Golden School of T'ai Chi Ch'uan
T'AI CHI CH'UAN
Cultivating the Energy of Chi
Chi is the life-force that drives the universe and all living things. It is the power that enables a small seedling to push its way through a solid concrete sidewalk toward the sunlight's warming rays. In the human body, Chi is our life essence. T'ai Chi is, therefore, an art based on practices which allow us to tap into Chi, and the latent powers of the mind, to create harmony in thought, action and being.
T'ai Chi, when made an integral part of one’s life helps to keep the internal balance of Chi. Although the practice of T'ai Chi has been passed down for centuries, it is as relevant or even more so today, than in any previous period-for at the heart of this art is the inherent ability to adapt to the needs of the times. Right now I feel there is an evolution of consciousness taking place, Now more than ever we need to awaken the powers of consciousness within us and direct this awareness to healing the planet and embracing with compassion all that inhabit it. In T'ai Chi Ch'uan, we become rooted in our purpose and attain our goals without deterrence.
Since its inception, T'ai Chi has been a martial art as well as a healing art. It is exactly the balance between the forces of soft and hard or empty and full that make this art so effective and so applicable in dealing with even the harshest difficulties one may experience in life. T'ai Chi Ch'uan, like life itself, not only emphasizes the nurturing forces in each individual, but when threatened, it also affords us the ability to avoid, redirect or neutralize the negative energy of any attack.
The Goals of T'ai Chi Ch'uan
The goals of T'ai Chi Ch’uan are many and diverse. Continued practice provides us with an ever evolving series of benefits. Among these are improving one’s health, developing the art of self-defense, strengthening the auto-immune system, increasing longevity, reducing stress, gaining flexibility, generating greater power, healing the body and reaching a state of almost impenetrable calm through the style’s meditative movements. I feel that perhaps the greatest benefit of all, is a deeper understanding of how the world itself, fits together and functions. The universe is composed of fractals, in fact it is an entire field of fractals creating solar systems and expanding. It does this by harnessing the energy of complimentary positive and negative energy fields that generate almost untold amounts of electro-magnetic energy. Much the same as a battery functions with its positive and negative poles. The earth generates its electro-magnetic field as well. It is called a torus, and it is generated by a positive energy field which sits above its negative energy field, in exactly the precise manner as the yin yang symbol. It is this electro-magnetic field that protects the planet from solar radiation enabling life to survive here. When we are able to understand the constructs of the universe, we are able to fit and sync with it much more effectively as well. The atoms and cells of our bodies also benefit from this process of syncopation and unification. Remember that T'ai Chi Ch'uan is itself based on complimentary yet opposite energy fields. These are exemplified by the yin yang symbol which not only illustrates their interaction but is the representation of the art as well. Positive and negative are not at odds with one other but act as a unified whole, it is only a matter of proper alignment.
At the heart of T'ai Chi is breath, which we learn to push deep into all realms of the body. The bloodstream is the “river of life” that we use to push this energy; and our consciousness allows us to focus Chi and animate it with our actions and movements.
By maintaining harmony in mind, body and spirit, we can become spiritual and peaceful warriors moving toward achieving our full potential.