Author Topic: Tai Chi  (Read 1752 times)

AYPforum

  • Posts: 351
Tai Chi
« on: March 24, 2007, 09:36:55 AM »
What is Tai Chi? Is it compatible with Yoga practices?

Tai Chi Chuan, (literally "supreme ultimate fist"), is an internal Chinese martial art, and its traditional practitioners still teach it as one. Even so, it has developed a worldwide following among many thousands of people with little or no interest in martial training for its benefits to health and health maintenance. Some call it a form of moving meditation, and T'ai Chi theory and practice evolved in agreement with many of the principles of traditional Chinese medicine. Besides general health benefits and stress management attributed to beginning and intermediate level T'ai Chi training, many therapeutic interventions along the lines of traditional Chinese medicine are taught to advanced T'ai Chi students.

There are different styles of T'ai Chi Ch'uan, but most modern schools can trace their development to the system originally taught by the Chen family to the Yang family starting in 1820. It is often promoted and practiced as a martial art therapy for the purposes of health and longevity. (Some recent medical studies support its effectiveness.) T'ai Chi Ch'uan is considered a soft style martial art, an art applied with as much deep relaxation or "softness" in the musculature as possible, to distinguish its theory and application from that of the hard martial art styles which use a degree of tension in the muscles.

Variations of T'ai Chi Ch'uan's basic training forms are well known as the slow motion routines that groups of people practice every morning in parks across China and other parts of the world. Traditional T'ai Chi training is intended to teach awareness of one's own balance and what affects it, awareness of the same in others, an appreciation of the practical value in one's ability to moderate extremes of behavior and attitude at both mental and physical levels, and how this applies to effective self-defense principles.

 Tai Chi builds a good connection between the physical and spiritual dimensions of us in a grounding way.

 If there are rough kundalini experiences, chronic blockages, or anything like that, whatever means that can be found to relieve them are okay. We'd like our journey to be as comfortable as possible, or we may not wish to continue it. So if reiki, massage, energy healing, chiropractic, tai chi, yoga asanas, or any other means are available that can help relieve a stubborn energy blockage, by all means go for it.

Following the "Main lessons" (link above), helps minimize this kind of problem, making sure you understand "self pacing".

or read more here:
Stubborn energy blockages
Granthis, "the three knots", or types of energy blockages

If your practices are stable, and there is no problem with excess energy, then bastrika pranayama or targeted bastrika may be an option:

Spinal bastrika pranayama – Pressure washing your karma away,and the following two lessons.
Targeted bastrika

At the forum:
What clears out the energy debris?
What are the obstructions?
« Last Edit: May 15, 2007, 03:54:01 AM by AYPforum »