We live in an impermanent world, yet there are certain inviolable laws, or principles, which endure in the invisible void behind creation. Taijiquan embodies these unchanging principles. It presents a powerful lens through which the world can be observed. Focusing upon the dual nature of worldly phenomenon Taiji opens our eyes to powerful unifying attributes of life. Yin/yang examines the dual nature of the universe. Taiji returns to the single "Grand Ultimate" when the world was undivided.

Oneness: Unifying the body is one major skill of Taiji. The body is trained to act as a single organism unlike most human movement, which is achieved by isolated contraction and extension of specific muscle groups. Unifying the qi (energy) is another core Taiji skill. Qi is directed to flow in and out of the physiological body center, the ‘tantien.’ Unifying the mind makes it possible to apply focused intention to the performance of Taijiquan.

Universality: The core physical power of Taiji, called ‘peng,’ moves in every direction simultaneously. To do so requires a single center. From one point of view the action can be seen as moving in every direction, always away from the center. From another perspective, yang becomes yin and the same action can be viewed as moving in one direction: away from the center. A second core power, called ‘lu,’ moves toward the center. Lu is yin to peng’s yang. (In the final analysis, this distinction dissolves and power is simply power.)

The transforming power of consciousness: Human beings remain subject to automatic responses unless otherwise trained. Using the fight or flight response as the model, Taiji players learn to accept circumstances that arise without resistance. Rather than fighting (resisting) or retreating (capitulating) they first unify with an adversarial situation, and then, from a place of being one with the situation, change it along the lines of least resistance. The adept practitioner blends with an attack, incorporates it, holds the space of neutrality open and responds appropriately with full power and presence of mind.

Opposition: Opposition creates balance. Actions have equal and opposite reactions. In the Taiji paradigm, opposites are viewed as complementary. Since each pair of ‘opposites’ is measured on a single scale that unites them, the two are part of a ‘one,’ just as the single circle encloses the two halves of the Taiji symbol. Cold and hot are temperatures. Light and dark are illumination. Forward and backward are directions. Their differences allow us to recognize them.

Cause and Effect: Cause and effect are part of the natural order. Every ‘why’ has a ‘because.’ There is no end to the search for discovering the original initiator of an action. Inhale leads to exhale. Exhale creates inhale. Built into the practice of Taijiquan are places to consciously include the principle of cause and effect. By remaining neutral, a Taiji practitioner allows the energy of an attack (cause) to pass through the body into the ground. When the energy hits the ground it comes back and pushes the attacker away (effect).

Correspondence: What functions at one level corresponds to other levels. One of the most frequently occurring and powerful shapes in the universe is the spiral. Spirals are found in everything from the double helix of DNA to the shape of galaxies. They can be found in the rotating power of a tornado and in the winding thread of a silkworm. They show up in the way the tissues grow in the body, and they are evidenced in the so-called repeating cycles of history. Taijiquan derives its movements from the spiral shape. Because this shape moves the body according to universal law, Taijiquan demonstrates tremendous power, yet the practitioner remains in a state of profound relaxation.

Duality: The dual nature of all things is a central aspect to the function of creation and procreation. Yin and yang viewed in their gender aspects are responsible for generating new phenomena. To bring forth the power and potential of Taijiquan one must enlist the proper alignment: the male aspect. Then all effort must be removed for the body to relax: the female aspect. Structure and relaxation go hand-in-hand to create movement in Taijiquan. To create movement that is harmonious with nature Taiji teaches the player to balance the state of openness with the condition of structure, to be as still as a mountain and as soft as water.

Change: Everything moves all the time. There is no stasis in the manifested universe. However slowly, all matter is subject to the altering power of time. Even standstill is temporary. Change is the permanent state of the temporal. Taijiquan invokes this principle. Once movement begins, it continues uninterrupted until the end. Only during the beginning and ending of the entire sequence of moves does the player return to the still position.

Rhythm: Besides being constant, movement is also cyclical. Just as tides ebb and flow, and patterns show up in the passages of life, time varies rhythmically. Flow is an essential element of Taiji. One movement blends into the next. Each move follows the law of rhythm by virtue of its direction from forward to back or left to right. Qi fills and empties. Techniques go toward and away from the body in an orderly and logical fashion. Pace in Taiji, like the beating heart presents a rhythmic relationship to the course of time.

Wu Wei: The Taoist concept of wu wei allows for nature to takes its course without the ego-generated use of force to ‘make’ things happen. Lao Tzu wrote, “The sage does nothing, yet nothing goes undone.” In movement this requires the application of intention and qi. Typical movement flows directly from the mind to the body. In Taijiquan intention travels to the tantien where the qi is directed to the body. All effort must be released, and the movement be permitted to follow the qi. Thus motion happens as a result of thought moving the qi, and the qi moving the body. Any direct muscle effort cancels the efficacy and power.

Faith: Faith plays an essential role in Taiji, but it is not blind faith. Much of Taijiquan is counter-intuitive, defying the imagination. Yet everything can be demonstrated. Because the road is long and arduous, one needs faith. Practitioners are asked to suspend old prejudices and step out in new ways, to let go of old identities and discover a new self. The result of long study is a metamorphosis. Moving into the unknown is one of the great challenges of Taiji. A competent teacher can guide beginners to perform basic skills. But a visible gap quickly spreads out between basic skills and acquisition of a ‘Taiji body.’ Faith in the small things begets faith in the large. Little by little faith grows so that the more unbelievable possibilities can be held up to be real. Faith enables a novice to take the next step, and it is only by stepping that one can continue the journey.

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