Tai Chi - An Ancient Practice for the Modern World

In the cool morning slow moving shapes greet the day with the timeless practice of Tai Chi. Their graceful movements evoke a sense of stillness, serenity, ease, and yet great power. The practice of Tai Chi has been practiced for hundreds of years. Developed and honed in the temples and monasteries of China as a method of spiritual focus, energy enhancement and self-defense; it eventually became part of everyday life as a practice mainly focused on health and fitness.

As a tool for dharma practice, Tai Chi is uniquely suited. Its origins are steeped in the traditions of Taoism and Buddhism, which were also the catalyst for the development of Chan(Zen). With the combination of these two powerful influences there is a natural affinity to spiritual training. A form, which is a series of connected fluid movements, is the core of Tai Chi. It creates an environment well designed for cultivating mindfulness and concentration. With each breath, each step, shift of weight and configuration of the arms, the practitioner is encouraged to stay in the present moment as the form follows its watercourse way. It is a blend of science and art that calls upon the creativity of mind, body and spirit.

It has been my great privilege to learn and ultimately teach the art of Tai Chi, and related internal arts. The benefits and enrichment it has brought to my life are difficult to measure. When I first began the practice of Tai Chi I had no intention to pursue a teaching position. I felt learning the forms was challenge enough. When my teacher, Master Kinh Nguyen, invited me to co-teach with him I was honored but also a little apprehensive about instructing others. Soon however, the joy of teaching and sharing the practice overcame my initial discomfort. The Tai Chi practice has afforded me the opportunity to connect with hundreds of people and has helped me open up by transforming my naturally reclusive nature. I still enjoy solitude but now I understand and appreciate being more socially engaged. Each day as I teach I am aware of all the wonderful positive seeds within my students that I am privileged to water. At the same time I feel my own seeds watered by their efforts and enthusiasm.

Although I have studied other styles of Tai Chi (Yang and Wu), the style I am presently teaching is Nam Hoa (Flower of the South). Nam Hoa Temple is a sister temple to the temples of Wudang (Taoist) and Shaolin (Buddhist) and draws upon the traditions of both. Nan Hoa refers not only to the geography of the temple but also to a region of the body slightly below the navel call Dantien. This is the focal point for our energy (chi) and the genesis for movement in the forms. Master Nguyen taught that the term "flower of the south" was also the location of our own personal flower. He encouraged his students to visualize a favorite flower in that area. We were to become mindful gardeners as we began with the seed of our practice and carefully cultivated it into a mature blossoming flower. By practicing this way in a group we would ultimately create a lovely garden and then offer our bouquets to the world.

Tai chi is a beautiful unfolding of the nature of interbeing. In our forms we explore the dynamics of microcosm and macrocosm. The emptiness before movement in Tai Chi engenders an atmosphere of invitation. The spirit of chi (energy) is called forth and the form emerges' as a flow of pulses and waves. It becomes the movement of the universe within a human form, an effortless act of unity tuning deeply into nature. Eventually we can feel our limited self identity begin to open up as we explore our expansiveness as a field of energy in the realm of non-self. We lose our sense of separation, touching the source of our oneness and uniqueness simultaneously. In the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, who is a well known Zen monk, and one of my teachers, Thây I find this same approach in the areas of the historical and ultimate dimensions. For me these insights have become the catalyst for social activism as I realized a deeper and deeper sense of connectiveness.

An example of this social activism developed as I was living in a farming community. I was introduced to a group called “Farm Without Harm” and I began to understand the multiple dangers of use. Of major concern was the use of these dangerous chemicals so close to schools and homes. Other areas of concern were for the health of the farm workers, the effects on the environment, and the general public that ingests the pesticides in their food. The practice of Tai Chi and engaged Buddhism gave me a perspective that allowed me to speak out and take action in a way that was productive to change while maintaining a respect for the livelihood of the farmers. During the duration of my work in this area I met many people on both sides of the situation. At times anger and animosity among the various groups ran high and I was thankful for the tools of mindful practice. I aspired to see the conflict from the various viewpoints and to help establish a level of useful communication for all those involved.

The teaching of Thich Nhat Hanh, who is known to many as “Thây,”  has had a powerful effect on my Tai Chi practice and how I am currently offering my instruction. Being both simple and profound, the vitality of his approach to the Buddha's path opened up a means to relate to my students on a much deeper level. The non-sectarian emphasis of Thây's tradition allowed the opportunity to share aspects of his practice with diverse groups of students. Students do not feel a threat to their particular religious backgrounds and seem to understand how the practice of mindful living could enhance their own traditions. Our discussions cover a wide range of topics and there is a great deal of openness. Students are interested in how other see themselves and the world. I find this level of communication to be critical in our world today. Sectarian divisions, exclusiveness and intolerance have created chasms difficult to bridge. Discovering the tools to open dialogue, create new paths to understanding and sowing nourishing seeds can begin to mend the many riffs locally and globally.

With Thây's teaching infused in my own practice I have noticed a greater sense of ease and more integration of the Tai Chi principles and mindfulness into everyday life. Situations that seemed sometimes insurmountable now feel approachable and less demanding. The usual stressors do not trigger the reactive mind as they did in the past. A mindful response is now more the normal reaction for me. My students have also commented to me on this aspect of the training. Daily routines such as driving are much calmer. Family relations seem more nourishing as the usual clashes smooth out.

A major change in my classes has been the addition of a period of meditation. Sometimes sitting, sometimes standing, we practice concentration techniques which initially relax the breath and body and then progress to explorations of the feelings and various mental states. Using the Buddhist sutra on the sixteen steps of mindfulness as a basis, I developed a condensed version I call “Seven Steps to Artful Living”. In Tai Chi, concentration is critical so the seven steps are designed to facilitate the ability of the student to focus on the present moment. I have also shared the seven steps with my one of my groups, called a “sangha,” in order to provide a stepping-stone into the practice of meditation.  For more information on the Seven Steps to Artful Living, please see the handout with that title.

Before I began to incorporate Thây's teachings and more emphasis on mindfulness into my classes, most comments were related to physical well-being. Issues such as better balance, various aches and pains, lowering of blood pressure, etc. were the most common topics.  These concerns and the methods to deal with them are important.  Now I also hear about how the levels of emotional and mental wellbeing are affected as the students report their progress to me. The training of Tai chi promotes a sense of momentum of mindfulness and I encourage my students to extend the benefits of mindful practice into everyday activities. This integration is at the core of what I hope to pass on to my students. With great enjoyment I listen to my students relate their most recent experiences of mindful living.

One particular day a student came up to me after class and shared an experience that reminded me how important and worthy an act of mindfulness can be. Things were not going well with her spouse and a lot of the conflict seemed to be centered around communication issues. She said that in the past when a difficulty presented itself it always seemed to trigger an argument in which neither side was listening to the other. She went on to relate how in a recent situation as she was about to engage in an argument she remembered a discussion in class on deep listening and loving speech. Using her breath as an anchor she let go of the angry response she had in mind and soon felt a wave of peace and calm embrace her. 'The effect on her spouse was immediate, his voice lowered and the whole atmosphere changed. She says that since that time she has made a strong effort to be as mindful as possible in every area of her life.

In Tai Chi there is a partner practice called “Push Hands,” which can be used to explore the self-defense aspects of Tai Chi or as I prefer to use it, wordless communication and sensitivity training.  In Push Hands, the act of listening goes to the heart of the intention of energy.  The two participants connect with their hands and play a game of give and take in an exploration of balance and movement.  Ideally there is a strong sense of cooperation as one tries to maintain their center, as they seek to challenge the balance of the other. The use of force is considered unskillful, and subtle tactics such as yielding and redirection of energy is encouraged.  The philosophy of Push Hands is found in the saying, “two thousand pounds of force can be neutralized by two ounces of deflective energy.”  The value of Push Hands is that it gives one direct experience with dealing with factors that can take us out of balance.  The insights provided by Push Hands are directly applicable to relationships in everyday life.

A strong factor in the fabric of Tai Chi is a deep connection to nature. The forms in Tai Chi are inspired by nature as can be seen in the names of the movements. Names such as: Cloud Hands, White Crane Spreads Wings, Embrace Tiger, andReturn to Mountain being just a few. Each year our Tai Chi family does a retreat in a beautiful natural setting. Nestled in a quiet valley a quiet lake evokes the nature of our practice. Being in touch with nature brings us closer to our own nature and we are able to experience interdependence at a more intimate level. We encourage ourselves to relax deeply and feel the current of the chi. Our mind, body and spirit become more at ease and we move like the wind forming ripples in the water.

One of the most significant factors in my Tai Chi instruction at this time is my participation in a supportive Sangha and my membership in the Thây’s group the “Order of Interbeing.” The inspiration of The Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings provides a guidance I find crucial in our times. Often a discussion in class will be a springboard to one of the trainings. Listening to my students I gain more and more insight into the depths of these ethical guidelines. Each of us is dealing with these issues at some level and the wisdom found in the trainings is a gift we all can share.

There is a line in Thây's book, Teachings on Love, which goes "The Buddha is able to smile to suffering because he is able to work with it and transform it". For me this teaching has become the North star, perhaps never arriving but always encouraging myself to move in that direction. Suffering is not hard to find, but the willingness to embrace and engage with it is a skill that requires constant honing. Turning away from pain and the cries of the world is becoming more difficult and I can sense the joy and compassion deep looking can bring.

This old path is fresh each moment and in each Tai Chi gesture one can learn to move with grace, dancing to the music of the universe, feeling the rhythm of yin and yang.