Reflecting on the traditions, symbolism and imagery of t’ai chi is a great way to deepen the practice and body, mind, spirit and energy to develop a synergistic relationship. Each of these aspects contributes to the activity as a whole – and sometimes the spirit might be having a robust day when the body is a little tired. Then, one factor supports the whole and also the other three factors.
When I became a certified t’ai chi instructor at Open Wings T’ai Chi Studio, the curriculum included a researched presentation on an aspect of the form. I chose to research t’ai chi’s connection to balance and harmony within nature – the Taoist worldview in motion, so to speak. For example, the yin-yang symbol serves to connect us with the idea of flow, balance, harmony, no-endedness and “dynamic opposition:” the notion that all elements contain a small part of their opposite.
By taking time to observe an image, reflect on it and then take action, over and over, the concept slowly seeps into the whole self. The same process unfolds while one is learning the form.
As a beginning student, learning seemed to be an unfolding process, rather than a sequential one. I liken it to being in a darkroom in the ancient days before digital photography. After the first couple of lessons, when I felt pretty lost, a few of the movements took on a faint familiarity…like the darkroom, when the paper goes into the developing fluid. There’s an image there, coming up very slowly from a complete blank. Then a little line, then another, then a shape, then slowly the image emerges.
Here’s another way of looking at it, courtesy of Michelangelo. He once said, “The sculpture is already complete within the marble block, before I start my work. It is already there, I just have to chisel away the superfluous material.”
In any case, for me, learning t’ai chi wasn’t like other kinds of learning I had experienced. I had to wait for things to become clear, patiently allowing the body and muscle memory to support the mind, and vice versa.
To nurture and reinforce that process, I use a recipe of two ingredients: reading and nature. T’ai chi is relatively new to the West, and since its origin centuries ago in China, not much has been written down. But the stories and legends of the original t’ai chi practitioners invite us into the world of nature and special powers. Thinking about cranes, snakes and tigers, the mind reflects on and delights in the images of animals in their natural world. They are flexible and efficient, powerful and peaceful. We get a taste of that, and it makes us happy and relaxed.
New t’ai chi practitioners might not be familiar with some of the other terms, descriptions and aspects of the form. In every beginner’s patient journey from the unknown to the familiar, images and metaphors help to build bridges.
For example, the concept of flow is very important, but hard to describe in a “how-to” sense. Here’s an example from Yang’s Ten Important Points, by Yang Cheng-fu. “The head should be upright so the shen (spirit) can reach the headtop. Don’t use li (strength), or the neck will be stiff and the ch’i (breath) and blood cannot flow through. It is necessary to have a natural and lively feeling. If the spirit cannot reach the headtop, it cannot raise.”
Often, imagery from nature can help internalize these elusive concepts. For example, to invite that natural and lively feeling described by Yang Cheng-fu, think of a flowing mountain stream, water moving around rocks in its natural way, finding the path easily and sparkling in the sun.
This technique is central to the practice and well described in The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi, written by Peter Wayne, M.D., an associate professor of medicine and longtime t’ai chi practitioner. Wayne states that “Tai Chi training typically draws images or metaphors from nature. Phrases from the Tai Chi classics such as ‘Be still as a mountain,’ ‘Move like a great river,’ and ‘Stand rooted like a tree,’ as well as the names of many Tai Chi movements themselves (for example, ‘Wave hands like clouds’) include images that guide you toward certain kinesthetic, emotional, and energetic states. The additional active ingredients of imagery and visualization, and related cognitive tools that alter intention, belief, and expectations, complement the cognitive active ingredients related to awareness, mindfulness, and focused attention, and contribute significantly to the therapeutic and physiological effects of Tai Chi.
“In sharp contrast to conventional biomedicine where the active ingredient (for example ibuprofen) is believed to do nearly all the work, in Tai Chi, intention and belief are considered highly active and specific ingredients. In fact, Tai Chi classics emphasize that all embodied movement begins with belief, thought or intention…”
So from intention flows energy and movement, which then returns to the idea of a flowing circle. Create one with your hands – we “hold the circle” more than 30 times in the Yang style long form. Let your intention lead!
