Taichi Tips

Discovering Discovery

Written by Peter Robinson

Discovery is the first thing we learn in Tai Chi, and, in our haste to learn more, and newer things, it’s often the first thing we let go of.  Sometimes, we simply don’t do it, and other times, we don’t do it properly, rushing through it.

A good discovery can easily take a full hour, but even a fraction of that, done right, is never wasted, as discovery gives back exactly what you put into it. It is one of the most powerful tools and techniques we learn, and within it is the basis of all the work we will do.

Now, here are a few tips to help you get more out of your discovery:

SLOW AND FAST

Written by Peter Gamble Robinson

There are many different tools we can use to help us work on our Tai Chi, but today I want to focus on just two: moving very slowly or very quickly through the sets - two tools which are extremely valuable in helping us to diagnose weaknesses in our form.

Qi Gong

Written by Peter Robinson


If you really want to deepen the spiritual and energetic side of your Tai Chi practice, simplify. Before there was Tai Chi, there was Qi Gong (pronounced Chi Gung). Where Tai Chi is a series of intricate movements, which are mirrored by an intricate flow of energy through the body, Qi Gong repeats the same simple movements over and over, focusing on breath control and on the movement of energy through one specific meridian or chakra at a time. By narrowing one's focus, it can become much easier to identify your energetic body, and work with moving that chi with your intent. This is a particularly good time to practice your Qi Gong, as Master Zi has a new class in it on Sundays from 10:35-11:35am. And remember, sometimes, doing less is doing more.

Tai Qi outside of the Classroom

Written by Antony Bartlett

Tai Qi outside of the Classroom
written by: Antony Bartlett

One of the common questions asked in promotions is: 'Tell me about how you have applied Tai Qi in your life'. The responses range from the trivial to the gut-wrenchingly profound. In every case the answer inspires and illustrates the broad spectrum of practical applications the work provides the student. The classroom and our daily practice give us form and technique, taking us along our personalized, yet inexorable path towards a healthy mind and body.

Healer, Heal Thyself (Part Two)

Written by Peter Robinson

In the May newsletter, we talked about how many of the senior students at Shakti's Elements came to Tai Chi because we had serious health problems that our practice has helped us to overcome. This week I wanted to talk about a few of the lessons we have learned, and how we can use them in practical ways to keep ourselves healthy. With this in mind:

1) Awareness

Our most potent technique for healing our bodies is our awareness. The very first thing we ever learn in class is discovery, which literally teaches us to be aware of what is going on in our body at an almost microscopic level, and to “discover” the problems in our body while they are still small.

A Finger Pointing at the Moon

Written by Peter Robinson

"A Finger Pointing at the Moon"

There is an old parable which talks about a sage describing the Tao to his students. He admonished them to pay less attention to his words, and more attention to the practice. He said "My words are like a finger pointing at the moon - if you look too closely at the finger, you will miss the moon."

Clarity in Times of War

Written by Peter Robinson

What good is your knowledge if the only time you ever use it is when things are fine, and the world is in harmony?  A practice that is only effective when the world is calm is not a practice at all.  Your practice is a tool that should help you find clarity, even when the seas around you are turbulent.  It should not be something that needs crystal clear waters to work. 

As I sit here writing this, I’m in the waiting room of the Cedar Sinai outpatient surgery center.  My wife is going in to have a fibroid removed.  It’s not a dangerous operation, but she’ll still be put under with an anesthetic.  All week, people have been calling her, worried, with a nervous energy about them.  Last night, as we lay in bed, we talked, and I asked her how she was feeling. 

Having Fun with Holding the Ball

Written by Yuko Miyahara

“Holding the ball” is a basic exercise in Tai Chi used to develop your “root” and to cultivate energy flow in your body.  It’s simple to do, yet each time you do it, you will discover something new.  When I first started Tai Chi, I preferred learning new movements than sitting in this posture.  But the more I practiced Tai Chi, the more I appreciated “holding the ball” and started to have so much fun.    

The Three Treasures

Written by Peter Robinson

I was recently reading Wolfe Lowenthal’s books about Professor Cheng Man-ch’ing, who brought Tai Chi to America, and was struck about his commentary on the “Three Treasures.”

A STORY

Written by Peter Robinson

There's a story I once heard that I particularly like. It's about a farmer in ancient China who hears about a great wise man in a neighboring province, a man who is called "The Buddha." This farmer decides to go and seek this great man's advice. So he kisses his wife, and hugs his children, and then sets off, walking on foot.

It takes him two weeks, sweating one day under grueling heat, freezing the next in heavy thunderstorms, and all the while suffering blisters, hunger, and the stinging bites of insects. When he finally arrives, he finds a huge encampment with people as far as the eye can see, all of whom have traveled from all across the land to see this great man. He has to wait for an entire month to get in.

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