The Ten Basic Rules of Practicing Tai Chi

"Tai Chi for Health" by Edward Maisel

1. Relax. Avoid any nervous or muscular tension. Relax facial muscles as well. The result will be a look of serenity.
2. Empty your mind of thought and allow it to become wholly concerned with and aware of each movement of the body.
3. Perform the actions as slowly as possible.
4. Keep the same tempo throughout. Some actions lend themselves to a faster tempo, but avoid any such temptation to hurry.
5. Breath easily and naturally through the nose.
6. Every action should be comfortable. If it is not comfortable, it is not correct.
7. Never push any action to the utmost. Never stop as far as possible. Always reserve the end of the action to become the beginning of the next one.
8. Every action should be performed with careful deliberateness. Nothing is unimportant. Perform each action as though for the first time.
9. No conscious strength or force should ever be exerted.
10. Action is continuous from the beginning of Tai Chi to the end of Tai Chi. Never stop an action. Never be completely still.

Qi Gong and Taiji

Qi is the energy of life. A live person has Qi but a dead person doesn't. A healthy person has abundant clear Qi while a sick person has more toxic Qi.

Practicing Qi Gong is a process of making the Qi in your body more clearer by receiving fresh Qi from the Nature and removing the toxic Qi. Practicing Qi Gong and Taiji can both improve your body's Qi then impact your health in a positive way.

What's the difference between practicing Qi Gong and Taiji? How to feel the Qi?

May 7, 2006

On May 7, 2006, Cindy shared her experiences and observations with the Taiji club where she is a member from her 15+ years of practicing Qi Gong and 6+ years of practicing Taiji.

Read the outline (Chinese)

Benefits of Tai Chi

Benefits of Tai chi

1. Stronger knees and ankles
2. Better balance and flexibility
3. Improved immune system
4. More confidence
5. Better coordination, fewer falls
6. Reduced pain; reduced medication
7. Increased range of motion

Tai chi: Smooth move for arthritis

Taiji's Essence Reflected in the Movements

Learning and practicing Tai Chi (Taiji) can help you relax and relieve stress. Do you know it is also an experience of exploring Chinese culture and life philosophy which will benefit your mind and soul?

Taiji's essence is Lao Zi's philosophy of immersing human being into the nature and following the laws of nature to achieve life balance.

Taiji's movements have the following characteristics:
1. Many movements and postures resemble that of birds and animals
2. The body, hands and feet constantly move in the opposite state, Yin and Yang.
3. All the movements require the lead from Yi (a mind state) to the coordination of eyes, hands, body and feet.

Taiji is not just a slow and smooth exercise but is also a culture, a philosophy and a way of looking at the world.

Practicing Taiji Form 8 Before Going to Bed

Last year I learned Taiji Quan Form 8. I really like it and have found it improves the quality of my sleep when I do it before going to bed.

This Taiji Quan Form 8 is based on Yang style. It has the following features:
1. It is easy to learn - you can learn it in 2-3 sessions with each session lasts about one hour
2. The movements are symmetrical - one movement is performed on each side of the body in a symmetrical way
3. The movements are all very easy to do
4. It requires very little space to do it. All the movements are centered around your body and you don't need a big room to do it.

Practicing Taiji Quan Form 8 with a good relaxing Chinese music can put your mind and body into a relax mood which is what you need after a full work day, isn't it?

A Benefit of Practicing Taiji in a Group

What are the benefits of group practicing if you can do Tai
Chi in your backyard? Well, from the many years I have been
doing Tai Chi and Qing Gong, I would like to share with you
one benefit of group practice.

Getting the Qi from the Group

When people practice Tai Chi together, there is a Qi Chang (气场) (energy field). Everyone is benefited from the Qi Change.

Have you noticed that you are warmed up more quickly when
practicing with a group? If you concentrate on your own
practice instead of looking around, you can feel it. This
energy flow helps your body and mind to relax.

Have you noticed that you can do two hours of Tai Chi exercise
with a group without being exhausted but it is hard to do that
long at home when you are alone? The group energy has helped.
Note that the group has to be a happy group to generate the
positive Qi.

Be in a group and enjoy your practice!

A Book for Taiji Practioners - The Tao of Pooh

My neighbor who practices Tai Chi lent me this book a few
weeks ago. It is an easy to read book. I recommend this book
to you. It described Taoism via the Pooh, a popular carton
character in a children TV program.

Although I am a Chinese and have been practicing Tai Chi for
many years I don't know much about Taoism. This book has
taught me some basic ideas such as blending in to the nature,
listening to your voice within. Be a child who knows.

The book has a paragraph about Tai Chi Quan: The basic idea of Tai Chi Quan is to wear the opponent out either by sending his energy back at him or by deflecting it away, in order to weaken his power, balance, and position-for -defense. Never is force opposed with force; instead, it is overcome with yielding.

Book Information: The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff