The Supreme Ultimate Truth of the Universe

The Supreme Ultimate Truth of the Universe

The above diagram is called the Tai Chi Tu, The Supreme Ultimate Principle and Truth of the Universe. More than just representing duality and how opposite forces check and balance each other, the Taichi symbol was also meant to be gently gazed at while in a state of meditation. Through-out the different stages of life, the ancient Taoist used this "gazing" practice to them help unlock its subtle non-verbal truths of the universe.

Composed of Yin-Chi (Feminine-Energy, Earth, Softness, Water) and Yang-Chi (Masculine-energy, Heaven, Firmness, Fire) the essence of Tai Chi principle is all about balance. It is at the very center of how all living things manifest and function in the universe.

According to the great Taoist Sage, Lao Tzu, all life exists and thrives because of the interaction between Yin and Yang. These two energy poles are in a constant state of struggle and opposition to each other, and yet mysteriously, they always manage to harmonize and balance each other out...since, the ebbing and flowing of they're spiraling dance was never seperate to begin with.

Original article and pictures take www.zeigua.com site

The One Universal Principle of Taichi Expressed in Three Different States

The One Universal Principle of Taichi Expressed in Three Different States

Original article and pictures take www.zeigua.com site

The most extensive list of Tai Chi Benefits

The most extensive list of Tai Chi Benefits

When searching for Tai Chi benefits online, you will find a massive amount of information. There are webpages full of lists, research news and individual narration. It’s overwhelming.

So I came up with the idea to bundle all that information right here. And of course for each point I will give one or more sources to continue reading! Let’s start with

General Tai Chi Benefits

• Increased strength both in the lower and upper extremities and also in the core muscles of the back and abdomen (source; source)
• More flexibility (upper- and lower-body flexibility) (source)
• Improved balance and reduced falls (source)
• Increased energy and stamina (source)
• Improved posture which can result in less wear and tear of the joint muscles and less back pain (source; source)
• Depending on the speed and size of the movements, tai chi can provide some aerobic benefits (source)
• Better cardiovascular health (source) and lower blood pressure (source; source; source)
• Other research points to a drop in cholesterol levels (source)
• Beneficial effects on bone health (source; source)
• Reduction in stress (source) People who practise Tai Chi recognize its powerful effect on relaxation and concentration. It is tool to help you cope with the busy, modern-day life (source)
• Higher self-efficacy (the confidence in and perceived ability to perform a behavior) (source)
• Psychological benefits, such as reducing anxiety, depression and overall better mood, in both healthy people and those with chronic conditions. (source; source; source)
• Beneficial for cognition functions, such as global cognitive ability, attention, learning, memory, language, etc. (source)
• Improved ability to concentrate and multitask during cognitive tests. (source)
• “One becomes more centred, more at peace with oneself and less subject to outside influences” (source)
• Reduced mortality (among men in Shanghai) (source)
• This form of exercise could be the perfect activity for the rest of your life (source)
• It’s fun! (and thus you might be more likely to stick to it) (source)

Wow, if you don’t start training Tai Chi Chuan (or Qi Gong) right away, I don’t know what’s keeping you from it!

To reap all those Tai Chi benefits is really easy. One of the greatest advantage of Tai Chi is that anyone (regardless of age or level of fitness) can do it anywhere anytime. The risk of injury is very low. You don’t need equipment or a lot of space. Just find a teacher and start!

I personally like that it is non-competitive: You can learn at your own pace. However, it can be done in groups, which I enjoy a lot.

And there are lots of movements to keep you interested, and as you become more accomplished you can add those to your routine – it just nether gets boring!

But what if you have health issues and wonder if Tai Chi could help you to improve your quality of life? As you may know, some call Tai Chi “medication in motion”. Just have a look at all the Tai Chi benefits for specific health conditions and you sure know where that phrase comes from!

Tai Chi Benefits for Specific Health Conditions

• Practicing tai chi may help to improve balance and stability in those with Parkinson’s disease (source; source)
• Arthritis: positive benefits within a month or two of practicing (source)
• Adding Tai Chi to your life could help lower your risk for developing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease (source; source)
• It may reduce pain from knee osteoarthritis and improve health-related quality of life (source; source)
• For postmenopausal women with osteopenia (low bone mineral density), practicing tai chi may improve quality of life (source)
• Tai chi exercise may improve quality of life, mood, and exercise self-efficacy (belief in one’s own abilities) in people with chronic heart failure (source). In addition, it may enhance sleep stability in those patients. This sleep effect may have a beneficial impact on blood pressure, arrhythmogenesis and quality of life (source; source; source)
• Improved quality of life in people with heart disease, cancer (source), mesothelioma (here), and other chronic illnesses (source)
• Beneficial for women with breast cancer due to improved arm functional mobility, muscle strength, and physical capacity (source; source)
• Improved blood glucose levels and improved control of type 2 diabetes and immune system response (source)
• Reductions in depression symptoms (source)
• Eased fibromyalgia pain and better general quality of life (source). Helps people with fibromyalgia sleep better and cope with musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and depression. (source; source; source)
• Valuable complementary treatment for vestibular disorders (source; source; source)
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): better scores on tests rating respiratory symptoms (source)
• In China, it is believed that Tai chi can aid in the treatment digestive disorders and skin diseases (source)

Again, that is an impressive list, don’t you think?

But most of scientific research is conducted with seniors. This area of research is important because fall-related injuries are the leading cause of death from injury and disability among older adults.

Obviously all the Tai Chi benefits noted above are also valid for Seniors. However, there are certain aspects that are particularly beneficial for Seniors:

Benefits of Tai Chi for Seniors

• A growing body of research is building a compelling case for Tai Chi as an adjunct to standard medical treatment for the prevention and rehabilitation of many conditions commonly associated with age (source; source)
• Improvements in physical functioning, bodily pain, vitality and mental health. (source)
• Improved balance, muscle strength and flexibility, which makes it easier to recover from a stumble. Fear of falling can make you more likely to fall; some studies have found that Tai Chi training helps reduce that fear (source). It could be even more beneficial to combine Tai Chi with music (source)
• Practicing Tai Chi may help to improve balance and stability in older people and reduce the number of falls and associated injuries (source ;source; source; source)
• Better proprioception (ability to sense the position of one’s body in space), which declines with age. Tai chi helps train this sense, which is a function of sensory neurons in the inner ear and stretch receptors in the muscles and ligaments (source)
• Reduced stress, improved balance and general mobility, and increase muscle strength in the legs (source)
• Promotes deep breathing (source)
• Tai chi also may improve reasoning ability in older people (source)
• Improved sleep quality in older adults with moderate sleep complaints, and may help to prevent the onset of insomnia (source)
• May help older adults avoid getting shingles by increasing immunity to varicella-zoster virus and boosting the immune response to varicella vaccine (source)
• Seniors with depression benefit from Tai Chi (source)
• “The brains of older people who had been practicing tai chi for several years were compared with the brains of age-matched sedentary adults. The tai chi participants showed greater connectivity and other measures of health in portions of the brain known to be involved in decision-making and attention than the volunteers who had never done tai chi.” (source)

I really hope that his long long list of Tai Chi benefits helps you to go to that class and get into practicing Tai Chi! Even if you are perfectly healthy, it is just so much fun and the best thing really is: you can do this for the rest of your life!

Just in case: if you practice Taijiquan already and want to practice more have look at my “Practice like a Master: Daily” eCourse! It is full of tricks and tools and will help you to get into the habit of practicing more. So you can reap all the health benefits!

Happy Qi!

Angelika

P.S.: I know there are some people who do not believe in studies or who think those studies are not conducted well enough. Well, in that case I just recommend to do a personal case study: try Tai Chi yourself for 12 weeks, practice twice a week or even daily and see what happens!

And finally I would just like to add: though Tai Chi has that many benefits and is quite safe to practice, if you have a health condition or are pregnant, it is a good idea to talk to your health care providers before beginning any exercise program!

Original article and pictures take qialance.com site

The most extensive list of Tai Chi & Qi Gong blogs in the world

The most extensive list of Tai Chi & Qi Gong blogs in the world

Qi Blogs are what I call all the different Taijiquan and Qi Gong blogs. And there are so many of them!

Some post regularly, some haven’t posted for a while, some write not only about Taijiquan (or Tai Chi) and Qi Gong. They also talk about meditation, health, Traditional Chinese Medicine, or other martial arts. I really recommend to visit these blogs, click through them and find your favorite ones.

There are quite a lot of bloggers that do not blog very regularly. Or they even stopped blogging at all. That’s why I wrote about my favorite active blogs here: 15 Top Tai Chi Blogs!

And by the way, Bloglovin is a really nice tool which makes it easy to stay up to date with Qialance and many other Tai Chi and Qi Gong blogs!

Tai Chi & Qi Gong Blogs

Brennan Translation

Cheng Biography

Chen Zhonghua

Cloud Hands

Energy Arts (Bruce Frantzis)

KaiMen

Qigong15

Now that is a long list of Tai Chi and Qi Gong blogs! I am sure you’ll find your favorite among them.

And if you know about a blog that should be added to my list of Qi blogs, just contact me, please!

Happy Qi!

Angelika

Original article and pictures take qialance.com site

The meaning of Grasp the Bird’s Tail (揽雀尾 Lǎn Qùe Wěi) explained

The meaning of Grasp the Bird’s Tail (揽雀尾 Lǎn Qùe Wěi) explained

One of the most important movements in Taijiquan is to Grasp the Bird’s Tail. Actually it is a series of very basic moves: Peng, Lü, Ji and An.

It is not only called Grasp the Bird’s Tail, some call it “Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail” and the Chinese name is Lǎn Qùe Wěi (揽雀尾 or simplified 拦雀尾).

Grasp the Bird’s Tail is a movement you will learn quite early in many forms, e.g. the 24 form or Yang long form (108). These moves are just so important that there are shorter Taijiquan forms which basically consist of only Grasping the Bird’s Tail!

That is why I wanted to find out what that name means. I do not speak Chinese, but on my quest for an answer I found this really interesting book:

The author Jane Schorre practices Taijiquan for more than 30 years. She is also not a Chinese native speaker, but she started to get interested in the names of the Taijiquan movements.

Talking to a Chinese friend, she found out about all the different aspects that are within the Chinese names and characters. To improve her understanding of Taijiquan, she wanted to get even deeper into it.

So she started researching all kinds of meanings and stories. However, she wanted to stay playfully and not become too academic in her explanations. I think that makes the book really a pleasurable read.

In the book you will find a calligraphy on the left and an explanation of all the Chinese characters on the right. Sometimes Jane Schorre added some complementary notes and thoughts. This for example is the page of “Grasp the Bird’s Tail”:

So now let’s get deeper into these Chinese characters:

• Lǎn 揽 (or simplified 拦) means grasping. It actually consists of two characters: one for “hand” and one for “examining carefully”
• Qùe 雀 is a sparrow. It also consists of two characters: “small” and “bird”
• Wěi 尾 means tail. The character can be divided in “body” and “hair”

So the short direct translation of Lan Que Wei (揽雀尾) could be “Grasp Bird Tail”. But you could also say “Hand examine carefully small bird’s body hair”!

As I said, Jane Schorre adds comments to most of the moves and Chinese characters. And I think that is really valuable. They are often ideas for practicing Taijiquan. So she writes about Grasp the Bird’s Tail:

“Read this way, the characters seem to suggest we begin by taking in hand what is probably the least significant part of a rather insignificant little bird in order to pay close attention to it. We pay attention to the smallest details. Every time this movement occurs in the form it can be a reminder of the kind of awareness – the being totally present Taiji requires.” (page 17)

Wow! I have to admit that I am some kind of detail freak in the Taijiquan form. So I find it magnificent that there is what I would call a “mind the details-reminder” implemented in the form!

And of course I think this would be a good time for you to get up and practice this: mind the details in Peng, Lü, Ji, An: Grasp the Bird’s Tail!

Happy Qi!

Angelika

P.S.: Unfortunately How to Grasp the Bird’s Tail if You Don’t Speak Chinese is out of print. If you ever find it somewhere I highly recommend you buy it! The book is truly inspiring no matter which Taijiquan style you practice.

Original article and pictures take qialance.com site

The Many Benefits of Tai Chi

The Many Benefits of Tai Chi

Tai chi, or "moving meditation," is a slow, graceful, and relaxed series of movements that combines aerobics, flexibility, balance, and weight-bearing exercise with deep breathing and meditation. Tai chi dates back to 12th century China and it is believed that the Taoist monk Chang San-Feng developed the practice as a martial art form. It is said that the movements were derived from observing a snake and a crane in battle. Chang San-Feng believed that these creatures were the ones most able to overcome a stronger opponent.

Tai chi has grown in popularity in the United States as a safe, low-impact exercise that can be practiced alone or in a group. Many practitioners of tai chi believe that it improves their fitness level, physical health, and emotional well-being.

A review, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, that looked at 47 studies on the effects of tai chi, concluded that this ancient Chinese discipline has physical and psychological benefits. The authors stated that tai chi is safe and effective in promoting balance, flexibility, and cardiovascular health, and is particularly valuable for older people with chronic health conditions.

The Flow of Life Energy

Tai chi is based on the theory that your mind, body, and spirit must be in balance. Chinese philosophy holds that all of us and everything in the universe contain elements of "yin and yang." Yin has the qualities of water — stillness, coolness, and femininity. Yang has the qualities of fire — brightness, activity, and masculinity. To maintain health, these inner forces must remain balanced so that your life energy, called qi (pronounced "chee"), can flow freely in your body.

How Tai Chi Can Help You

Researchers who have studied tai chi have reported benefits for patients who have heart disease, respiratory problems, high blood pressure, arthritis, and multiple sclerosis. Older people may improve their balance, strength, and flexibility and lessen their chance of falling. Studies also found that tai chi can decrease pain, stress, and anxiety in healthy patients.

The three main elements of tai chi are movement, breathing, and meditation. Here’s how these practices can benefit health:

• Fitness and flexibility. Because tai chi is a weight-bearing form of exercise and will use all your major muscle groups, it improves strength and endurance. Its movements also enhance balance, agility, coordination, and flexibility.
• Heart and respiratory health. Tai chi is an aerobic form of exercise, which means your heart works harder and increases the flow of oxygen in your blood. Aerobic exercise has been shown to benefit your heart and may lower your cholesterol. Tai chi breathing exercises increase your lung capacity and improve circulation of oxygen.
• Mental health. Research shows that meditative aspects of tai chi can help relieve stress, improve concentration, and lower blood pressure and reduce your heart rate.
• Overall well-being. Tai chi may improve your digestion and your immune system, and help you sleep better. People who practice tai chi regularly often report an overall feeling of improved wellness. Results of two randomized controlled trials found that older adults who participated in a 16-week or 6-month tai chi program reported greater psychological well-being, life satisfaction, and perceptions about their health than a control group not participating in tai chi.

If you want to learn tai chi, taking a class is a good option. Talk to your doctor first if you have any significant health problems. Tai chi is very safe and can be adapted to most any health issue, so discuss any condition with your teacher before you begin. One note of caution is that the practice of tai chi is not regulated in the United States, so be sure to ask about your teacher's experience and qualifications.

To find a tai chi class in your area, try your local YMCA, senior center, or fitness center. The American Tai Chi Association has a Web site that can help you locate classes.

If you are looking for an exercise class that combines an effective workout with the emotional benefits of meditation, tai chi may be the perfect option for you.

Original article and pictures take images.agoramedia.com site

The Kung Fu Tai Chi Day Simplified 24 Routine.

The Kung Fu Tai Chi Day Simplified 24 Routine.

Sifu Zou Yunjian demonstrates the Simplified 24 Tai Chi routine to its official melody.

Join our Group Tai Chi Demonstration on Sunday June 2nd at Kung Fu Tai Chi Day, in downtown San Jose, California.

Participants of all skill levels are welcome.

http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/info/...

Original article and pictures take s.ytimg.com site