This coming Saturday, April 26, is the annual World Tai Chi and Qigong Day, and this year is the 10th anniversary of the international event to promote Tai Chi's health maintenance values. According to Angela and Bill Douglas, co-founder of the event, this year the event will be celebrated in more than 60 countries of the world and all 50 American states. Celebration will begin at 10 AM local time, beginning in New Zealand, as thousands and thousands of Tai chi practitioners perform group exercise to commemorate this Day. As a Taichi practitioner, I admire the Douglases for their efforts and enthusiasm and faith in promoting this very beneficial exercise, and I wish them further success.
Already in many Asian cities, groups of people of all ages practicing Tai Chi in unison is a common scene. Visitors to China especially can always see people practicing Taichi in parks or in their own yards.
In the Western society, I have noticed that in many people's mind, Taichi is still a somewhat mysterious activity with a violent bend. Whereas Taichi might have been practiced in the ancient time in China for self-defense purpose, that would have been only for people who lived in the wild unprotected by the civilized community. By far more people practiced it for health purposes or as a performing martial art. In China, Taichi has been a very popular health maintenance exercise for the past century and no one think it has anything to do with self-defense.
Another misconception about Taichi is that it is an exercise for women and the very old. In the Western society, there is a mindset especially among males that glorifies speed and physical strength. Since Taichi exercise appears gentle and slow, it is "un-masculine" and therefore not something for a self-respecting male. While pursuing speed is sometime necessary, the body also needs to relax in order to rejuvenate itself. The value of "inner strength" in a person, something that Taichi exercise helps cultivate, is often missed by those who has only a superficial perception.
Yet another misconception of Taichi is that it is too complicated. To some extent this is true. Not only there are several different "family" styles, there are exercises with different numbers of movements. I myself did attempt to learn Taichi about 20 years ago, but gave up after a few weeks. Now I practice a simplified form of Taichi /Qigong exercise which I call The Body-Mind Exercise, or Taichi Light. This exercise take 18 basic Taichi movements and repeat each one six times, thus it is easier to learn and to practice. I thought if people are discouraged from learning Taichi because it is too difficult, then this simplified form may encourage more people to learn. After all half a loaf is better than none. However, simplified or not, to really benefit from Taichi still requires persistence and consistent practice for a period of time.
In promoting the value of Taichi exercise around the world, there is a need to emphasize its benefits for people of all ages and for both genders. Having practiced Taichi for only 8 years, I have observed significant health improvement for myself. I only wish I had started practicing years ago. I can only imagine what our new generation will benefit health-wise if we make it a routine for elementary schools to have all school children do 15 minutes of Taichi each school day.
Apr 24, 2008
Apr 16, 2008
What is Taichi Light: Part 5
Movement Ten: The Swiveling Mirror (or The Lighthouse)
The Transition: At the end of the last movement, move your left arm to eye level with the palm facing you at about a foot or so from your face. Extend your right arm while keeping your right elbow at your side as if you were hugging someone. Turn your upper torso all the way to the right.
The Movement: Begin to inhale and turn your torso slowly to the left as far as you can go (do not turn your lower body) while locking your gaze on your left palm as if it were a mirror. At the end of the turn, change the positions of the two arms by rotating them clockwise; begin to exhale and turn your torso all the way to the right. When rotating your arms at the end of a turn, take care to do it gracefully. This is one movement cycle. Do this six times.
The Breathing: Inhale when turning to the left. Exhale when turning to the right.
The Imagery: Imagine you were holding a mirror and looking at your face. Since the mirror is always on the move, you must follow it.
Movement Eleven: Casting the Big Fishnet
The Transition: At the end of the last movement, continue to exhale and take a step forward with your left leg; bend forward and cross your forearms in front of you knees.
The Movement: From the transition position, begin to inhale, raise your arms (right arm clockwise, left arm counterclockwise) in upward curves while raising your body to a backward leaning position, as if you were pulling up a huge fishnet. Then, begin to exhale, continue your arms’ trajectory downward while lowering your body to a forward leaning position, so that your arms would return to the starting position in front of your knees.
The Breathing: Inhale when you rise up and lean backward; exhale when you bend over forward.
The Imagery: Imagine you were a fisherman, casting a big net to bring in the catch.
Movement Twelve: Pushing the Waves
The Movement: From the leaning forward position at the end of the last movement, keep your left leg forward, move your body forward with your arms outstretched, palms facing down. Begin to inhale and, while slowly moving your body backward, draw your hands to your waist, using your fingers to make an undulating movement. At the same time, shift your weight to your right feet and rest your left foot on its heel as you lean back. Then, begin to exhale, extend your arms and move your body forward, again in an undulating movement as if you were playfully pushing the waves. At this point, you weight would rest on your left foot and your right foot would rest on its toes. This is one movement cycle. Do this 12 times.
The Breathing: Inhale when pulling back; exhale when pushing forward.
The Imagery: Imagine you were playing at a Hawaiian beach knee-deep in the warm and glistening water, helping wave after wave of that foaming liquid going back to the ocean.
Remark: The key is to use your hands and figers to imitate the undulating waves and put your body in a graceful rocking motion back and forth.
(To acquire a DVD video of Taichi Light, go to www.Taichilight.com)
The Transition: At the end of the last movement, move your left arm to eye level with the palm facing you at about a foot or so from your face. Extend your right arm while keeping your right elbow at your side as if you were hugging someone. Turn your upper torso all the way to the right.
The Movement: Begin to inhale and turn your torso slowly to the left as far as you can go (do not turn your lower body) while locking your gaze on your left palm as if it were a mirror. At the end of the turn, change the positions of the two arms by rotating them clockwise; begin to exhale and turn your torso all the way to the right. When rotating your arms at the end of a turn, take care to do it gracefully. This is one movement cycle. Do this six times.
The Breathing: Inhale when turning to the left. Exhale when turning to the right.
The Imagery: Imagine you were holding a mirror and looking at your face. Since the mirror is always on the move, you must follow it.
Movement Eleven: Casting the Big Fishnet
The Transition: At the end of the last movement, continue to exhale and take a step forward with your left leg; bend forward and cross your forearms in front of you knees.
The Movement: From the transition position, begin to inhale, raise your arms (right arm clockwise, left arm counterclockwise) in upward curves while raising your body to a backward leaning position, as if you were pulling up a huge fishnet. Then, begin to exhale, continue your arms’ trajectory downward while lowering your body to a forward leaning position, so that your arms would return to the starting position in front of your knees.
The Breathing: Inhale when you rise up and lean backward; exhale when you bend over forward.
The Imagery: Imagine you were a fisherman, casting a big net to bring in the catch.
Movement Twelve: Pushing the Waves
The Movement: From the leaning forward position at the end of the last movement, keep your left leg forward, move your body forward with your arms outstretched, palms facing down. Begin to inhale and, while slowly moving your body backward, draw your hands to your waist, using your fingers to make an undulating movement. At the same time, shift your weight to your right feet and rest your left foot on its heel as you lean back. Then, begin to exhale, extend your arms and move your body forward, again in an undulating movement as if you were playfully pushing the waves. At this point, you weight would rest on your left foot and your right foot would rest on its toes. This is one movement cycle. Do this 12 times.
The Breathing: Inhale when pulling back; exhale when pushing forward.
The Imagery: Imagine you were playing at a Hawaiian beach knee-deep in the warm and glistening water, helping wave after wave of that foaming liquid going back to the ocean.
Remark: The key is to use your hands and figers to imitate the undulating waves and put your body in a graceful rocking motion back and forth.
(To acquire a DVD video of Taichi Light, go to www.Taichilight.com)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)