Chi cultivation and Taoist Tai Chi
A well functioning body is a prerequisite to opening the body channels to the flow of lifeforce, chi. In the morning sessions, Master Li will be teaching chi cultivation which serves as a proper warm-up for the Tai chi. These practices will further ground the body, massage and open the joints, relax the muscles, draw the earth chi to cleanse the body-mind and, draw the heavenly chi to charge the body-mind.  

The Taoist Tai chi has deep roots in ancient philosophy and spirituality. It emphasizes softness, slow motion and the inner movement of chi. As the Tao is associated with an easy-flowing stream, the Taoist way of Tai chi encourages you to feel the flow and flow with the feeling. In Taoism, unmediated feeling is the way of true knowing. Tai-chi allows you to cultivate the immediacy of feeling, and thus to harmonize the body-mind with the flow of the life-force. This practice involves a deep relaxation, and subtle muscles are being exercised so that the body becomes supple and flexible. These features are being akin to a bamboo tree which is hollow and supple, and only bends through heavy storms, it never breaks. In other words, softness and flexibilty is strength – rigidity is weakness. Flexibility of body and mind can be achieved only by observing moderation, one of the Taoist virtues; with respect to Taoist Tai chi practice this means never to overextend oneself, and to keep to the 70% rule of what you can do at any stage.


Taoist Arts

On occation, Master Li may share some of the Taoist arts with you, such as ancient Taoist Music for Meditation, played on his "gu-qing", a stringed instrument.Also, you may learn more about Taoist arts from his performance of calligraphy - the flow of chi in writing - which celebrates the art of simplicity in the manner of a disciplined spontaneity.

These are central features of Taoist cultivation and the way of making life an art. What does this mean? The term Tao can be interpreted as «waymaking» which encourages a personal co-creation of life, life in its essence is seen as a continuum of change – Tao. Connecting with this stream of continous creation means going downstream in life. Taoism celebrates this life-style which generates Great Joy, or a «free and easy wandering» associated with the legendary Taoist master Chuang-tzu qouted below.

Easy is right Begin right and you are easy, Continue easy and you are right
The right way to go easy is to forget the right way and forget that the going is easy



In Taoism the deep philosophy of the Chuang-tzu and the Tao-te Ching by Lao Tzu represents the underlying source of practice and life-style. These scriptures date back about 2500 years, and the Tao-te Ching is probably the most read classic of wisdom-literature in the world. The metaphor of water is frequently referred to throughout this scripture which also applies to the practice of Tai chi and harmonizing of body-mind with the life-force. The Tao-te Ching emphasizes the many virtues of Water as a model for humans which is being excercised with the Taoist practice of Tai chi; its calm, soft and yielding character is also the source of its greatest strengths. In meeting with insurmountble obstacles on its pathway, water will first gather and then ride roughshod over the most unyielding in the world; even the hardest rock can be smoothened by the gentleness of water; «weakness» is strength. Water stays in the lowest of all places, and is thus gathering any resources that come its way. Further, water is able to transform in accordance with circumstances, and without loosing its essence; water can be ice, cloud, lake, steam, stream, rain, snow and ocean.

  In the world there is nothing more submissive and weak than water.
Yet for attacking that which is unyielding and strong nothing can take precedence over it. This is because nothing can take its place.
The weak overcomes the unbending.
And the submissive overcomes the strong,
This everyone in the world knows yet no one can put it into practice
(…).
Tao-te Ching, chapter 43. Translation by D. C. Lau

 


Suggested reading :
Lao Tzu, Tao-Te Ching
Watson, The Inner chapters of Chuang-tzu  
Deng Ming-Dao, Chronicles of Tao. The secret life of a Taoist Master.
Chen Kaiguo and Zheng Shunchao, Opening the Dragon Gate. The Making of a Modern Taoist Wizard. Translation by Thomas Cleary.
"An absorbing biography and exceptional story about the way a 13 year old boy,
Wang Liping, was initiated into magic and trained by three old masters to become the 19th transmitter of the Dragon Gate branch of Taoism. Wang Liping's apprenticeship lasted for 15 years, and took place before and during the Cultural revolution".

 

*Please note : When back home, the individual practice can be greatly supported by reviewing DVDs by Master Li. There are five different DVDs available for purchase which include: Morning Practice I, Mornng Practice II, Tai Chi Cultivation 24 movements form, Tai chi Cultivation 48 movements form, Walking Meditation. You will find a description of the contents of each of these DVDs by clicking DVDs on the menu-bar.