What is Taichi Light? Part 1

The official name is The Body-Mind Exercise (BME); Taichi Light is just a nickname. But since Taichi Light is a lot more catchy, I tend to use it instead. This is a combination Taichi and Qi-Gong exercise because it incorporates the physical movements of Taichi and the breathing and mental imagery of Qi-Gong. (Strictly speaking, Taichi is a form of Qi-Gong.)

There are dozens of varieties of Taichi (or Tai Chi) exercises, and more are being developed every year. They are all based on the same 60 or so basic movements (or poses, or forms)that were invented centuries ago. Some exercises consist of 88 moves or longer whereas others only 24 or 18. So what "jia" (or "shi", meaning family or school)of Taichi you study, or how many moves in the exercise, is not that important. What's important is that you get the "spirit" of it and you practice it consistently.

The Taichi Light exercise I am introducing here is not a sophisticated one. It is a very simple one. You may say it is not for the "serious-minded" or high-level Taichi exercisers. But it is ideal for the beginner and the physically-challenged people like some senior citizens because it is easier to learn and doesn't require a lot of physical strength. Having said that, I would also suggest that this exercise is good for the middle-aged or even younger people who don't have a lot of time to exercise but do need to exercise, such as the busy executives and professionals.

There are three aspects of this exercise: The physical movements which include 18 different movements each repeated six times according to a specific sequence; the deep breathing which accompanies each repetition of a movement; and the mental imagery that accompanies each movement. A beginner would first learn each of the 18 movements until he/she is able to go through the entire exercise (about 15 minutes)continuously breathing normally. He/she then begins to slow down and lengthen the breathing to coincide with the physical movements. Finally, the purpose of the mental imagery is to take the exerciser's mind out of his/her immediately environment and into a meditative mode so that the mind can be totally relaxed.

The 18 movements, as I mentioned earlier, are taken from the basic movements in traditional Taichi exercise. I have, however, changed their names from the rather arcane Chinese names into something more modern sounding. I have also modified the movements somewhat by building transitions between them so that one movement can flow smoothly into the next, making the entire exercise like a continuous dance. The movements are:

Movement 1: A good beginning
Movement 2: Open your heart and mind
Movement 3: The ribbon dance
Movement 4: Parting the cloud
Movement 5: The roller-coaster
Movement 6: The butterfly stroke
Movement 7: Saluting the sun
Movement 8: Throwing the water melon
Movement 9: The perfect handshake
Movement 10: The Light House
Movement 11: Casting the big fish net
Movement 12: Playing with the waves
Movement 13: Big bird cruising the sky
Movement 14: The Kung Fu Pose
Movement 15: The do-do bird
Movement 16: The fly wheel
Movement 17: The bouncing ball
Movement 18: The closing

Each round of Taichi Light exercise would include a one-minute meditation in the beginning and another minute at the end. Between them the exerciser would perform each movement six times, totaling 108 movement/time, and doing 108 deep breathings, in about 15 minutes. A beginner would tend to work rather fast and finish the exercise in 10 or 12 minutes; but after a while, serenity will take over the he/she will be able to complete the exercise in 15 or even 18 minutes. The exercise is not about speed or strength; it is about serenity, gracefulness, introspection and relaxation.

I will describe each of the movements in future postings.

(To acquire a DVD video of the Taichi Light exercise, go to www.taichilight.com)