Join the 28-Day Qigong Challenge: An online course with daily follow-along videos that teach beginners simple techniques to combat stress and help the body heal.
Day 22 of 28 - Movement: Tai Chi Basics & Circling
Qigong translates as energy (qi, chi) work (gong, kung) or, more literally, I am told: breath work. Breath is important. Breath is the portal that we use to access the mind-body-spirit connection; however, as you've seen there is more to qigong than breathing. The breath is tied to the our movements with a relaxed and focused mind, becoming mindful movement.
Body states change and brain states change yielding benefits that Harvard Medical School calls "Medication in Motion."
Tai Chi translates as Grand Ultimate. Tai Chi refers to the complementary duality that all things are comprised of. You might recognize this meaning of Tai Chi as the Yin/Yang symbol.
Tai Chi is typically used as a short name for Tai Chi Chuan. Chuan literally means Fist, so Tai Chi Chuan means Grand Ultimate Fighting. Not ultimate fighting like Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), but ultimate as in balanced and universal.
Qigong has been around for thousands of years. Tai Chi Chuan has been around for hundreds of years. Today, most people don't learn Tai Chi as a martial art, but for health, vitality, and balance.
What you learn here and now, is not Tai Chi Chuan. It is what the medical community calls Simplified Tai Chi. I call it Tai Chi Qigong: doing qigong using Tai Chi movements. Our qigong doesn't change. We will follow the same Five-Phase Routine. It just so happens that we are borrowing moves from Tai Chi.
These Tai Chi basics are always a good place to start.
Relax. Enjoy. Flow.
David
Join the 28-Day Qigong Challenge: An online course with daily follow-along videos that teach beginners simple techniques to combat stress and help the body heal.