to see the world for a beautiful place filled with miracles as opposed to the societal implication of a dismal dystopia filled with problems.
