Tai Ji Final - MTCM
August 17, 2017
Instructor: David Dick
Tai Ji
Can you dedicate your internal energy qi and be as pliable and yielding as a baby?”
-Lao Tzu
The natural law of the universe is a balance between two energies. To create this balance, two powers must exchange their essence for existence. When one energy, such as yang, overpowers yin, there will be aggressive power and anger. When there is too much yin, there will be oppression and helplessness. Human beings desire perfection and search for a better life. In return, balance gets lost due to not being able to accept our imperfections. Thru this motivation, minds get filled with clutter, health deteriorates, resulting in separation from our mind and body. Tai ji is a series of movements that balances …show more content…
Developing internal energy:
Tai ji is a slow series of movements (originating from the yin/yang theory) flow like strokes of a paint-brush. One mustn’t be concerned with being slow and awkward, the key is to not just copy the movements, but to be able to feel the internal energy.
Master Wu Yu-hsiang (1850 C.E.) wrote a treatise advising students that to practice tai qi properly, one must drive the internal energy to move the entire body, instead of just copying the tai qi movement and trying to develop the internal energy afterward. He also advised that one should make certain that the internal energy circulates through the body smoothly and completely, so that it will guide the body to perform tai qi meditative movement gracefully and effortlessly. After developing internal energy, the practitioner can guide the movement in any direction at will. Master Wu also advises that one’s internal energy must be able to convert to a higher form of power and be complementary to the