Taiji As Moving Meditation

Taiji As Moving Meditation
Author: Paul G. Fendos Jr.
Publisher: Singing Dragon
Total Pages: 170
Release: 2019-08-21
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 1787750442

A clear introduction to Taiji, a slow and rhythmical martial art, this visual guide shows how it can be used as a 'moving meditation' that bestows strength, vigour and longevity. The book focuses on helping people apply the principles of the Taiji practice by offering a short introduction to its history and philosophy, as well as a primer on its general practices as established by the International Wushu Federation. Divided into five chapters, it includes an easy-to-learn warm-up, stances, hand techniques, steps, breathing, basic moves and the four Forms that are usually learned to receive a black belt in the art. With a growing focus on alternative ways of improving general health and well-being, Taiji as Moving Meditation is the perfect guide for those wanting to enhance focus and peace of mind.

The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi

The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi
Author: Peter M. Wayne, PhD
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
Total Pages: 353
Release: 2013-04-09
Genre: Health & Fitness
ISBN: 0834828480

A longtime teacher and Harvard researcher presents the latest science on the benefits of T’ai Chi as well as a practical daily program for practitioners of all ages Conventional medical science on the Chinese art of T’ai Chi now shows what T’ai Chi masters have known for centuries: regular practice leads to more vigor and flexibility, better balance and mobility, and a sense of well-being. Cutting-edge research from Harvard Medical School also supports the long-standing claims that T’ai Chi also has a beneficial impact on the health of the heart, bones, nerves and muscles, immune system, and the mind. This research provides fascinating insight into the underlying physiological mechanisms that explain how T’ai Chi actually works. Dr. Peter M. Wayne, a longtime T’ai Chi teacher and a researcher at Harvard Medical School, developed and tested protocols similar to the simplified program he includes in this book, which is suited to people of all ages, and can be done in just a few minutes a day. This book includes: • The basic program, illustrated by more than 50 photographs • Practical tips for integrating T’ai Chi into everyday activities • An introduction to the traditional principles of T’ai Chi • Up-to-date summaries of the research on the health benefits of T’ai Chi • How T’ai Chi can enhance work productivity, creativity, and sports performance • And much more

The Yang Tàijí 24-Step Short Form

The Yang Tàijí 24-Step Short Form
Author: James Drewe
Publisher: Singing Dragon
Total Pages: 386
Release: 2011-08-15
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 0857010239

Yang 24-Step Tàijíquan is one of the most widely-practiced Tàijíquan forms in the world today, and the form that most people first learn. Gentle enough to be suitable for the elderly, yet challenging enough to stretch even the most experienced practitioner, it is also one of the most accessible and rewarding. In his new book, James Drewe provides a comprehensive and detailed explication of the postures and movements of the form. For each, he describes exactly how the weight flows, how to use the hands, how to move the limbs, and how to relax into the movement, clearly explaining each step with the aid of foot patterns and photographs. Sections on the internal aspects of Tàijíquan, descriptions of the subtle variations that may be made when performing certain movements, and even instructions on how to fit the movements to music are also included. This comprehensive guide to Yang 24-Step Tàijíquan is an invaluable resource for taiji practitioners at all levels, including beginners, as well as taiji instructors, and students of other martial arts.

Qigong and the Tai Chi Axis

Qigong and the Tai Chi Axis
Author: Mimi Kuo-Deemer
Publisher: Courier Dover Publications
Total Pages: 259
Release: 2019-10-16
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 0486844463

Reduce stress, release pain, and create bodily harmony with this introduction to qigong and tai chi. Includes practical information, insights, and widely practiced sequences and forms that lead to improved health.

Bagua and Tai Chi

Bagua and Tai Chi
Author: Bruce Frantzis
Publisher: North Atlantic Books
Total Pages: 241
Release: 2012
Genre: Health & Fitness
ISBN: 1583943595

In Bagua and Tai Chi, noted teacher Bruce Frantzis demonstrates through these two important practices what is required to develop and embody high levels of chi flow. Inside the slow-motion movements of tai chi is a sophisticated mind/body/spirit practice. Derived from the I Ching (Book of Changes), bagua is unique in its circular movements, spiraling energy, and unpredictable changes of direction. Frantzis begins with an overview of both bagua and tai chi and their origins in Chinese culture, followed by comprehensive advice on how to incorporate these practices into daily Western life. Written in an easy, conversational style, the book provides an explanation of an art that is practiced by millions in China to release stress and maintain a vigorous level of health. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), the 2.3 million Americans who currently practice tai chi report improved sleep, conditioning, and overall wellness. Bagua and Tai Chi offers a gentle healing and strengthening system that will appeal to a wide audience, including martial artists, meditators, dancers and athletes, personal trainers, and anyone looking to reduce stress and increase calmness and clarity through an effective, low-impact body practice.

The Zen Monastic Experience

The Zen Monastic Experience
Author: Robert E. Buswell Jr.
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 289
Release: 2020-07-21
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 069121610X

Robert Buswell, a Buddhist scholar who spent five years as a Zen monk in Korea, draws on personal experience in this insightful account of day-to-day Zen monastic practice. In discussing the activities of the postulants, the meditation monks, the teachers and administrators, and the support monks of the monastery of Songgwang-sa, Buswell reveals a religious tradition that differs radically from the stereotype prevalent in the West. The author's treatment lucidly relates contemporary Zen practice to the historical development of the tradition and to Korean history more generally, and his portrayal of the life of modern Zen monks in Korea provides an innovative and provocative look at Zen from the inside.

Taijiquan

Taijiquan
Author: C. P. Ong
Publisher:
Total Pages: 368
Release: 2013-10
Genre:
ISBN: 9780615874074

This book diverges from traditional exposition on Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan) as it engages rather than shuns the role of muscles in elucidating the cryptic practice dictum of "using yi (mind) and not li (muscle force)." It centers on the core principle of Taiji balance-the balance of yin and yang, but presents the metaphysics of balance the way the body comprehends it, developmentally, through practice in the musculo-skeletal framework. In the process, the fog of mystique lifts, and the many abstruse concepts of Taijiquan become clear. Taijiquan training is physical at the initial phase, but the slow-motion exercise nurtures a meditative discipline of the mind. As it progresses, the soft methodology grows into one of building qi-energy, and then the practice becomes more internalized. The process fortifies the body with qi and cultivates a holistic balance of the organ systems. The book explains how the training methodology, in pursuing Taiji balance, leads to the development of a highly refined strength called neijin (inner strength). By incorporating the training of "silk-reeling energy" in Taiji balance, the practitioner develops the coiling power (chanrao jin) that underlies the magic of Taijiquan kungfu.

The Essence and Applications of Taijiquan

The Essence and Applications of Taijiquan
Author: Yang Chengfu
Publisher: North Atlantic Books
Total Pages: 161
Release: 2012-09-04
Genre: Health & Fitness
ISBN: 158394639X

Martial arts master Yang Chengfu’s seminal work on the techniques and applications of Yang-style taijiquan—now available to Western practitioners for the first time The publication in 1934 of Yang Chengfu's book, The Essence and Applications of Taijiquan (Taijiquan Tiyong Quanshu) marked a milestone in the modern evolution of the art of taijiquan. Using what is best-termed demonstration narrative, the author presents form postures and suggested applications from his own perspective, as he performed them. This methodology renders Yang Chengfu's direct, hands-on teaching of the art with such immediacy and liveliness that the reader experiences the master’s teaching much as his students did. This English translation finally makes Yang Chengfu's classic work available to taijiquan enthusiasts in the West. It includes notes and commentary that clarify the author's frequent classical and literary turns of phrase and elucidate the philosophical and political underpinnings that shape the text. The translator investigates and compares several early taijiquan books in order to help explain the roles played by two of Yang Chengfu's students, Dong Yingjie and Zheng Manqing, in bringing Yang Chengfu's words and teachings into print. Serious students of taijiquan, and those wishing to deepen their knowledge of taijiquan history and theory, will find this seminal work indispensable to their study and practice.

The Inner Structure of Tai Chi

The Inner Structure of Tai Chi
Author: Mantak Chia
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 216
Release: 2005-12-15
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 1594778426

Explores the deep, internal work necessary for the effective practice of tai chi • Reveals the Taoist principles that gave birth to the Yang-style tai chi forms • Shows how tai chi can circulate powerful healing energies through the body Taoist adepts developed tai chi as both a martial art and a way to cultivate their physical body, energy body, and spirit body. Like all Taoist exercises, its main purpose is to form a connection to the basic energy that is the foundation of all life: chi. Until the beginning of the twentieth century, tai chi was considered a secret practice that was passed down only within a closely knit structure of family and loyal disciples. Despite its widespread growth in popularity as a martial art and health exercise, many of its underlying internal practices remain unknown. The Inner Structure of Tai Chi explores the deep, internal work necessary for the effective practice of tai chi. Designed for practitioners at every level, the book contains step-by-step illustrated instructions for mastering the 13 forms of early Yang-style tai chi, also known as Tai Chi Chi Kung. The authors demonstrate the relationship of the inner structure of tai chi to the absorption, transformation, and circulation of the three forces that animate all life--the Universal force, the Cosmic force, and the Earth force--revealing the principles and practices necessary to receive the full spectrum of physical, psychological, and spiritual benefits that tai chi can bring.