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Tai Chi

Tai Chi is actually the yin/yang symbol. But what most Americans think are the slow movements of Tai Chi. It is actually Tai Chi Ch’uan or Tai Ji Quan. The “quan” makes it mean “using the tai chi (yin/yang) as a martial art. Many people like to practice it as a dance. However, to get the benefits that Tai Chi Ch’uan offers, it is important to understand the Qi Gong and Martial Arts that are in the movements.

One of the major things to learn is how to relax. This relaxation that is vital to the practice of Tai Chi Ch’uan is what lets the Qi flow. The relaxation is what gives it health benefits. This is probably the most difficult part of Tai Chi Ch’uan. It is surprisingly difficult to relax. It allows a person to be grounded, which means to be connected to earth for great balance along with other important benefits. Therefore grounding practices with stances is one of the fundamental things to learn. In stance work you learn to relax even though you instinctively want to tighten up. This is also a practice of all Martial Arts.

Another health benefit of practicing Tai Chi Ch’uan is learning to be aware of your surroundings. This means that you learn to be mindful of what you do, say, and think. This is the meditative part of the practice. You become conscious of each move and its application, each balance, and each Qi flow at every moment during your practice.

Since Tai Chi Ch’uan is mostly practiced with slow movements, it is easy for people of all ages to learn, be healthy, and with a side benefit of self-defense. Although the moves were designed for that purpose, the moves are designed to move with Qi for maximum power. This is how people who seem weak can be extraordinarily strong.