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Oct 30 (edited) • ▶️ YouTube Tao
⁉️Where to Start...8 Energies⚡️of Tai Chi♾️
Many people find themselves interested in Tai Chi but don't know where to start.
There are different schools of thought here.
One of my teachers refers to the "bottom up" approach vs. the "top down" approach.
The bottom up approach would be to start by learning the basics, the foundations, proper alignments, forms, and principles.
The top down approach would be to start by following along and then worry about proper form and the particulars later.
So which makes the most sense?🤔
We often hear that different people have different learning styles based on different personalities, but when we look at the evidence, is this really true?
Think about the earliest instances of learning.
The core things that we all learn.
We all learned to walk.
Not by different methods.
Not by books or courses or videos.
We saw someone do it, and we figured it out by doing it ourselves.
We may have had a mentor to guide us, but nobody really "taught" us anything.
We learned to talk the same way.
We learned to ride a bike.
When we realize this, which approach to follow becomes clear.
We learn by doing.🤯
By playing and practicing.
Then we refine and improve as we go along.
Even if someone were to teach us all of the fundamentals ahead of time, we only really understand them by doing and experiencing them.
These things are more like tips, pointers, reference guides, rather than pieces of information to memorize and then suddenly be able to implement.
We stand up and walk or get on and ride, wobbly and unsure at first.
Sometimes it's ugly.🤪🤦♂️
But as we dive in and wade through the once cold waters, we become acclimated to the environment and adapt to the experience.
We develop muscle memory and what was once shaky ground, becomes second nature that we no longer have to give a second thought.😎
"Learning" Tai Chi is a feeling out process.
It is a discovery.🥷
So here are a couple of tips.🔑
RELAX.
BREATHE.
ENJOY.
The human body naturally moves in a certain way.
The legs, the shoulder, the elbow.
The movements of Tai Chi are just the natural movements of the body.
Someone, somewhere, some time long ago, gave the movements a name as a point of reference.
A clue.
An insight.
The movements here represent 8 energies/forces/concepts.
The names are meant to provide clues as to the purpose and the intention.
"Peng" is often translated as "ward off" or "expand". Think of putting up a shield or blowing up a balloon.
"Lu" is translated as "roll back". If you've expanded outward, where do you go from there? The energy has built up and you simply release it and guide it along its journey.
"Ji" is to "squeeze" or "penetrate".
"An" is "push" or "press".
"Lieh" is "spilt" or "separate". The movement often used to represent this is called "Parting the wild horse's mane." The hair parts in different directions but the horse does not put the part in a certain place like a person does in their hair. The mane just parts naturally as it grows and bounces around as the horse runs. It falls into place.
"Tsai" is "pluck". When you pick an apple from a tree, you pluck. Pulling something is constant, sustained, like a tug of war or pulling open a door. But pluck is more of a quick burst.
"Zhou" is "elbow".
"Kao" is "shoulder".
Now, if you've read this far, DON'T overthink it.💥
Just follow along with the video to the best of your ability. It may take you a few times to get the movements down. Once you've done that, as you go along, then you can begin to consider the different energies/intentions at play. As you get more fluid and enter a state of flow, then you can pay more attention to proper alignments.
The more you play/practice, the better you'll get and the more these things will begin to work themselves out.
But the most important thing is to "SONG" which translates to "relax", "release", "let go", or something like "let your hair down". If you have tension somewhere, recognize it and let it go.
And in Tai Chi, the whole body moves as one unit. So the arms move as a result of the hips/waist turning or rising and sinking (sinking is something you'll hear A LOT), which also involves the legs, rather than anything moving independently.
Have FUN‼️⚡️
Because what is more fun than feeling good⁉️🙏
Any questions?🤷♂️
(This video is titled: "Yang Tai Chi Bamen Nei gong - 8 gates internal training" from The Tai Chi Academy on YouTube. This is a demonstration of the 8 Gates of Tai Chi Nei Gong found in The Tai Chi Academy. It is a set of movements specifically focused on training the 8 fundamental concepts of the Yang Style of Tai Chi.)
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⁉️Where to Start...8 Energies⚡️of Tai Chi♾️
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