Since most of my time is devoted to the self-work, I had an
idea to try some martial arts too, to develop discipline and to know how to
control my energy flow and to make the best use of it. For the reason that I’m
not an advanced practitioner of any martial art, I wanted to start with
something convenient, and suitable for me. To take Tai Chi class was a perfect
decision in my case, because Tai chi has tons of benefits in physical and
mental health, it helps you to develop inner strength, cultivate Chi, I can
practice it indoor and outdoor, it has a very long and rich history. It is not
only powerful as a martial art, but also as a good way to meditate or heal. It
helps you to focus on your own body and feel the flow of Chi, or Qi (life
energy, or bio-energy) through the “channels”.
There are a lot of styles in Tai chi, and the ones that we
are going to cover are Yang style and Chen style. Yang style is a system of
gentle, continuous and slow movements, which help you to balance your energy
and feel relaxed. Chen style is a powerful martial art, with the use of “soft-arm
techniques” and swords. My objectives are to learn a lot about the philosophy
of Tai Chi and to know all the features of the styles that we are going to learn,
and practice them by myself. I would also like to know more about the pressure
points, which, I guess, I can apply in healing, or defense. In addition, I would like to understand how to
breathe correctly and how to control my own movements, body posture, etc.
This semester I’m taking a lot of credits of Engineering and
Business classes , and I am very glad that I have registered for Tai Chi Chuan,
since it helps to reduce stress of everyday life.
Here is a quick summary of my first two weeks of practice:
In class we performed some Qi Gong warm-up exercises, basic
arms-swinging, rotating and stretching. We
meditated for about 10-15 minutes, and also worked with our Qi, and Qi of our
classmates. We tried to feel it, rebalance it, define the presence of it in
someone else. In conclusion we tried to understand its impact on our body and heart-mind
system. I personally felt more aware of myself and fully present, when I was
trying those moving and static meditation exercises. Every Tai chi class is a great
beginning of a day.
Looking quickly at the history of Tai Chi, we see that it is coming from the Chinese Book of Changes (I-Ching, 2800 BC), which is about the understanding of natural phenomena and Universe. It rises from the idea of Yin Yang - balance of opposites. The wholly organized system of gentle movements was "officially established" by Chen Wang Ting in 1660s. It is just so impressing how people in China wake up every morning and fill in all the streets and squares performing these beneficial exercises.
