T'ai Chi Ch'uan is the classic Chinese method of activity for health, self-defense and spiritual

growth. Graceful in movement, slow in tempo, relaxed in continuous natural postures; Tai
Chi Chuan is, "meditation in movement", practiced throughout the world for its profound
health benefits. The Chinese say that whoever practices Tai Chi regularly will in time gain
‘the elasticity of a child, the vitality of a lumberjack, and the peace of mind of a sage.’ Tai chi
is based on spiritual and philosophical ideas that demand a need for balance in the body,
mind, and spirit.(myinnerchi). T'ai Chi emphasizes the integration of mind and body in every
motion, through slow respiration, mental and visual concentration, and dynamic relaxation.
Most Asian martial arts (such as karate, judo, and Kung Fu) emphasize powerful linear
movements, heavy-fisted strikes, and acrobatic kicks; all motivated by strength, speed and
outward-force. Progress in tai chi, by contrast, depends on developing not outer strength but
inner awareness, and the methods for achieving this are more subtle than the physical
techniques of the art.

Origins
The origins of T’ai Chi Ch’uan are lost in Chinese myth and folklore. The most popular
theory says that Chang San Feng, a Taoist sage of the Yuan Dynasty (13th century), created
tai chi in his dreams. He was a master of Shaolin boxing, the oldest form of Chinese martial
arts. To this tradition he applied the principles of yin and yang, the I Ching, and Taoist
breathing techniques (chi-kung) to create a soft boxing art form: Tai Chi Chuan.(Henning,
Stanley). To fully understand how Tai Chi Chuan came to be, it is important to research its
origins. Shaolin boxing was created by the Indian Buddhist master Tamo (Bodhidharma)
around 500 A.D. at the Shaolin monastery in Honan province. The main purpose of Taoism
was to rejuvenate the health of the Buddhist monks, who were weakened by religious
practices that emphasized mastering the mind while causing negative effects to the physical
body. Shaolin boxing was characterized by movements inspired from the movements of
animals.

There were five types of "animal acting" practiced:

(1) The tiger; to strengthen bones and develop power and ferocity;
(2) The dragon; to train attention and cultivate spirit (shen);
(3) The leopard; to develop the muscles and swiftness;
(4) The snake, to cultivate the internal energy (chi);
(5) The crane, to develop the sinews and train balance, suppleness, and agility.
Over the centuries, tai chi chuan was passed on from generation to generation through a
secret oral tradition. Today there exist four major styles - Chen, Yang, Wu and Sun - as well
as dozens of lesser known styles developed by various innovative masters. The oldest known
tai chi form was practiced by the Chen family of Hunan province. Chen tai chi was a closely
guarded family secret until it was taught to Yang Lu Chang in the late 18th century. Yang
then taught his sons who taught their sons. Of the many tai chi forms that sprang from the
Chen family teachers, the three generations of Yang masters, were the most renowned
because of their strength, quest in refining the art, and ability to teach the art to all sectors of
Chinese society. Today the Yang style is the most popular style being practiced throughout
the world, although in the last 20 years, the Chen style has gained much popularity.(Wile,
Douglas)

How does it work?

Movement -- All of the major muscle groups and joints are needed for the slow, gentle
movements in tai chi. Tai chi improves balance, agility, strength, flexibility, stamina, muscle
tone, and coordination. This low impact, weight bearing exercise strengthens bones and can
slow bone loss. This is why it is practiced by many senior citizens.

Meditation -- Research shows that meditation soothes the mind, enhances concentration,
reduces anxiety, and lowers blood pressure and heart rate. The simple act of moving slowly
and with purposeful gestures, allows your mind to enter into a meditative state.

Deep breathing -- Exhaling used air and toxins from the lungs while inhaling fresh air
increases lung capacity, stretches the muscles involved in breathing, and releases tension. It
also enhances blood circulation to the brain, which boosts mental alertness. At the same time,
the practice supplies the entire body with fresh oxygen and nutrients. This in turn reduces
anxiety.

Symbolism of Tai Chi Chuan

Tai Chi is based on two things: the ‘qi’ and the ‘ying and yang’. The concept of Qi or internal
energy is the first principal of Tai Chi. the second basic principal is the theory of Yin and
Yang. Everything on our Earth is made of pairs of opposites: light and dark, positive and
negative, male and female, etc. They are used to explain the continuous process of natural
change. But, yin and yang are not only a set of corresponding opposites; they also represent a
way of thinking. In this way of thought, all things are seen as parts of a whole. No entity can
ever be isolated from its relationship to other entities. No "one" can exist in and of itself, and
yet there are no absolutes. Yin and Yang must, necessarily, contain within themselves the
possibility of opposition and change. The character for Yin originally meant the shady side of
a slope. It is associated with such qualities as cold, rest, passivity, darkness, inwardness and
down. The character for Yang originally meant the sunny side of the slope. Its qualities are
heat, stimulation, movement, activity, brightness, excitement, light, up and increase.

If there is a force - Qi - that regulates the functions of the body, it may be possible to cultivate
and increase it. What the Masters and their followers discovered over many Centuries is that
the mind governs both the positive and negative aspects of Qi. In the techniques they
developed, which we now call Tai Chi Chuan, and Qigong, you train your muscles and joints,
and also train your most powerful organ - your brain. In the form of your imagination, you
send a constant stream of positive, health enhancing messages to your body. With every
movement you make and every breath you take, you increase your store of health and well-
being - Qi - and circulate it around your body, increasing its strength and immunity against
dis-ease and premature aging.(www.jing-an.co.za)

The spiritual side of Tai Chi has to do with Living. In indicates living with the entire spirit.
Not a spirit in the sense of an ethereal ghost-like form that will float away when one dies, but
spirit in the sense of what is driving a person here and now - in the present. It is grounded in
the precepts of Taoism, the most ancient spiritual philosophy of China.

The Masters who founded and developed Tai Chi derived it directly from the founders of
Taoism, Lao Tsu, Chang Tzu and others, who lived pre year Zero Era of the West. They were
spiritually grounded in this form of pragmatic thought, combining nature, reality and
spirituality. Their spiritual orientation found its way into the very essence of Tai Chi.
Characteristics of this approach to spirituality have to do with such real-life things as
compassion, diligence, open-mindedness, honesty, humility, perseverance, simplicity, self-
confidence, patience, non-possessiveness and sensitivity.

Tai Chi Chuan and Meditation

Tai chi can be used as a meditation to calm down your nervous system and smooth out all the
deeper energies of your emotions, your mind, your psyche, your karma and your essence. The
energy in your body creates the energy upon which the waves of your mind ride. If the chi in
your body is disturbed, when it reaches your brain your thoughts gets disturbed. As the chi in
your body becomes balanced, calm and smooth, all of a sudden your mind calms down. The
highest purpose of meditation is to make you aware of the permanent, unchanging center of
your being, that place of spirit and emptiness that is Consciousness itself. This level is
beyond mere physical and mental relaxation; rather it is relaxing into your soul or your very
being.

Tai Chi to Relax the Nerves

Simply put, the meditative movements of tai chi regulate the flow of energy in your body. In
terms of Chinese medicine and philosophy, your internal organs are responsible from a pure,
physical level for generating your emotions. For example, your liver can either make you
very angry, or can induce compassion, or it can provide the energy to deal with fear and be
aware in a given situation. As the chi in your body normalizes and steadies, a state is
produced where your mind is calm and relatively centered, which most people consider
meditation.

Tai Chi for Enlightenment

Meditation as it is what is classically considered in Asia. This is where we discuss
enlightenment or achieving the awareness level of a Buddha or a Lao Tzu or having the
ability to have the degree of the love and compassion of a Jesus Christ. This capacity does not
come from just getting the energy in your body to become calm; it obviously requires you to
go much deeper. The overwhelming majority of all tai chi that is out there, although
originating from martial arts, is mostly done purely for physical health and balancing the chi
of the body. Very few teachers actually ever get into the meditation aspects, either because
they don’t know them or because most of the time is spent helping students get the basics of
the form they are learning, which is all good. That being said, you cannot expect to go to the
deeper aspects of meditation by practicing just the physical aspects of tai chi.

The Traditional Qigong Path

Within Taoism itself, all the long qigong forms were practiced as a pre-requisite to sitting
Taoist meditation. These qigong forms in their first stage develop ordinary chi in your body
in the same way tai chi does. However, in the second stage these qigong forms move toward
what in China is called shengong or spiritual qigong. This is virtually unknown in the West.
After stabilizing the physical movements, you can then use the moving practices of tai chi or
qigong to work out the depths of your emotions, your thought processes, your psychic world
and your karma. Ultimately the goal is for a person to arrive at their essence. At this level,
sitting meditation, moving meditation, standing meditation, lying down meditation or
interactive meditations such as sex or talking are all the same in that they engage similar
processes to clear to the absolute core depth of your being.

Connecting with Your Essence and the Tao

In Taoism the higher levels of meditation only begin when you actually arrive at
understanding your essence. Using tai chi, you can clear out your mind and make your body
smooth to arrive at this point. The next stage of the game is recognizing the Tao. Here, you
make the jump from anything that has to do with you personally, to actually understanding
what the Universal flows are so that you, individually, become calm and smooth within the
flows of the Universe. Ordinary tai chi allows you to stay centered within your body
regardless of the nervousness or stress that runs through your nerves and mental
agitation. This gets you into the game where eventually through much practice and
meditation; you are able to comprehend and are able to stay centered inside, the flows of the
Universe.

Conclusion
The philosophical side and active side of Tai Chi must be combined together, in order for the
martial art to be fully effective on the individual, which is similar to the concept of Ying and
Yang. Tai chi does not involve impact or equipment. It requires only your motivation and
perseverance. There is a great variety of styles of tai chi and an even greater variety of
teaching styles. In some traditional classes, there is little verbal communication and the
students learn by watching. In other classes, the teacher may speak throughout and use
imagery to describe body movements ("let your spine hang gently like a necklace of pearls")
and to guide meditation ("let the energy flow through you like water down a stream"). The
collective participation of individuals within the Tai Chi activity is beneficial, not just from a
social standpoint but also from the pooling of positive energy within a common area; through
actions performed in synchronization.
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Henning, Stanley (1994). "Ignorance, Legend and Taijiquan". Journal of the Chen Style
Taijiquan Research Association of Hawaii

Qi - The Journal of Traditional Eastern Health and Fitness, Spring 1991, Vol. 1, No. 1

The Tai Chi Journal (a Rochester Tai Chi Chuan Center publication), Spring 1987, Vol. 1,
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