• What is Tai Chi?

• The practice

• What are the benefits?

• Philosophy and history  

• The five styles

What is Tai Chi?

Tai Chi Chuan is an ancient internal Chinese martial art that brings together meditation, self-defense, breathing techniques and health benefits. 

The Tai Chi form is a sequence of soft and gentle moves executed in slow motion. It coordinates different parts of the body and develops a sense of unity.

Relaxing and energizing, Tai Chi practice enables us to release tensions, increase our vitality, balance body and mind, and enjoy a renewed sense of wellbeing.

The practice

Practiced in a standing position, the Tai Chi form is composed of 108 postures and linking moves involving the whole body. The feet are rooted, the knees are bent, the spine is straight, the head is aligned with the spine and the tongue is on the roof of the mouth. Softness and relaxation are key in Tai Chi Chuan. The movements involve a slow shifting of weight and are coordinated with the breath.

What are the benefits?

• calms the mind as the focus is on relaxing the body while moving slowly and smoothly. The Chinese have a saying ‘shut the monkey brain’ which means we should stop the mind racing so we can enjoy a state of deep relaxation and meditation.

• stimulates under used muscles and gently builds up strength and fitness

• increases the flexibility of the joints as the whole body is involved in smooth and circling movements. In essence, the body recovers its natural fluidity of motion.

• improves posture as the spine is aligned

• develops our stability and balance and enhances a sense of grounding as the knees are bent and the feet firmly rooted

• stimulates the function of internal organs as our energy increases and flows through our whole body

• enhances awareness of physical and emotional tension. We gradually learn to release tension and find the appropriate responses to the stresses of modern life (rather than over reacting which generates more tension!)

• reconnects us with our essential self so we feel more centred, develop a greater understanding of ourselves and others, and ultimately experience a real sense of harmony.

Philosophy and history

There are many stories surrounding the origins of Tai Chi Chuan.

The most common one is that of Chang Sanfeng, a Taoist monk of the Wudang monastery during the 13th or 14th century, who witnessed a fight between a crane and a snake. Stunned by the graceful balance of their attacking and defending moves, he conceived a system of self-defense where pushing and retreating moves alternate in a constant flow. This gave birth to the martial aspect of Tai Chi Chuan, yielding before the oncoming force of the opponent and redirecting it, rather than reacting with mechanical and muscular strength.

Whether this story is historically true or not, it speaks about the essence of Tai Chi rooted in the observation of nature. The evocative names of the postures (white crane spreads its wings, grasping the bird’s tail, snake creeps down etc), or the various styles of exercises (bear, wild goose, monkey) are a constant reminder of this inspiration.

The philosophy of Tai Chi originates from the Taoist principle of yin (passive, dark, feminine, downward, water, earth, night etc) and yang (active, light, masculine, upward, fire, wind, day etc). The yin-yang symbol (called the Taijitu) is a black and white circle where each half contains the seed of its opposite. It expresses the balance of the two complementary forces present in the universe, and in all living manifestations and actions. Practicing Tai Chi is a path to experience this ultimate sense of harmony and unity.

The five styles

There are five major styles in Tai Chi named after the family they originate from: Chen, Yang, Wu, Ho and Sun. They share the same roots, understanding and philosophy even if they differ in form. Originally kept secret and passed from master to disciple within each family, in the last century Tai Chi has become less shrouded in mystery and is now popular around the world.