It is hard to think of a Western equivalent of tai chi chuan.
Part dance, part physical exercise, and part slow-motion combat, it is
nevertheless none of these, but rather:
“Tai chi exemplifies the most subtle principle of taoism,
known as wu-wei…
to act without forcing
– to move in accordance with the flow of nature’s course…
and is best
understood from watching the dynamics of water”
(Huang).
(Alan Watts)
What is qi?
Literally translated as 'air', qi (pronounced chee) is the vital energy of any living organism
and the source of all movement and change in the universe.
This may sound a bit 'new age' but 'qi' is simply the Chinese word for
energy.
Qi is the energy we create from the digestion of food, air and liquids.
Deficiencies or blocked energy can result in an inability to transform and
transport our food and drink, inability to keep warm or tolerate extreme
temperatures, and a lack of resistance to diseases and chronic fatigue.
How
we interact with our environment in everyday life, exercise or meditation
will affect our energy.
Blocked energy?
What is blocked energy? How does it become blocked?
Imagine switching on every electrical appliance in
your house?
A lot of power is being expended and your electric bill will go up.
Now imagine the human body.
Your body has a natural energy reserve. This is what allows you to function,
move, live.
You also take in energy from the air, and from food and drink.
If you are using your body in a manner that depletes energy, you will feel
worn out.
Tai chi, qigong and neigong are concerned with switching off the electrical
appliances you've left on.
What are these electrical appliances?
Modern life involves many activities that cause tension to build up in the
joints and spine: sitting at a computer all day, driving, slumped in front
of the TV, repetitive work.
Bad food, poor sleep habits, stress and anxiety also contribute.
Not many people follow a healthy exercise regime.
Poor body usage causes tension within the muscles, joints and
internal organs.
This prevents the circulation of both blood and energy within the body.
Tensed muscles use a lot of energy and tire
you out.
When you have a free, loose body there is more energy reserve in your body.
Energy efficiency?
Imagine switching on the heating but leaving the doors and windows open? Not
lagging pipes? No loft insulation? The thermostat high? No double glazing?
It will cost you a lot of money. It will also waste a lot of energy.
How can you improve your energy reserves?
By using the body more efficiently, we can become less tired and feel more
lively.
Any good exercise should make you feel better: cycling, yoga, swimming...
Qigong is much milder than other forms of exercise.
It can be performed for short periods of time initially, eventually building
up to longer duration.
Another feature is economy: tai chi, qigong and neigong do not waste
energy with superfluity.
Qi fantasies
Chinese movies have long
depicted qi as being an energy force projected through the hands, like
lightning.
This is obviously fantasy.
Qigong, neigong and tai chi are concerned with building up internal
strength.
Qigong
Qigong (sometimes
spelled 'chi kung') is a unique Chinese exercise system.
The name means energy/breath work.
Practitioners build up their health and prevent
illness by balancing mind, body and energy.
regulating the body through posture
regulating the mind through quietude
relaxation and concentration of mental activity
regulating the breath
self-massage
movement of the limbs
Qigong approaches
There
have been many qigong schools in China.
Although each school adopts unique methods, they all agree on the basic
importance of regulating the mind and deepening the respiration.
Qigong is generally practiced in two major categories, 'still' and 'moving'.
Still qigong is usually practiced in outwardly motionless postures such as
the sitting or standing positions.
Moving qigong involves movement of the limbs and body under the conscious
direction of the mind.
Tai chi
and the
internal
arts are a form of moving qigong.
Qigong is thought to have been practiced for over 2,000 years.
Hard qigong
Hard qigong
refers to exercises done in the internal martial arts to strengthen and
protect the body from vicious blows.
These qigong exercises tend to be far more difficult than mainstream qigong.
Intention, deliberate breathing methods, challenging postures and endurance
work are all required.
Neigong
Neigong
is the process of augmenting how we move our bodies in
order to improve the flow of energy.
The onus is upon changing from the inside out.
Dynamic Balancing Tai Chi incorporates a number of neigong practices.
So what does this really entail?
Conventional exercise and martial arts practice employs the limbs in
a piecemeal fashion.
Internal strength trains the body such that one part moves and all parts
move.
Imagine having 100 workers and only 1 job to do?
If you had 1 worker perform the job, 99 workers are idle and that 1 worker
is probably working very hard.
They will soon become tired.
If you employed all 100 workers on the 1 job by dividing the work - sharing
the workload - each worker would be proportionately less tired and able to
accomplish more work, but with less effort.
This is part of what neigong teaches.
It re-trains how we use the human body.
Page created 18 January 1998