| Feature Article
Empower Yourself through Tai Chi
–
Chief Instructor Brett Wagland
The meaning of Tai Chi
Chuan is the Supreme Ultimate Way or Fist. It is based on the
principles of the Tao and is one of the Taoist arts to nourish mind,
body and spirit. It also has the capacity to impart skills for self
defence.
Grandmaster Feng Zhi Qiang, founder of the Hun Yuan Tai Chi system,
states that practising Tai Chi is part of the big Tao – balance in the
universe. Establish harmony in your own mind and body, then with your
family and friends, and even your enemies. It is easy to fall into the
victim mentality and blame circumstances for all our woes. The Taoist
philosophy encourages people to learn to accept responsibility and use
their problems as stepping stones for growth.
Begin with yourself. Learn to relax your mind and body. This will give
you inner peace and rejuvenate your energy, thereby building strength to
face the challenges. Without this inner power, a small obstacle becomes
a big mountain when you are low in energy or suffer poor health. As you
apply the principles of relaxation, focus and perseverance to your life,
your quality of life soon improves. Not knowing how to relax will only
build up tension and create difficulties and sufferings for yourself.
Without focus or concentration, nothing can be accomplished. Lack of
perseverance is one of the common causes of unfulfilled aspirations.
If you want to help others or improve society, first develop within
yourself a sense of strength and calm. You do not have the power to
change others but you have the power to change yourself and improve your
quality of life. If everyone pursues this ideal, the world will
naturally be a better place. Taoists always say that your life is in
your hands. It is up to you. However, keep the way of the universe -
balance - in mind. We can only accept as much responsibility as we can
handle at this time.
Chinese martial arts have survived thousands of years, not just because
they are effective at disposing of multiple attackers, but for their
ability to overcome our inner enemies, such as, fear, anxiety,
ignorance, anger, arrogance, etc. Learning Tai Chi or any well taught
martial arts is a metaphor for applying universal principles and
philosophies on the physical level.
When students come to our Wu Dao Gong (Natural Style Kung Fu) classes,
they soon realise that a simple punch is in fact a tool to transform
muscles, joints and internal organs, to improve fitness, concentration,
awareness, posture and self confidence, to deflate ego and to nurture
the spirit. After five years of punching, the advanced students are
still discovering more and more about the simple punch - hard for anyone
to believe or understand in the beginning. Only those who have begun
walking up the mountain know how far they have come when they look back,
and there is always a further vantage point to reach.
Tai Chi too is a system of varying levels. It can be an exercise, a
philosophy, a dance, a healing art, a martial art or a self development
tool. There is great depth to the art of Tai Chi. There is always more
to learn and understand. You can only understand Tai Chi through
practice. The more you practise, the more you will see and understand,
and the more fulfilling your practice will become.
Being aware of a Tai Chi principle intellectually does not equate to
understanding. Only when a principle can be observed in your movement
and felt consistently, then you begin to understand. The understanding
will further develop as your practice matures. Although we all hear
about turning the waist, it is different for a beginning, a Level 2, a
Level 3, a Refinement student, a seasoned practitioner and a master.
Bearing this in mind will keep one grounded in one’s Tai Chi journey and
in daily life. The nuance in life can only be observed with
open-mindedness, awareness and sensitivity. Practising Tai Chi with
mindfulness of its principles keeps one honest and develops respect and
appreciation for the art and for life itself. There are wonders in life
still. Only when you let yourself be transformed by the practice will
you come face to face with your own calm-abiding nature which is as
clear as a mirror.
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