TaichidatesbacktotheTangDynastyover1,000yearsago,andconsistsoffivetraditionalschools:Chen,Yang,Wu(Hao),Wu,andSunstyles,ofwhichtheChenfamily-styleistheoldestandoriginalform.Taichiisaformofaerobicsthatisgoodforjointsandbones,improvescirculation,strengthensthebody,andincreaseslife-spanwhenpracticedfrequently.
Thesecretto59-year-oldAmericanJamesHealy’syouthfulcomplexionandgoodhealthisthathepracticestaichiyearround.Withover33yearsofexperi-encedoingtaichi,heisthesoleforeignstudentattheZhengleiTaiChiAcademyinBeijing.
“Afterpracticingtaichi,Ifeellikemyreactionsarenoticeablyfaster,”saidJamesHealy.Regulartraininghelpsawakenthebody’s“brain,”allowingeverypartofthebodytobeawareofone’ssurroundings,sothatthebodybecomesawareofdangersbeforethemindhasevennoticedthem.Plus,justbeforeadangerpresentsitself,thosewhohaveundergonetaichitrainingareabletoreactmuchquicker.
Taichiisalsooftenlikenedtoamedicinethatcancureallkindsofdiseases.53-year-oldpainterXuNingningusedtosufferfrominsomnia,andalwaysfeltlikeshehadnostrength.Assuch,shelostalotofconfidenceaswellasmuchofherinterestinlife.However,sinceshestartedpracticingtaichioverayearago,shefeelsaninnerchange,“Mybodyfeelsstrong,mysleephasgottenbetterandmyself-confidencehasimproved.EverytimebeforepracticingtaichiIfirstexercisemyjoints,sonowmykneesnolongerhurt.”
Xuisbynomeansanisolatedcase.62-year-oldMoYuchuanusedtosufferfromafrozenshoulder,butthesymptomdisappearedsincehetookuptaichi.AsaprofessorattheChinaUniversityofPoliticalScienceandLaw,hisworkloadisextremelyintense.Heexplained,“Afterworking10-plushoursadayIfeelabsolutelyworn-out.SonowifI’mtired,I’llstandupandgothroughafewmovements;thenaftermovingaroundfor10minutesorso,IfeelIhavemuchmoreenergy.”Oneadvantageoftaichiisthatitdoesn’trequireanyspeciallocation:anoffice,corridor,orbedroomareallsuitableplaces.
ZhangJinxi,themaininstructorattheZhengleiTaiChiAcademy,explainedthattaichihelpswiththecuringofchronicdiseasessuchascardiovasculardisease,heartfailure,andosteoarthritis,andalsopromotesanincreasedmetabolism,increasesjointflexibility,preventsaging,andhelpswithweightloss.“Breathingintaichiisdonefromdeepintheabdomen,thechisinksdowntothelowerbelly,andhasapositivemassagingeffectontheinternalorganswhichhelpsmaintainhealth.Also,taichirequiresustorelaxourwholebodies,helpinglowerresistanceintheveins,andincreasingourbloodcirculation,whichinturneasestheburdenonourhearts.”
TheLatestFashion
Alongsideconvenience,thefastpaceofmodernlifealsobringswithitahugeamountofpressure;withanxietyhavingalreadybecomeacommoncomplaintofcitydwellersnowadays.Perhapsthatisthereasonwhyagrowingnumberofpeoplepracticetaichi.Healysaid,“Alltheconceptsandphilosophiescontainedintaichisuchascourtesy,modesty,andDaoistnatureallowmetoconsciouslymaintainharmonyandbalancewiththeoutsideworld,whichbenefitsmywholelife.”
Twenty-nine-year-oldWeiWeiconstantlyfeltonedgeduetothechallengeofgettingapromotionorsalaryraise.However,afterpracticingtaichi,hisanxietyslowlyreceded,andthosemomentsofstillnesshaveallowedhimtogetasenseabouthowheshouldbehaveandhandlematters.YoungPeruvianscholar,MariaOsterloh,waseagertotrytaichieversinceshefirstencounteredChineseculturalhistory,“ButIalwaysthoughtitwasforoldpeople.ItwasonlywhenIcameherelastyearonaneducationalexchangethatIrealizedyoungpeoplecandotaichiaswell.”
That’sright,thisancientChinesepracticenotonlyattractsyoungChinesepeople,ithasalsoalreadyspreadtoover150countriesaroundtheworld,withmorethan300milliontakingpart.SincereturningtoPeru,Mariacontinuedpracticingtaichiandisnowsomewhatofanexpert,witheverygestureandmotiongroundedinstillness,combiningbothstrengthandgentleness.Thosearoundherhaveevenexpressedaninterestinlearningtaichi,havingcaughtthebugofthisslowexercise.Forthem,it’sreallyfashionable.
Infact,taichiisnotsimplyamartialart;itisalsoawayofthinking,filledwithEasternwisdom.
AlibabafounderJackMahasdistilledtheessentialwisdomoftaichiandappliedittotherunningofhiscompany,oftenpracticingitinhisownoffice.Sometimesduringmeetingswithstaff,he’llsuddenlyjumpupmid-sentenceandgothroughafewmovementstohelphimthinkorgetsomeinspiration.
JackMaparticularlyappreciatesthreeconceptsinherentintaichi:ding,sui,andshe.Forhim,ding(composure)referstothepositioningandarrangementofbusinessstrategy,i.e.seeingoneselfandthefutureclearlynomatterwhathappens,andfacingeverythingwithacoolhead;Sui(following),meansmakingthebestofthesituationasitdevelops,i.e.onlywhenyouhavestrengthisitpossibletounderstandhowtorelyonandfollowothers;She(releas-ing)isanevenhigherstate,whichmeanslearninghowtoletthingsgo,i.e.onlybyallowingotherstoseeyouclearlyandunderstandingwhatyoudonotwant,canyoubesurewhatitisyouactuallywant.Onlybyknowingwhatyouwant,canyouunderstandwhatyoushouldletgoof.JackMahasguidedAlibabausingthetaichiconceptsoftruth-falsehood,movement-stillness,opening-closing,andadvancingretreating.
Inaddition,oneimportantprinciplewhenpracticingtaichiistohaveastablefoundation.Stabilityreliesuponshiftingfootwork,thequalityofwhichdeterminesthelevelofworkoneiscapableofachieving.InJackMa’sopinion,thesameistrueinbusiness.Onlywhendevelopmentisstablecanonestarttoconsiderhowtodevelopfasterandbetter.
How-toPracticeTaiChi
Taichiiscompletelydifferentfrommostcommonformsofexercise.So,howcansomeonebecomegoodatit?
RenownedmasterZhangJinxiexplainedthatinordertodotaichiwell,thefollowingarenecessary.First,engagethelowerback,usingthespinetoslowlydrivethearmsandlegs.Second,youmustrelax,sinkdown,andbelooseyetfirm,steadyyetnotstagnant.Third,eachmovementshouldjointogethersmoothlylikeflowingwater.Fourth,yourfeetandbackshouldexertstrength,andyourpunchesmusthaveapenetratingpower.
Studyingtaichirequiresdiligence,asprofessorMoYuchuanexplained:“Tostudytaichiyoumustbeinterestedandobservecarefully.Aswellasbeingconscientious,youalsoneedtouseyourbrainandlearnhowtodrawinferencesfromoneinstance.”
Asaforeigner,JamesHealyhashisownsetofexperienceswhenitcomestolearningtaichi.Inhisopinionitisimportanttounderstandhowtobalanceallfourlimbs,correctlyuseone’sstrength,andbesufficientlyrelaxed.Plus,whenimitatingyourteacherit’svitalthatyouavoidmovinglikearobot.
Learningtaichiisnotdifficult,butlearningitwellisanothermatter.ThisissomethingJamesHealyhasparticularlystrongfeelingsabout:“Taichirequiresperseveranceandwillpower.Duringyourstudiesyou’llexperiencesetbacks,butjustlikeclimbingamountain,aslongasyoupressonyou’llbeabletoreachnewheights.”