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| Energy and tai chi | ||
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Hocus pocus
When it comes to energy our aim is to keep things
scientific.
We are interested in the medical perspective and physics.
That way the training is grounded in
proof and the
results are tangible.
Energy
There are four kinds of 'energy' that can be explored with
certainty and conviction:
Balance
Many people think that energy is the most important concern in tai chi.
This is incorrect.
Balance comes first.
Better balance = more energy
Tai chi addresses the issue of energy by looking to
balance the individual.
Our attention is placed on the mind, the
emotions, the
body and the 'spirit' in which we perform the
art.
By using mind, body and spirit in a more healthy,
unified manner, the tai chi practitioner becomes
energised and feels
great.
Mind
Modern life puts the mind under immense stress.
It is important to reconsider how we use our brains and
allow the brain time to rest and recover.
Read constructive books,
meditate, find healthy outlets and
stop frequently.
Emotions
Unchecked emotions can cause physical and
mental harm.
Tai chi encourages clarity,
focus, calmness,
composure, patience,
perspective, context
and harmony.
It aims to resolve conflicts rather than sustain
them.
Find peace
Students are expected to work on addressing their
negative emotions and the thought patterns
that perpetuate them.
Tai chi requires us to be honest with ourselves.
To observe our thoughts and emotions without indulging
them or being critical.
If you are offended or upset, acknowledge this but don't seek to
condemn.
Body
Everyone develops physical habits as a
consequence of their everyday lives.
Some of these are healthy, but often they are not.
Poor body use puts the organism under
considerable duress.
Many health problems are simply the
outcome of poor lifestyle choices.
Finding balance
Tai chi addresses physical balance in many different ways:
Healthy skeletal alignment
Optimal body use
How your muscles work
Timing
Relaxing your body
Proprioception (relative position of body parts/awareness of how much strength is being applied)
Rhythm
Mind/body unity
Leverage
Kinaesthetic awareness (knowing where your limbs are positioned without needing to look)
Footwork
Biofeedback
Ambidextrous use of the limbs
Gait (manner of walking)
Activity and rest
Gravity
By maintaining a pliable stability during
tai chi practice, you learn not to
lean.
An upright, stable body works constructively with gravity rather than slumping.
This uses up less energy...
Spirit
Imbuing your tai chi with feeling is called 'shen'. This is not to be
confused with anger or aggression.
Shen is easy to understand - when you do the tai chi - mean it, feel it,
be it.
Do not simply 'go through the motions'. Tai chi should be performed
with feeling.
Sensitivity
Beginners are sometimes under the
impression that the sensitivity aspect of
tai chi pertains to energy...
This is a misconception.
Sensitivity is about presence,
awareness,
4 ounces of pressure, 'listening'
skills and the nervous system.
Jing
Jing is about whole-body power.
It is not about 'mystical' energy.
There are two main categories of jing:
Sensitivity jing
- (see above)
- this is about you feeling the opponent's actions
- physically connected via skin contact
Energy release
jing
- power generation and release
- kinetic energy
- this is about the opponent feeling the
effect of your
actions when you make contact with
them
Kinetic energy release
There is nothing mystical or unscientific about
'fa jing'.
Despite the exotic Chinese name, it is simply a question of body
mechanics,
gravity, distance and timing.
We live as if asleep, never waking up to the amazing, awesome one moment in
our lives where we stand poised over eternity, aware that it is the only
moment we will ever have, and that if we don’t embrace it we have lost
everything.
(Wolfe Lowenthal)
Page created
12 January 1995
Last updated
16 June 2023
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