Learning About the International Taoist Taichi Society
November 24th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
If you have not heard of the International Taoist Taichi Society before, then it is definitely something you are going to want to learn about. There is much to learn about the International Taoist Taichi Society, but basically it is a volunteer, non-profit organization that features member associations in more than 25 different countries around the world.
The aim of the Society is to bring together people of all different languages and cultures, and focus them on furthering the aims and objectives that were first laid down by the Society’s founder and creator, Master Moy Lin-shin.
What They Offer
There are many offerings by the International Taoist Taichi Society, and namely they offer classes in the art of Taichi and many branches of their member associations also offer special classes for senior citizens, which is really great because you cannot find this offer in many other locations.
They also contribute a great deal to the community in particular, and they have supported various relief efforts for different major disasters and are always looking to help out charities whenever they can. Specifically, they have conducted fundraising campaigns for Senior Citizen’s homes, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the March of Dimes and the United Way, among others.
What They Teach
In terms of the teachings of the International Taoist Taichi Society, there are many. They offer training particularly in the internal arts and methods that were developed by Master Moy Lin-shin, and this includes: Tai Chi Chuan, Lok Hup Ba Fa, Tai Chi Sword and Sabre, Hsing I, and meditation.
Their goal is to help people of all cultures and ages improve their health, as people of all ages can learn and really benefit from the gentle turning and stretching movements that are involved with these exercises. There are also health recovery classes offered here, which help to enable people with chronic illnesses or those who are recovering from injuries.
You can sign up for a membership with the International Taoist Taichi Society, which will cost you a small fee, but is well worth it for the teachings and lessons that you will receive. The Society offers all of its members a continuum of training possibilities, and as a member you will learn how to explore a comprehensive suite of internal arts and methods for cultivating your body and mind.
If you are interested in learning Taichi then this is definitely one of the best options available to you and absolutely one that you are at least going to want to check out.
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Enjoying The Health Benefits of Taoist Tai Chi
November 22nd, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Our faced lives have caused severe stress to our system. According to studies, cases of stress related diseases have more than doubled over the last 10 years. Stress, coupled with the lack of exercise often leads to fatal diseases such hypertension, diabetes and many others. If you are one of those people who led a stressful and sedentary life, it would be best for you start doing Taoist tai chi exercises. The good thing about tai chi exercises is that it is non-competitive and very relaxing thus you can do it anytime.
History Of Taoist Tai Chi
Taoist tai chi evolves from the Tai Chi Chuan form of exercise. Compared to the other forms of tai chi, Taoist tai chi is relatively new. Developed in 1970 by Moy Lin-shin in Toronto Canada, this form of tai chi is geared towards promoting physical and mental health. The physical movements involved in Taoist tai chi are intended to be part of every posture. In other words, the movements are fluid and well integrated. Since this form of exercise is non competitive and easy to follow, people of all ages can enjoy this exercise.
What Taoist Tai Chi Can Do For Your Body
Taoist tai chi has plenty of health benefits on the body. According to studies, the breathing exercise promoted in tai chi can have very significant effect on the functions of our lungs. The even flow of air in and out of the lungs are said to promote the overall well-being of the person. People who have lung problems such as asthma can benefit much from this exercise. Aside from strengthening the lungs, Taoist tai chi is a good cardiovascular exercise. Studies show that this form of exercise is suitable to people who have hypertension. Moreover, Taoist tai chi can help boost the immune system. Studies show that people who perform this exercise daily are less prone to infections and viruses compared to those people who are leading sedentary lives.
Taoist tai chi helps in promoting postural alignment and reduce back pain form those who are suffering from chronic backaches. Aside from promoting postural alignment, this form of exercise can also reduce spinal degeneration. This exercise can be especially beneficial for elderly people who are showing signs and symptoms of osteoporosis. Studies show that older people who engage in this form of exercise increase their bone density over time. Older people who have been practicing Taoist tai chi for sometime have lesser incidents of bone fractures as they age.
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Intimacy, Couples and Tantra Tai-Chi
November 20th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Couples who have been together for an extended period of time tend to take each other for granted. You are so used to the person that you don’t work very hard on intimacy and may mistake your comfortable rut for just that. Intimacy between couples can strengthen your bonds to one another and you can do this by learning the art of Tantra Tai-Chi.
What is Tantra Tai-Chi?
The practice of Tantra comes from India and it uses sexual energy as a spiritual path in order to awaken your higher consciousness. Tai-Chi is a form of “moving meditation” that originated in China. It uses movements that flow, and an internal focus that allows one to increase the flow and balance of energy throughout the body.
Tantra Tai-Chi is said to be a “relationship exercise” that combines the internal focus and the movements of Tai-Chi with tantric sexual energy that allows couples to create not only a stronger more intimate bond with their partners, but a stronger emotional connection as well.
The purpose of Tantra Tai-Chi is to alert your attention to the presence of your body. When you are physically and mentally centered in your body, you allow yourself to become more open to the state of mind that is most natural to human beings; joy. When you practice Tantra Tai-Chi with your partner, you will enter a world that is focused on the here and now. You will enter a place where love is present and your past and future fade away and only this moment in eternity exists. Practicing Tantra Tai-Chi with your beloved allows you to share love that is present and alive within the both of you.
The movements associated with Tantra Tai-Chi put the emphasis on sexual energy. You will learn to tighten sexual muscles also called pubococcygeal, to bring your focus on this most vital region of your body. Tantra Tai-Chi subscribes to the belief that your sex center is the starting place. They believe that is the gateway to the powerful life force currents or energy that can be felt throughout the entire body.
Your Heart Center can be found in the middle of your chest, at breast level inside the ribcage. This is where it is said that you feel not only devotional and spiritual love but your personal emotions as well. The basic principal of Tantra Tai-Chi is the movement of the energy between your heart and sex centers. As the energies of spiritual and sexual begin to blend, love will become a real emotional feeling within you, opening a place at the center of your head. This is called “Bindi.”
You and your partner can experience bliss in your relationship while strengthening the bonds that tie you together. Find out more about Tantra Tai-Chi and how it can improve intimacy within your most important relationship.
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The Different Taichi Stances Explained
November 18th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Taichi is a powerful and embodying form of martial arts, one that originated and was first popular only in the East but which quickly spread to the Western world as well. It is now practiced popularly throughout the world, and the most important aspect of all of Taichi involves the different stances that are used in the practice of it.
Taichi Stances Explained
It is very important to have the Taichi stances explained to you before you attempt to learn the exercise, because this is the only way that you are really going to be able to have any success. There are, after all, so many different Taichi stances that you have to learn about and it takes some people a lot of time and practice to really get a grip on them.
There are a variety of different Taichi stances, with the horse, forward, heel, crane, cat and cross stances being the most common. Getting used to them makes it makes it a lot easier to concentrate on all the other components of a move as you learn the new form. What’s more is that it is good to do on their own because they are exercises that help to stretch and strengthen the leg muscles.
The High Horse stance is one of the most common of all, and it is used for the Beginning move. It is a relaxed stance where the legs are parallel, slightly wider than the shoulders and with the knees slightly bent. You want to make sure that your center of gravity is directly down the middle of your body and that your back is kept straight the entire time.
The Low Horse stance is very similar to this but with a few major differences. For it you will need to have your legs spread slightly wider apart, and your body sunk down much lower. This is one of the best Taichi stances for strengthening your legs and improving your overall balance.
The Forward stance is one which is a bit more tricky but essential to the Taichi art. You want to start with your foot forward, with the knee bent on this leg so that the lower leg is perpendicular to the floor. The other leg should be outstretched at the back but without locking the knee, and your front foot should be kept straight forward, with the back one out at about a 45 degree angle.
Remember to keep your back straight and your weight evenly divided between both legs so that one is not receiving more pressure than the other. You should remain in this stance for a couple of minutes or so, breathing deeply as you hold it and you should feel your calf muscles stretching as you do so.
Once you have an idea on the basic stances, then you can move on to the more advanced ones. Just remember that it will take you some time and lots of practice, but all the time and effort you put in here will be well worth it in the end.
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Finding a Taichi Master
November 16th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Although some of you may recognize the name Taichi Master as being a movie that came out a little over a decade ago, you should realize that you can actually find your own Taichi master to teach you the ways of the art of Taichi.
What is Taichi?
Taichi is a traditional Chinese mid, body and soul relaxation exercise that incorporates 108 different intricate exercise sequences, all of which are performed in a slow and relaxed manner over a particular period of time, usually about 30 minutes. Taichi combines movement and meditation together to create this special form of martial arts, and it is actually recognized as being one of the most broadly applicable systems of self-care in the world today.
Taichi offers many advantages over other types of exercise and martial arts, and for one, while most other exercises focus on one or two particular types of the body, Taichi focuses on them all, and so you get the most complete possible workout. Taichi brings into play every part of the body and benefits them all, not just some.
One of the greatest attributes of Taichi is that it channels the flow of chi, or intrinsic energy, through the body’s meridians.
How to Find a Taichi Master
If you want to learn about the art of Taichi, then you will have to find yourself a Taichi master. For instance there is the Taichi Tao Center, which offers the most comprehensive, traditional and authentic Taichi training available in the world today. They actually have a variety of Taichi masters for you to choose from who will personally help to train you in this form of martial arts.
If you just take a minute to look around, you will see that there are literally hundreds of thousands of different Taichi classes, schools and courses available that you can take, and by finding a great Taichi master you will be able to learn it traditionally and authentically, which is the way that it should be taught.
Take your time when you are looking around and trying to find a master, because it can take a bit of time to not only find one that is talented and available to hire, but also one that you get along with and understand. It is very important that there be a certain bond between you and your master, so that you can learn the art of Taichi to the best of your ability and not only learn how it relates to your body and mind but to your soul and spirit as well.
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Taichi for Self Defense
November 14th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
If you look at the ads for any taichi chuan school, you will notice that the primary thing sold in the advertisement is the health, wellness and psychological benefits of the art. There is nothing wrong with this, but it begs the question where is all the self defense. After all, taichi chuan is translated into English as “Supreme Ultimate Fist”. Unfortunately, over time, the health aspects of taichi were stressed at the exclusion of the self defense aspects. Needless to say, this is unfortunate and it is important to mention some of the ‘forgotten’ self defense aspects of the art before they are completely forgotten. To do this one must define the basic area of self defense application of the art which is the art’s response to aggression.
Understanding Aggression
A great deal of the skepticism that surrounds the use of taichi as a valuable form of self defense is that people seem to always define self defense from the mode of an athletic perspective. In other words, they define self defense as fighting and the best method of fighting would be boxing as it teaches an individual an incredibly effective methods of using one’s body weight to deliver effective punches. This is really not the purpose of taichi as taichi does not seek to exchange blows with an aggressor. Instead, it seeks to work against the aggressive forward motion of an opponent. In other words, if the person takes movement towards, reaches out at or loads up for a huge overhand knockout punch, taichi may be able to provide an effective (albeit not all inclusive) self defense response to such aggression.
Basic Techniques and their Applications
To chronicle and detail all the aspects of the self defense applications of the art would be next to impossible in such a short essay, but what can be presented are the two primary “moves” of the system and they include foot sweeps and dissolving motions. Foot sweeps are exactly what they sound like: you practitioner of the art will use his or her foot to sweep the aggressor’s foot out form under him. This either trips the person to the ground or simply places them off balance and vulnerable to another attack. Dissolves are a little more difficult to explain as they diffuse offensive motions do to friction. In other words, a punch is ‘dissolved’ by the friction of the forearm which stops the punch from traveling further. (Yes, it is much harder to do than it sounds so don’t run off and try it) While there are other offensive/defensive aspects of the art, these are the primary move sets and they work quite well provided you study taichi under a qualified instructor.
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