The Taichi and Qigong Podcast

In the previous episodes we went through the Dan Tian, Center of Mass, joints arrangement, muscles/tendons/ligaments and elastic force expression. All of this can be produce by your internal practice. In this episode we see how Pushing Hands (Tui Shou) and Fajingdeveloped in very peculiar practices of the Taijiquan tradition.

And remember, big guys will always have the lead when it comes to pushing or being pushed. Let them have it, and mind your own development.

In this third episode on the relationship between muscles, force and Internal Arts, we clarify the path that brings from Dantian through relaxation to Dantian through force, and we also clarify a bunch of other issues.

In this episode, second of three dedicated to the use of "force" in the internal arts, we discuss about how the center of mass is supposed to be settled inside the body, in the lower Dan Tian area, in order to generate elastic force by the process of transforming the way joints, tendons and ligaments are used. A process that is at the basis of Taichi, Qi Gong and Meditation.

Nobody has ever been able to approach any Chinese energetic art (say Taichi or Qigong) without encountering the concept of "Dan Tian" (丹田), or "Elixir Field". We will see how the Elixir was intended to give immortality (in lieu of the awakening in the buddhist theories), of the shape, size and location of the Dan Tian widely varies in different centuries or schools, and how it is related to the physical nature of Homo Sapiens.

When we think about Taichi, we usually link it to the Taichi Form: the slow, relaxed, continuous sequence of arcane movements. But at the end, what's the Taichi Form all about? Is it a form of therapy and self-healing? Is it a tool to develop a powerful martial prowess? None of the above, as we argue in this chat.

For groups and for singles, when it comes to religion or spirituality, the quest for power arises. It is unavoidable, generated by the ignorance-fear-frustration-anger-hate loop, a loop that cannot be broken, leading to the quest for power growing desperate. How to see it, how to avoid denial in dealing with it, and how finally leave it in background.

- Boredom: The feeling of being bored or uninterested in what you're doing is boredom. Everyone experiences boredom sometimes. The feeling that nothing catches your interest, that everything's dull and flat, sums up the state of boredom.

- Escapism: In psychology, escapism is when a person routinely uses an activity or behavior to escape life's realities. It is a way of distracting the mind.

LGBTQ+ issues has been heavily politicized, to the point that is not uncommon to find even internal arts teachers who claim some of this people to present deviations from a supposed given human nature. In this episode we dismiss such claims as non-sensical, and we on the contrary explain why, on a very practical ground, LGBTQ+ practitioners may find in their path to have a strength like many other practitioners never find in their whole life.

The Three-Body Problem is a well known sci-fi novel by the Chinese author Liu Cixin, recently renderer by a Netflix series. In the Chinese Internal Arts we traditionally recognize three main energetic centers located in or correlated to the physical body: from physical energy to psychic energy, the internal journey may be obscure and detailed at the same time.

Outside a traditional path only lies delusion, exacly where many practitioner find themselves in modern Yoga or Meditation approaches. When you see a traditional map, you understand why that's the case.

Meditation is not a therapy for the Self, the Ego is not the Nature of Mind, what was going on in your childhood is of no interest for your practice, and practice itself is not supposed to generate Love.

The Financial Times has recently launched a new investigative podcast, Untold, and the first serie is about the damages that intensive meditation practice can bring: "The Retreat".

This episode encourages you to listen to The Retreat podcast and learn how intensive meditation can damage you psyche.

Resources to help people who struggle with meditation's damages:

https://www.cheetahhouse.org/

https://miguelfarias.co.uk/

In our societies "Wellness" has become a key marketing word, and it is supposed to be one of the main objectives of the Internal Practice. Is it truly so?

Also, the second video on Wuji practice has been released here

As when looking for a good physician, we do not go after nice personalities or beautiful smiles when we look for a Taichi, Qigong, Meditation or Yoga teacher, or at least we should not. High quality practices are often associated with high pressure on the self, and high level practitioners are seldom the kind the smiles beautifully and greet you with a bow. Let's see why.

Also, here on youtube a video on Wuji practice: Wuji #1

Can modern Yoga be seen as an Internal Art, the same way Taichi & Qigong are? Can the Western circus tradition be seen as an Internal Art? Moving the body, breathing in and out, thinking about peace in the world, is this an Internal Art. For us, the answer is "no".

One of the main practices of Taijiquan is the the Taichi Form. It is often the Taichi Form that encapsulates the outer signs of that lineage or that school. All the main 5 classic styles (Chen, Yang, Wu-Hao, Wu and Sun) have similarities and differences, and in every lienage you have one different Taichi for every teacher (yi ren yi taiji - one Taichi for each Teacher). So how important is the sequence in Taichi and how much is important to find a new teacher that teaches the sequence you have been previously taught?

Meditation has been, along with other East Asian traditions, acquired in the modern mega-culture and shaped it along with terms as "Yoga", "Zen" and "Kung-fu". But which are the roots of the ancient meditative traditions, how have they developed till today, and how big a pie of this cake may we realistically hope to eat up?

In all realms of human knowledge, tradition and access to it is a key factor of success. The more we are able to access sources of traditional knowledge, the less time we will need to reach low hanging fruits and the higher is the possibility that we may one day access the more precious aspects of the art. Let's see why.

We have discussed so far about the history of Taichi and Qigong developments. But how is it today to really learn these arts? Is it something that we can just google out and find the class we like at the location we like with the time schedule we like, or is it probably a little bit more tricky that this? If you think about it, it cannot be an easy task.

Many people seem to believe that there is a "true" method, be it in Internal Arts or Martial Arts or Meditation as well. This idea would hint at a reality were past (often very past) Masters would have discovered a true method, and that our goal is to gain access to that true method via the relation with a correct lineage knowledgeable master. Tradition and access to it is a key factor in traditional practices, but for good or for bad, there is not such thing as a true method, no less than there is a true hip-hop. The idea of a true method always serves the purpose of disqualifying other schools or teachers, and is a delusional idea based on Ego.

Taijiquan has always been a "kung fu", one of the many styles of the traditional Chinese martial arts. On the other side, yet from the beginning the practice of martial art has always been seen in China as a way to develop the personal character. During the 20th century we saw Taijiquan steering toward the cultivating, or "Wen" side of the practice. Many Taijiquan practitioners think that their cultivating practice will one day lead them toward martial skill, which is not true, while practitioner of the higher levels of the martial side of Taijiquan, or "Wu" side of the practice, think that they will in this way evolve on their cultivating path, and this is not true either.

The fall of the Qing dinasty in 1911 coincided with the end of the empire itself. Turmoils followed and the military importance of the traditional martial arts gave pace to the modern fire weapons. It is in this period of disorders that the modern Taijiquan arose, the Wen (cultivating side) acquiring predominance on the Wu (martial side).

With Yang Luchan, his version of the boxing art of the Chen village reached the imperial Manchu capital of Beijing. There he trained two of his sons, Yang Banhou and Yang Jianhou, as well as several imperial guards, including Quan You and his son, Wu Jianquan. For the imperial elites he had to develop a more soft version of the training, suited for people outside the martial circles. Here we see again the traditional divide between "Wen", the cultivation side, and "Wu", the martial side.

Taijiquan as a modern martial art and a way to cultivate the practitioner health and character, on the one hand has its roots in the ancient Chinese martial art and spiritual tradition, on the other is the result of modern development and is historically based on the experience of the Chen village (Chen style Taijiquan), the Wu brothers (Wu-Hao style Taijiquan) and Yang Luchan (Yang style Taijiquan). It developed in a period when military defending the village was a key necessity for the community.

While in the first phases of our Qigong development we find ourselves in a relaxing mood nurtured by our first years of dedicated practice, in the more advanced levels we feel pushed by our practice to make space for this new creature and modify our life style. Then, we go forward to act directly on the energy realm, the practice will be no more relaxing, but stressing instead, and the level of pressure that you will exercise on your system will be very high. This is not something that you can do aside with an already stressing and demanding routine. Advanced Qigong is sometime referred to as Nei Gong, ore internal work.

While fitness and modern yoga practices may help us enhance our mental and body health status to a certain degree, upholding our Yang energy drive, Qigong and Taichi can help us to stabilize our energetic structure, strengthening our Yin base energy. While the work on the more Yang driven aspects of our physical body encounter age related limits that actually present themselves very early in our lives, the Yin base practices open us development routes that never end.

With the term "Qi" we have bridged theory and practice, and with a quiete modern term we would refer to the action of the practitioner on his own Qi through the practice as "Qi Gong" (or "Qigong"). While in Western fitness we use to activate cardio and physical function, with Qigong we try to create a calmness that is even more still than when we usually sit in a lounge. We don't go up, if we haven't gone deep yet.

In the ancient energetic practices as well and in Chinese traditional medicine, we often see the term "Qi" used to describe the vital force to give birth to reality, life, and health. Even as the term is quiete ancient, it has been used on different circles during the centuries and it does have so different meanings in different contexts. It is something that cannot be seen, but can be perceived and operated upon in order to modify our own reality. We can operate on it with external practices like acupuncture, or with internal practices like Qigong or Taichi.

We perceive Asian philosophy as something very different from our own civilization. As this view may be right on one side, it is not so on the other. Greek philosophy and Christianity itself are of Asian origins, and both Western philosophy and science bring us to paradoxical truths that push us to open our mind to something unthinkable.

The experience of the Mind is at the basis of Taichi and Qigong practices and our own culture, if better understood, is not so different after all.

While the seminal period of the Chinese philosophy before Christ era gave birth to a basically two-folded system where Confucianism and Taoism were the two main pillars of the indigenous society, during the following centuries the foreign religion of Buddhism placed itself as a third pillar that would influence and in turn being influenced by the local spiritual tradition. Taoist and Buddhist practitioners in particular interacted each other, and the internal practices were often a blend of this two roots. A brief talk on how Buddhism and Taoism shaped during the centuries the Chinese energetic internal practices.

Taichi and Qigong originate from the ancient Chinese philosophy, or better say, the energetic practices are at the core of Taoism. Very often the practitioner would follow the Confucian system in the relation with other people, even in the energetic practices circles, while following the Taoist teachings in his personal development path. Personal experience was the engine of this knowledge, while logic construction would be seen as a barrier toward further achievements.

Beyond Yoga, Taichi* and Qigong** are two disciplines that are entering our realm of practice possibilities, bringing with them a great deal of opportunities, while enhancing our general health level and providing at the same time a powerful personal development tool. What are they, what can they do for us, and how can we manage to not make, approaching them, the mistakes usually a beginner does.

Let's talk about it with in a simple and accessible way, starting from what the two terms mean and highlighting how the tradition has been constantly changing while always keeping its core alive. Finally, the professional/vocational issue, and how it is impacting the development of the two arts.

* Taichichuan, Tai Chi, Tai Chi Chuan, TaiJi, Tai Ji, Taijiquan, Tai Ji Quan

** Qi Gong, Chi Kung