STANDING POST / ZHAN ZHUANG

The following is an edited selection from Master Li Yaxuan’s Tai Chi Notebooks originally published as Essential Explanations of Yang Style Tai Chi Method, translated by Matthew Miller.

Standing Post exercises are the architectural foundation for all Qigong and Tai Chi positions. They are powerful and deceptively simple. The ancient Chinese discovered that by standing and relaxing for an extended period of time with the body aligned in specific ways, they could open up the energy channels in the body and increase the circulation of qi. In the beginning, one should start out doing 2-5 minutes of standing each morning and work up to 20-30 minutes. Start with the most basic posture (Wuji) and add onto it.

Basic Position: (Wuji Stance)

This is the basic Qigong position. “Wuji” means “without polarity.” It refers to the Chinese concept of the world before creation, before separation into yin and yang (left/right, night/day, up/down, empty/full). In Qigong and Tai Chi it means the root posture from which all others extend. It is a basic, centered standing position without any shifting of weight left or right, forward or backward, up or down. The following components of the Wuji stance apply to most of the Zhan Zhuang postures:

Feet: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, keeping the entire foot evenly spread out over the floor with nine points in contact with the ground (heel, outside of foot, 2 balls of the foot and 5 toes). Equalize the weight bearing on three points: 1) the ball of the big toes; 2) the ball of the last two toes; 3) the middle of the heel. Be sure that you are not shifted toward the toes or the heel, neither toward the inside nor outside. Toes are pointed forward, as close to parallel as is comfortable. From below your kneecaps, imagine yourself extending roots downward like a tree. Feel as if the feet were dissolving and seeping into the earth, like popsicles in warm water.

Arms: Drop the shoulders and elbows. Allow the arms to hang loosely by the sides.

Fingers: Relax the fingers and allow them to curve gently, slightly separated. Feel gravity gently pull the fingers down (don’t push) toward the ground, extending the arm, until you the pull feel in your shoulder blades and spine.

Head: Imagine your whole body suspended from a string attached to the crown of the head. Feel yourself sinking down, relaxing as you hang from the string like a puppet. Your whole frame should feel suspended from the crown of the head, as if your shoulders were a coat hanger and the body hanging down like a garment (sung). The line from which you are suspended passes through the midpoint between the tips of the ears, and through the lower Dan Tian, a point roughly 3 inches below your navel and one-third inside your body.

Nose and mouth: Breathe calmly and naturally, using abdominal breathing. Inhale and exhale gently through

your nose only. Your mouth should be closed, with the jaw relaxed and a slight gap between the

teeth. If saliva forms, swallow it. The tip of the tongue is relaxed, at the roof of the mouth, just behind the teeth.

Eyes/Mind: Look forward. Allow your gaze to soften and become aware of your peripheral vision. Do not focus on any particular object. Allow your consciousness to globally diffuse over the field of your body and environment, but without becoming foggy. Stay alert but relaxed.

Chin: Tuck in the chin slightly so that your head is not craning forward. Feel the back of the neck at the base of

the skull open. As the curve of the neck flattens slightly, feel the crown of the head push slightly higher.

Chest: When you begin the stance, take a deep breath, fill the chest, then exhale completely and quietly and allow your chest to sink down toward the belly, but without slumping the spine: maintain this relaxed position of the chest while you breathe normally from the abdomen.

Knees: Soften the knees, allowing them to bend very slightly, just enough to feel a springy, soft quality in them. Gently push the knees apart, as if there were a balloon between the thighs inflating slightly. Be careful not to shift your weight to the outside of the feet. Keep the balls of the big toes firmly planted. Feel how the slight separation of the knees helps link the legs together as a unit. It also opens the hips in the front and causes the pelvis to slightly tuck under in the back. You can confirm this sensation of stability by briefly doing the opposite — make yourself knock-kneed and stick out the butt. Then gently push the knees apart and allow the butt to tuck under slightly. Notice how much more rooted that position feels. The legs should feel as if they were screwing down into the ground, like two giant screws.

Lower back/hips/pelvis: Relax the lower back without sticking out the belly or the buttocks. Allow the lower

back to flatten slightly (tucking the pelvis under), but without sticking the belly out. Feel the pelvic tuck subtly elongate the spine. Do not bend forward. Imagine you are simply resting your pelvis on the edge of a high stool. Alternately, imagine you have a kangaroo tail, settling onto the ground, pulling the lower spine downward.

Spine: Feel the tailbone sinking down, pulling the lower spine toward the ground. At the same time, feel the crown of the head being pulled up, pulling the spine up toward the sky. Feel the entire spine elongating and opening in both directions simultaneously. You may also imagine the spine extending through the tailbone deep into the earth, and continuing through the crown of the head high into the sky.

Duration: Stand quietly, allowing your whole system to calm down. In the beginning, you should start with 2-5

minutes and gradually build up.

Advanced Standing Post Exercises

Standing Post, Second Position: Abdomen Level

Preliminary: First stand in Wuji position for a minute and allow your whole system to settle down.

Arms heavy: Slowly raise the arms a few inches away from the body. Hold for a moment. Feel the arms very heavy and relaxed. Allow the shoulders to sink down a bit more. Feel gravity pulling on the tips of the fingers, which drape down toward the floor with a natural, relaxed curve. Feel the pull of gravity extend from the fingers all the way up into the spine.

Embracing a big belly: Slowly round the arms around to the front, hands at belly level, palms facing the abdomen. The fingers should be relaxed and draping down, as if resting on a great big belly. The fingertips point toward the opposite knee. The arms are held slightly away from the body, creating a space roughly the size of a fist under the armpits.

Arms suspended by a strap: Imagine the arms as if suspended by an invisible strap wrapped behind the neck. Completely relax the arms and allow the strap to hold them up.

Standing Post, Third Position: Chest Level

Embrace a ball: Slowly raise and wrap the arms around as if embracing a sphere in front of the chest. The palms are facing the neck or shoulders. The elbows are hanging down, as if suspended between the shoulders and the wrists, slightly lower than both.

Balloons: Imagine that you are holding a large beach ball between your hands, forearm and chest. You are gently keeping it in place without tension. Your elbows are resting on two large balloons that float on the surface of a pond. Your upper arms rest on two small balloons in the armpits. Your thighs and knees gently embrace another balloon. Your bottom is resting on the edge of a huge balloon.

Rooting and rising: From the navel downward, feel yourself sinking and rooting into the ground. From the navel upward, feel an upward pull through the crown of the head making you taller, growing upward like a tree.

Use a wall as needed: Practice using a wall to align yourself. You should be close enough so that the lower spine can flatten against wall without feeling like you are leaning back. Move shoulder blades firmly back to the wall so that the whole area of each shoulder blade is in firm contact with the wall. Now round the shoulders forward, feeling the shoulder blades move away from the wall, until just the spine and, if possible, the area between the medial borders of the scapulae remain on the wall. When you feel you can hold the position, step away from the wall and apply the same principles.

Rising against pressure: Slightly flex the knees and rise against imaginary pressure on the crown of head. Moving up, sense whether one leg has more weight than the other (may cause subtle strain at the hips). Imagine someone pushing very lightly on the top of you head. Maintain a very relaxed ground connection from foot to top of the head and straighten up into the imaginary pusher’s hand. Imagine that you are straightening the knees without actually straightening them.

Self-traction: Feel a pull at the base of skull and the sacrum elongating the spine. Practice self-traction: standing with pelvis slightly tucked and head suspended. Feel the spine lengthen.

Screwing in/Locking the knees: Concentrate on the knees. Feel as though they are simultaneously being pushed in and out. Then push the knees slightly outward. Feel a spiraling effect from the knees to the ground as if your legs were screws being screwed down into the earth.

Find center: From the ankles, tilt the body forward, shifting weight to the balls of the feet, then back, shifting weight to the heel, then center; gently press thighs backward and sacrum forward to center.

Relax in posture: relax the knees and lower back to let the tailbone “drop” rather than deliberately tucking in; feel the buttocks and feet relax as well. To “root” is to surrender yourself to the pull of gravity while you maintain a structural skeletal alignment that supports the body in an upright posture.

Sink the Dan Tian: relax the abdomen and allow a heavy feeling, a sinking feeling, to drop the body through the supporting feet and into the ground. With each exhalation, feel the abdomen relax and sink down even more

Connect head to feet: extend the spine by holding the head suspended until you feel it in the feet.

Standing Post, Fourth Position: Eye Level

This position is optional in beginning practice. It helps to increase strength, endurance, and stability in the shoulder girdle. From the previous position, raise the hands up to eye level and turn the palms out. The forearms should form a v-shape. Imagine the palms and forearms resting near the top of a large sphere in front of the body. The palms should face obliquely toward the opposite corners of the room. Keep the shoulders and elbows relaxed and hanging down.

Standing Post, Fifth Position

With the palms in the Fourth, eye level position, raise the hands overhead and turn them until the palms are pointing obliquely up toward the ceiling, with the fingertips about a shoulder width apart. Keep the shoulders relaxed and the elbows hanging down.

Standing Post, Sixth Position

Slowly lower the hands down to waist level. Palms down, arms held slightly away from the body. Elbows and shoulders relaxed. Imagine the palms as if resting on two balloons floating on the surface of a stream. Use just enough pressure to prevent the balloons from floating downstream. Imagine the legs sinking down into the stream bed as you stand facing the oncoming current.

Standing Post, Seventh Position

Place the backs of the hands over the lower back. Slowly shift the weight forward onto the balls of the feet, then back toward the heels. Feel as if you were massaging the bottoms of your feet with the ground as your roll the weight back and forth. Now shift the weight from side to side, swaying the body like a tree, and allowing the weight of the body to give the feet a deep tissue massage against the ground. Finally circle the weight from the front of the feet to the side, the heel, the other side, and back to the front. Do this several times, describing a circle in the air with the crown of the head. Then repeat in the other direction.

Lower the arms down to the sides, straighten the legs and rest for a moment with the eyes closed. Notice how the body feels. Notice any feelings of tingling, numbness, pain or any other sensations in the body. This is a variation on the previous ground connection exercise. This time, we add the element of shifting the weight from foot the foot. First do the previous exercise for a few cycles. After you’ve compressed down and bent the knees, shift all of your weight onto the left foot. The right leg should be completely “empty” and free to float in the air, or keep the toe on the ground for balance. Feel the pressure build up through the left leg to the crown. Then slowly, against resistance, push yourself back up to standing position. Shift back and forth from left to right several times. Do not allow yourself to “float” up. Keep a constant sense of pressure at the crown of the head. In the beginning, just slight bending of the weighted knee is fine. The bent knee should not go past the toes. The leg, knee, and hip areas should comfortably transmit the ground strength to the body: feel as if you are balancing a bean-bag on your head and be aware of the path from the weighted leg, through the hip joint, up the sacrum and spine to the top of the head. Maintain the beanbag with this constant ground connection. Exhale as you go down. Inhale as you rise

You can also use either a chair or hanging rope as a stabilizing aid. Stop. Imagine yourself doing the movement. Feel the muscles contract isometrically as if they were just beginning the movement or as if something

blocked the movement, resisting it, but don’t actually move. Now perform the movement again. Return to center and rest for a moment. Feel how much more rooted and settled the whole body feels.

 Refinement Exercises

In T’ai Chi Ch’uan, movement originates from the ground, is manipulated by the powerful torso, and expressed through the fingers. The mind directs the ground force, the extended connection, and the passage of qi through the fingers. To train with force is a mistake that only leads to li – external, muscular force. The head suspended from the crown sets up a mild tension/traction along the entire spine that helps unite the body and gives you a “grip” with which to manipulate the force. When you do the opening of Tai Chi, you connect your body fully with “earth strength” and the very tenuous “whole-body connection.” Movement should be driven by ground connection and the ribbon of ground strength should never be broken. If you maintain the ribbon of ground strength constantly, manipulating real or imagined things with ground strength, your movements can only become correct. One leg is a “feed” for the ground strength until the feed naturally changes to the other foot. In the classics, the leg with the ground force feed is called “substantial.” The important thing in all forms is learning to manipulate the ground force with such facility that it becomes part of your movements in all direction.

Ground Connection Through the Hands

In the previous exercises, it was relatively easy (with a bit of practice) to feel a vertical ground connection between the ground and the crown of the head. However, outside of soccer practice, one rarely strikes an object with the crown of the head. More often, force is applied through the hands and feet. This poses difficulties since most people hold a lot of tension in their neck and shoulders. It will be necessary to gradual release that tension before you can effectively transmit force from the ground. The following exercise helps to feel a connection from the hand through the arm, shoulder, spine, hip, leg and foot into the ground. Stand facing a wall with the toes only an inch from the wall. Raise both palms and put them on the wall in front of the chest. Push against the wall and feel the ground connection from the hands down to the feet. Now move away from the wall, put one foot toward and the other back. Try to push the wall again and notice the much stronger ground connection. Relax around this ground path. Feel how little muscle exertion is necessary to maintain it. Lift the front foot off the ground and feel the line of force from the hands into the rear foot. Lift a hand off the wall. With only one hand on the wall, rotate the body along the axis of the ground path. Keep the shoulder pushed forward (serratus anterior abducting scapula) to connect shoulder blade to the back. Keep your lower back relaxed. Feel and build a curved path from where your arm is being pushed, through your back, and down your rear leg. Try to relax around this ground path as much as possible; the knees and waist should be able to wiggle easily while you are still feeling the ground-path. Try this with each hand and with each foot in the front position.

Connecting the Hand to the Spine

This exercise helps to strengthen the sensation of having all of your arm movements coming from the spine, which is a basic principle of Tai Chi. The arms should never move independently; they should always accompany the simultaneous movement of the spine, just as the spokes of a wheel are simultaneous with the rotation of the axle. Stand with the feet shoulder-width apart, crown of the head as if pulled up, knees slightly bent, pelvis gently tucked under. Raise the right arm across the front of the torso with the palm facing away from you at a 45˚ angle, toward the left corner of the room. Place the back of the left hand over the curve of the lower back. Keep the hips facing forward. Push the palm toward the left corner, taking up all the slack in the arm until you feel a slight stretch from the palm down the arm, through the shoulder blade and into the spine. Now, if you wanted to push the arm any further, you would have to twist from the hips, rotating the trunk so that the right side of the pelvis thrusts forward. Do this four times, being sure to keep all of the slack taken up in the arm so that all of the thrust comes from the lower back and not the arm. There should be no flexion or extension of the arm; it is being carried back and forth by the rotation of the trunk. Do this 4 times on one side then the other, alternating back and forth several times.

Stationary Drills using the T’ai Chi Form Postures

Any and all of the postures in our T’ai Chi Ch’uan Form can be held as a Stationary Pole exercise. Standing in any posture, slowly relaxing, focusing on the breath, and softening the entire body will help to understand that posture better and how the body can “relax into the shape.” Each posture also relates to a specific meridian and organ and can be used therapeutically to tonify a specific organ or open a specific meridian. You can find those associations in various books and on the internet should that be of interest or use to you.

Softness is the quality of the true self, that which exists beneath our myriad defenses

            ––Wolfe Lowenthal

I recently had the rare opportunity to attend a reception at Ansel Adams’ house in Carmel, overlooking the incomparable Big Sur coast. It is now occupied by his son and daughter-in-law. On display in the living room were many reproductions of his iconic black-and-white photographs of Yosemite and New Mexico, among others. An old friend of mine, a photographer, was also there and I listened to his conversation with Ansel’s son on the head-spinning changes in the world of photography that the digital camera has wrought in the last few decades. Long gone are the days when a photographer would carefully remove the film from her camera in a darkroom and place the negatives in 3 baths–developing, fixing and washing–-each for a prescribed period of time to witness the emergence of the image resulting from the interaction of light with matter, the chemicals impregnated in the film and, in turn, their reaction with the chemicals in the solutions.

While the emergence of the image from an apparent blank piece of paper could seem magical, it was the result of a known, specific, step-by-step process that involves neither magic nor alchemy, but physics and chemistry. And careful observation. And time. How much time depends on the desired result. It was a painstaking process and a person developed mastery in photographic developing with knowledge and repetition. The “point and shoot” ethos of modern digital photography removes all that guesswork and satisfies the needs of 99% of peoples’ desire to record faces and places in their life. It also put a lot photo developing stores out of business! It is but one more example of our modern desire for immediate feedback and gratification and a world grown impatient with process, practice, and attention to detail.

Tai Chi Chuan is an exercise for the invisible person who inhabits the visible one.

            ––Margy Emerson 

Taoist cosmology posits a step-down of energy from pure light or vibration to dense matter (“the world of 10,000 things”). http://santacruztaichi.com/?p=962  The creation and development of our physical body follows a similar path in embryology and then in the developing self––it remains energetic at its core, just like all matter. In tai chi, song (loosening/unbinding/letting go) and ting (internal awareness/interoception) are corollaries to the chemicals in the photo development solution. These two factors are the means through which our “invisible person,” our true self, our spirit, emerges and manifests in our present visible life as a result of our tai chi practice. How that happens remains mysterious but results in a gradual “letting go” of our illusory attachment to egoic/dualistic isolation or separation to a recognition of our essential mutuality and relationship with all creation. We know that our physical mind/ body being is transient and changes over time but we also intuit that there is a “self” at the core of our being that is consistent and beyond change. The balance between those two notions of “self” is what emerges from a tai chi or any other sincere meditative practice. In tai chi, our body is the vehicle and gateway to that realization. The process requires time, repetition and focused awareness and results in a gradual dawning or recognition of the first glimmers of this other emergent “image” of the Self. The perseverance to follow that mental intuition and bodily feeling results in increasingly greater clarity, stability and constancy of the complete image. Our practice is the solution from which our true self emerges.

A Tai Chi practice fosters balance/equilibrium in all aspects of life; that is the inherent meaning of the familiar yin/yang symbol.  That, of course, includes physical/anatomic balance in the gravitational field in which we exist. It is not unusual for a doctor to recommend a patient to seek out tai chi to improve their balance and reduce the chance of falling, especially with increasing age. I have written a summary of the reasons tai chi is beneficial for improved physical balance with links to background references. This is found on the Santa Cruz Tai Chi website – http://santacruztaichi.com/?p=757

 Despite its many benefits for balance there are additional exercises that more completely address other vital arenas of balance–the inner ear and the brain, specifically the cerebellum. When we practice tai chi, our eyes are open and in line with the body’s central axis. Our stepping and weight-shifting is slow and considered and a shoulder-width stance is most common except when standing on one leg. We also practice on a firm, flat surface. This does not adequately challenge the equilibrating role of the inner ear and cerebellum. The following additional “brain” exercises do. They are all done standing still. The challenge consists of adding the variables of:         1) narrowing the stance, 2) closing the eyes, 3) moving the head and 4) standing on an increasingly unstable surface.

 The Variables

1) Stance: Decreasing the distance between the parallel feet, from shoulder-width to feet/ankles touching is one variable that challenges our equilibrium.

2) Eyes: Closing the eyes removes one source of our brain’s incoming information regarding orientation in space.

3) Head motion: Turning the head side-to-side (rotation) and forward and back (flexion/extension) activates the inner ear component of balance. The eyes either follow the head motion or remain fixed straight ahead.

4) Surface: Transitioning from a flat surface to a varied/unstable surface (cobblestones, a pebbled path, baserock, etc) or to a foam pad challenges the information the brain receives from the soles of the feet. There are many foam balance pads available at a wide variety of prices. My personal experience is that you get what you pay for and, while quite expensive, the Airex pad (16 x 20 x 2.5”) is the best for our purpose.

The Exercise Progression

These exercises should all be done in bare or socked feet and either near a wall (preferably facing a corner) or with a chair or table handy, in case you need to reach out to steady yourself if you momentarily lose your balance.

1) Begin by standing on the floor with eyes open and feet parallel, a shoulder width apart. Then close your eyes and stand for 3 minutes (set a timer of some kind). Then open your eyes and turn your head side-to-side, all the way left and right, three times to each side, with eyes tracking with the motion. Then bend the head forward and backward to your comfortable limit of motion, again with eyes open and following along, looking up and down. If that is easily done, then progress to an increased challenge: keep your gaze fixed on a point straight ahead as you move your head in rotation and flexion/extension as before. If you are unable to stand with eyes closed for 3 minutes or unable to move your head/eyes as described, then practice those until you are able to do them with out losing your balance. Note: if, for example, you’re able to turn your head side-to-side with eyes open but not forward and back, do the entire sequence, i.e., even the part you can do as well as the part or specific direction where you fail to maintain your balance. When you are able to stand with eyes closed and move head/eyes with eyes open without losing your balance, you may progress to the following additional challenges.

2) After standing with eyes closed, feet a normal width apart, for 3 minutes, try the head/eye motions described above with eyes closed, even the staring straight ahead part. Again, if you lose balance at any part of this challenge level, practice it all until you are stable.

3) The next challenge is to move your feet progressively closer together until your ankles and feet touch and repeat, number #1 (eyes open) and progress to #2 as you are able. If you cannot do it with feet touching, then separate them a bit to find where you first start to lose your balance when moving the head with eyes open or closed.

4) When you are able to do all the above with eyes closed and feet/ankles touching, progress to an uneven or unstable surface like cobblestones or uneven pavement or other firm surface. Or stand on a foam pad as described above. Again, start with eyes open, feet apart. Then progress to eyes closed, and finally to feet together, eyes closed.

When you are able to stand on the foam pad with feet together and eyes closed for 3 minutes and then turn and bend your head with eyes closed and gaze straight ahead several times in all four directions without losing your balance, continue a few times a week to maintain this level of balance competency. You’re done. Congratulations.

PS: Hearing is another way the brain orients and determines body position in the environment. These exercises will be slightly easier in a room with music or TV playing and slightly more challenging in a quiet space.

PPS: When you find a particular exercise that makes you reach for a chair or the wall, positioning your hand close to and as if you were touching the stabilization point will also improve your stability a little.

I am always excited to share what I know and love about Tai Chi with others. Despite 25 years of daily practice, I remain enthralled with Tai Chi and yet still remember what it is like to start from zero–how puzzling and challenging it can be. Its apparent simplicity hides a complexity and attention to detail that can quickly frustrate the student who doesn’t put in the time to practice. I cannot teach you Tai Chi but I definitely can teach you how and what to practice and what deserves your attention, so that your skill and appreciation and (hopefully) love of this amazing art can grow and transform your life.

Those of you who are continuing know the following, but if you are new to Santa Cruz Tai Chi what I need from you prior to enrolling is a willingness to spend an hour weekly in class and at least 15-20 minutes a day practicing each week’s lesson. It is this repetition and focus that waters the seeds of each lesson so that they grow and flower in your mind and body and provide the foundation for the next lesson and the next and, hopefully, a practice that will last you a lifetime. Since each lesson builds on the previous ones, my experience is that unless the student has this expectation from the outset they will not develop their skill level or understanding, fall behind, and get frustrated. I don’t want your Tai Chi experience to be frustrating. I understand that you might miss a class, maybe a few, and you will undoubtedly miss some days of practice. That is the case with every student at all levels of experience and is why we spend part of every class reviewing the previous lessons before engaging with the new.

Perhaps your doctor suggested you “take up tai chi” to help your balance or you are simply looking for a “drop-in” class to provide an opportunity to move your body for an hour a week. If that is the level of your interest, this is not the class for you. I would suggest you look into a movement or stretching class at a gym, or a Tai Chi for Seniors program though Dominican Hospital, Cabrillo College, or a Senior Center. And there are many instructional videos on YouTube for improving balance if that is your only goal. My tai chi class will require a greater commitment of your time and energy than these, but the possible benefits will be exponentially greater http://santacruztaichi.com/?p=211. If you haven’t already, I recommend you also read some of the other articles on our website to gain a clearer picture of my approach to the art, science, and philosophy of Tai Chi http://santacruztaichi.com/?page_id=40  I regard the class as a study group rather than a one-way street from me to you. We are exploring Tai Chi together and it will be much more fruitful if everyone participates to the extent their life outside class permits. Devoting 15-20 minutes a day to learning something new, especially something as profound and rewarding as Tai Chi, is fairly manageable by most people. It just takes commitment. You definitely cannot drop in once a week and expect to derive much benefit. That would be a waste of everyone’s time.

The primary focus of the 20 weeks is the Tai Chi Form, the sequence of slow movements that is usually, for all of us upon first witnessing it, our initial introduction and source of fascination with Tai Chi. We will be exploring the entire Yang Style Short Form as developed and taught by my teacher, William CC Chen, plus the Ziranmen Qigong Form, 5 sequences known as Master Huang’s “Loosening Exercises,” another stretching regimen specific to Tai Chi, breath work, and several standing meditations (Zhan Zhuang). I will also provide you numerous printouts and links to pertinent instructional videos. Throughout the session there will be connections made to Daoist and Confucian philosophy and Yin/Yang theory. I will also introduce additional balance exercises that focus on the inner ear (Tai Chi has all the other components of balance well-covered except for the inner ear). Tai Chi can be a life-long practice and I hope it will be for you. Tai Chi is not about making the Form look graceful. It is about present moment awareness and developing, maintaining, and embodying a stable mental and physical equilibrium. The gracefulness is a by-product. Sifu Adam Mizner puts it this way: “The purpose of the Form is to perfect you…to train your body, your chi and your mind. It’s not for you to perfect the Form. Form is just an exercise. It is there to serve you.”

The first half of the next 20-week session for Santa Cruz Tai Chi will begin on Monday, September 8 and end on November 8. Then there will be a break for the holidays, an opportunity for the new students to practice and consolidate what they have learned in the previous 9 weeks. We will reconvene on Monday, January 5 until March 21.

We are happy to welcome back Sifu Ching Brodsky who returns to teach in our regular session after a long hiatus. She will be teaching classes from noon to 1:00 on Mondays and Thursdays. Sifu Mark Bernhard will again teach two classes on Saturday mornings from 9-10:00 and 10-11:00 starting September 13. Both of the weekday classes and the 10-11:00 Saturday class are designed primarily for students with limited or no experience with the Tai Chi Form. The 9:00 Saturday class is designed for the more experienced, continuing student who is familiar with the entire Form and can demonstrate it on their own. The fee for each class is $240 for the 20 weeks ($12/class). If the student wishes to take more than one class per week, it is $200 for each additional class ($10/class). So, any two classes would be $440, 3 classes $640 for the 20 weeks. Saturdays are a bit different in that if a student takes either of the Saturday classes they may take the other Saturday class at no charge. All four classes will teach the same lesson each week. After that, however, the earlier Saturday class for the continuing students, will proceed to explore and practice any section of the Form and will practice the Form in its entirety together at least once. The other three classes will only review the Form up to that week’s lesson. Continuing students also have the option of paying a $15/class fee to drop into any class. All other students must pay the full fee in advance as a commitment to engage with the entire session. Please note that it is payable upon registration and non-refundable. Al students may start with just one class per week and add on more as they have the time and desire to do so.

All classes meet in downtown Santa Cruz. There is plenty of available (free!) parking and bike racks nearby. So if you are comfortable with all you have just read and wish to be included in the session, contact me and I will send you further registration details.

Sifu (teacher) Mark Bernhard

The Introductory Class is an opportunity for the interested beginning student to get a cursory exposure to several aspects of a tai chi practice: standing meditation, Qigong, specific stretching, balance and breathing techniques, the Tai Chi Form (moving sequence of postures), and some basic philosophy. You would derive great benefit from simply continuing with these simple introductory practices alone, but the primary purpose is to give you an opportunity to meet me, to see if you feel I would be a good teacher for you and if my approach resonates with your interest, and for you to assess if you feel drawn to the greater commitment of the full 20-week session. The Introductory Class is limited to 15 participants. It lasts two hours and costs $25. The 2025 class will be on Saturday, August 23 from 9:00-11:00. If you wish to enroll, simply respond via the contact page and I will send you further registration details.

T’ai Chi Ch’uan (TCC) has been called the perfect example of Taoist principles expressed in the human domain. Taoism holds that, in all aspects of the Universe, nothing is static or fixed, there is only change, only transformation–the transition between yin and yang—hence the title of one of its foundational texts: The I Ching or Book of Changes. Although it is not necessary to know about Taoist cosmogony (a story about the origin of the Universe), it is constructive for practitioners of TCC to ponder its principles, to appreciate that creation is ongoing in every moment, as it is this realm we are exploring when we practice TCC.

The basics of Taoist cosmogony are:

1) In the beginning, there was an endless void, known as Wu Chi, or Tao. The Tao is a universal energy, from which all things emanate.

2) From this vast cosmic universe, from Tao, the One emerges. It is vibrational and magnetic in nature.

3) As the One manifests in the world, it divides in two: the Yin and the Yang, complementary conditions of action (Yang) and inaction (Yin). This stage is called Taiji or T’ai Chi (without the Ch’uan) and represents the emergence of duality/polarity out of the Unity of Tao. The “dance”­– the continual transformations of Yin and Yang ­– fuels the flow of chi (qi). According to Taoist thought, Qi is in constant transformation between its condensed material state (particle) and its dilute energetic state (wave). It is important to note here that the “chi” referred to in T’ai Chi is not the same “chi” referring to “movement energy” or “qi.” This confusion is eliminated when we adopt the modern Pinyin spelling (Taiji and Taijiquan) rather than the older Wade-Giles spellings (T’ai Chi and T’ai Chi Ch’uan) but the latter has become quite entrenched in modern Western usage.

4) From this dance of Yin and Yang emerge the 5 elements: wood, fire, metal, water, and earth. This stage represents the formation, out of the initial Yin/Yang duality, of the elemental constituents of the phenomenal world.

5) From the five constituent elements comes the “world of 10,000 things,” all of manifest existence–all of the objects, inhabitants, and phenomena of the world we experience. Human beings, in the Taoist cosmology, are among the 10,000 things—a variety of combinations of the Five Elements. Spiritual growth and change, for Taoists, is a matter of balancing the Five Elements within the person. Unlike many religious systems, human beings are not regarded as something separate from the natural world, but another manifestation of it.

Another way of describing this process is to say that these stages represent the descent of energetic consciousness into physical form. Taoist mystics, using various Inner Alchemy techniques (primarily meditation), are said to be able to “reverse engineer” this sequence of events and return to the energetic, blissful realm of Tao, or “enlightenment.” The practice of Taoism, in general, is an attempt to perceive the presence and workings of the universal Tao in the 10,000 things and live in balanced accord with it.

Although “T’ai Chi Ch’uan” is often translated as “supreme, ultimate fist,” a more useful translation is: an exercise or movement in “the realm where Yin and Yang play.” Through this practice we learn how to move and interact in the “world of 10,000 things” (including thoughts, emotions, other people, life experiences, etc.–all of manifest existence) without being drawn away from our essential nature. One of the principles of TCC is this separation of Yin and Yang, i.e., staying in the realm of awareness of Taiji, not the realm of 10,000 things, so that we can successfully participate in the realm of “doing” while consciously remaining in the realm of “being.”

Wu wei means non-doing or ‘doing nothing’. This is not an invitation to laziness or apathy. It is key to the noblest kind of action according to the philosophy of Daoism and is at the heart of what it means to follow Dao or The Way. It is what Laozi (Lao Tsu/Lao-Tze – Daoist “Immortal”/“Old Master”/”Enlightened One”) means in the foundational text Dao De Jing by the enigmatic phrase “When nothing is done, nothing is left undone.” This is the paradox of wu wei. It doesn’t mean not acting, it means ‘effortless action’ or ‘actionless action’. It means being at peace and aligned with your center of “being” while engaged in even the most frenetic or challenging tasks so that one can carry these out with maximum skill and efficiency. Something of the meaning of wu wei is captured when we talk of being ‘in the zone’ – at one with what we are doing, in a state of profound concentration and flow. In order to accomplish this, we as practitioners strive to maintain a state of equilibrium (yin/yang), moving and interacting within our physical plane of existence (the world of 10,000 things), without “reacting” or interjecting our own personal agenda or desire but, rather, “responding” in an appropriate manner to external conditions or experiences, without personal attachment to outcome.

How does all this relate to our physical practice of the Form you ask? There are many styles and “Forms” of T’ai Chi and Qigong and each teacher of each Form brings their own personal “flavor” or interpretation or insight into the “how” of transmission­––what to say, how to say it, and what is worth the student’s attention are just a few of the considerations. The Form that I practice and teach is one developed by William CC Chen (WCCC) who still lives in New York and teaches internationally and online. His Form is a modification of that taught to him by his teacher, Cheng Man-ch’ing (CMC), considered to be the individual who introduced T’ai Chi to the West (New York, 1964) and the originator of what is known as the Yang Short Form (shortened from the Long Form to make it more accessible, especially to impatient New Yorkers!) “Yang” in this case does not refer to the yang of yin/yang but, rather, the family name of CMC’s teacher Yang Ch’eng-fu (1883-1936). William Chen replaced several of the repetitions in CMC’s Short Form with postures from the Yang Long Form, retaining the same total number (60) of moves or “brain shapes.”

The interplay and relationship of Yin and Yang (in the realm of Taiji – referred to earlier in step #3 in the Taoist cosmogony) is encountered in the 60 postures or shapes and the transition between them so that there is a constant flow between Yin and Yang. “When the extreme of Yang is reached, Yin appears” (and vice-versa). What this statement implies is that the interplay of Yin and Yang is the natural state of the Universe and that we need not (and should not) “do” anything to force or “make it happen” but rather through wu wei and our attention and intention alone, simply manifest the natural “flow” of Nature.

William Chen refers to the separation of Yang and Yin via several metaphors: action/pre-action, wake up/fall asleep, appear/disappear. These occur and repeat in a continuous sinusoidal wave (peaks/yang and valleys/yin). Therefore, in each moment of the Form, we adopt a continuous series of body positions/shapes (external organization) as well as a variety of constantly changing qualities (internal organization). Our task in wu wei is to maintain equilibrium (yin/yang) within our own bodies all while we are moving. We do this through focused awareness of our own physical body (ting) coupled with the release of muscular and mental tension (song). We progress through the shapes of the Form, moving our hands and feet, constantly feeling/sensing where our weight is located on the bottoms of the feet as we shift weight, and the open/neutral/relaxed quality of all our joints (energy gates). This obviously requires a high level of attention and focus and is one of the reasons we do the Form slowly. Although most Forms do not have explicit instructions on when to breath, in our WCCC Form, we inhale on the physical expression of each shape (yang) and exhale during the transition (yin). Breathing at this pace also induces what has been shown to be the rate of inhalation/exhalation for optimal health (5-6 respiratory cycles per minute).

Many writers have attached symbolic, conceptual, healing or historical/mythological significance to each posture and the entire sequence of the Form and that is a valid and interesting study that adds depth to our understanding and knowledge. But they are still ideas/thoughts/concepts and, as such, belong to the realm of 10,000 things. The observable sequence of movements, by themselves, does not appear very physically challenging and, in fact, it isn’t. It offers little in the way of physical exercise in the Western sense; little more than simply taking a walk. Any accomplished dancer could memorize the sequence of movements that comprise the Form within a few hours and make it look beautiful. The physical demands of the Form are subtle and the challenge and reward of practicing the Form is not found in the observable movements. “The purpose of the Form is to perfect you…to train your body, your chi and your mind. It’s not to perfect the Form. Form is just an exercise. It is there to serve you.” (Sifu Adam Mizner) .

How does Form practice do that? TCC uses the body as the gateway to developing this stable equanimity. It addresses the Mind and the Body not as two separate, somehow related, “things,” but as one process operating in time and space, under the influence of gravity. Increasing balance, strength and awareness in the physical body naturally results in concomitant changes in the Mind. The essential purpose and outcome of continued Form practice is the development of a sustained state of mental and physical equilibrium/balance in the face of constant change. This is accomplished through a continual and primary focus on song (pronounced soong) and ting. Song is translated as relaxation, unbinding, loosening­; a release of all tension or resistance. Ting is internal awareness (interoception)–bringing focused attention into the physical body at all moments. It is the sustained maintenance of ting and song that challenges the practitioner and transports the practice, through feeling*rather than thought, into the realm of Taiji and generates all of the health and psycho-emotional benefits as well as the martial power. The physical movements, practiced with song and ting, simultaneously “open” and challenge the Mind and Body’s ability to sustain that reduction of physical and mental tension. Deepening and solidifying this state of relaxed awareness while interacting with the world is a result of this repetition and the sustained practice over time (kung fu) of the TCC Form.

When asked about meditation, Cheng Man-ch’ing reportedly responded “Meditation is fine but what do you do when someone tries to push you off your pillow?” This alludes to the fact that the continued practice of TCC can train martial skills to deal physically with ‘someone’ aggressive or hostile but, more importantly, train the stability of mental equanimity to successfully meet challenges from our social environment or internal challenges created by our own mind in the form of regret, fear, or any negative emotion arising from non-present-moment consciousness. This second realm is the most valuable in the life of every practitioner.

* It is important to distinguish feeling from emotion, which is a judgment and thought-reaction to a physical feeling.

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It is important to remember, however, that we do not need to know anything about Taoism or its principles and precepts to practice, enjoy, and benefit from the practice of t’ai chi since our practice is unconcerned with the world of thoughts, concepts, or any other “things,” and what we practice, “The Form,” is an ever-changing, ever-transforming series of movements or shapes without fixity or stasis. Nonetheless, understanding the concept of Yin and Yang can help us understand the Form.

“How to Grasp the Bird’s Tail if You Don’t Speak Chinese” by Jane Schorre was originally published in 1997. It has been out of print and difficult to find for 20 years and extremely expensive when available. It has just recently been republished. As described on Amazon, it is “a beautiful exploration of the Chinese calligraphy and meanings of the Taijiquan posture names. This text reveals the mystery, imagery, and poetic ambiguity in the Chinese language. Much in the names in of Taiji movements is lost in the English translation. This book asks the reader to consider the Chinese character, which conveys much of the inner essence of Taiji. This book was originally copyrighted by the author, Jane Schorre and published by North Atlantic Books in Berkeley California. A group of taijiquan enthusiasts felt that such a beautiful book should not be out of print, so after an exhaustive search, we determined that the only route to go was to republish this book ourselves. All proceeds go to World Tai Chi and Qigong Day, a program of Health, Prosperity, & Leadership Institute, a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to spreading Health, Prosperity, and Leadership to everyone, everywhere.” It is beautifully illustrated throughout with the calligraphy of Margaret Chang. The following is a small sampling from the book.

Grasp the Bird’s Tail (Lan que wei): “Taking something into the hands to pay close attention to it … all birds (even the little sparrow) can represent the connection of heaven and earth and the activity within the space between … we pay attention to the smallest details … every time this movement occurs in the form it can be a reminder of the kind of awareness, the being totally present, that Taiji requires.”

Ward Off Left and Right (Peng): “Peng … it is about expanding and opening up, as well as releasing (as in shooting a bow, removing the cover of a container) … Peng may be represented by the Chinese Roc– a monstrous bird representing the power of the air, with it’s wings like clouds, traveling tremendous distances with incredible speed, it carries the sky on it’s back – What a picture to keep in mind as we raise our arms in the Peng movement (the Roc is a far cry from the little Sparrow, giving a completely different sense of dynamics)”.

Cross Hands (Shi zi shou): “Where the apparent opposites converge to create the center … a completion … yin/yang unity of heaven and earth … emphasis on the center, where all comes together in wholeness and completeness … in the Form we have been involved in the extension of our body and our energy in all directions, but here we bring everything together into the center – this is what we do on the mountain top, we bring the tiger energy into our center and now we are in a position for either an ending or a new beginning.”

Cloud Hands (Yun shou): “Clouds represent the transforming, changing patterns of things. The essence of clouds in their constantly changing form as they are created, carried and shaped by the forces of nature. They are soft and floating, but within their insubstantiality there is the potential for and lightning and the force of storms. Then we become aware of the cloud as a part of the whole yin/yang process of the rain cycle. We see vapor rising in response to the light of heaven, gathering into cloud and transforming into rain, which falls in response to earth’s gravity only to be transformed into vapor again. These cloud images are all important to the quality of our Taiji movement. Are our cloud hands soft and insubstantial enough to go along with any changing circumstance? Are they at the same time capable of strength and power? Are they circling – rising and falling in response to the energies of heaven and earth? And are they moving with the soft beauty of clouds?”

by William CC Chen

The feeling Yi (sensation意) begins from intention in the mind. The intensity of intention stimulates the emotion in the brain. The emotion is the desire (feeling) that motivates the Qi flow; it is the sensation of our feeling Yi. Without thinking there would be no feeling, no Qi flow and no physical motion. “Feeling Yi in the brain” is the primary objective of the real physical movements, the connection of the mind and brain. The merger of the brain with the mind is like the software interfacing with the computer hardware.

The connection of the merging Qi and the feeling Yi is like the electric wire. Energy Qi in the body is the positive “hot” wire. Thinking mind of the Feeling Yi of the brain is a negative soft wire.  This dual polarity must be unified to produce the direct current electricity. Qi氣and feeling Yi generate the dynamic outgoing energy for physical action.  Yi is an infinite source of force that integrates the soul with human Willpower 毅力. It is like the spiritual soul魂 energy, also called “Shen” 神.

Qi is our human mobility energy and the intentional feeling of Yi is an inspiring energy. In our normal life, we can’t live with one without the other. The store of Qi is residing in the meridians and requires Yi to amplify it for action.   Qi is the optimal power for an internal martial artist. It is fuel potential energy that is easily ignited into explosive force for a quick punch or kick. The feeling Yi triggers the Qi, which in turn generates the Will-power of Shen, the power of the spiritual Soul (or immortal Soul).

To generate the power of mastery, we think and feel it (Yi), we Will it, and we create a huge amount of fuel to ignite Qi like gasoline to produce an explosive force.  Shen contributes a massive amount of oxygen which combines with the “human fuel” of Qi to ignite a superpower explosive force.

Therefore, a devoted martial artist’s body strength is supported and sustained by the resilient Willpower of Shen and feeling Yi from the brain. Feeling Yi is the best generator of Qi for physical action. The source of the nexus of the three (Yi, Qi and Shen) is the best human treasury. These three essential elements are the central emphasis by Chinese martial artists. In addition, they constitute the basis for human productivity, enabling us to accomplish our daily obligations to society.

Our natural physical movements arise from the emotion of feeling Yi. It animates the Qi flow to create physical actions to express the feeling desire. Any physical movement without feeling Yi is considered an imitation movement. The genuine movements of Tai Chi Chuan are the reflection of the emotional feelings and desires of the brain, transformed into physical expression.

It is like a professional dancer versus an amateur dancer: the professional dancers perform with full feeling from the heart. The amateur dancers are still learning through physical imitation. The real movements of the dancing are the physical expression of the intentional emotional feelings. This is applied to all the movie actors or actresses in the film-world.

In the Tai Chi practice, the fingers moving gracefully and powerfully through the air are stimulated by the emotional feeling of the brain. The movements of fingers are one of the principle modes of physical expression. One of the first things an infant learns to do is “point” at what they want. When we talk our fingers automatically move in conjunction with our thoughts. When we are angry our fingers clench and tighten. When we are relaxed or falling asleep the fingers are released and soft.

The fingers and the toes are the devices which display the slow movements of Tai Chi Chuan as feeling Yi activates the Qi flow to create the moving fingers and the pressing toes. As the qi flow gradually increases, the energized fingers slowly form the palms or fists as they expand outward from the base of the toes, resulting in the slow motion of Tai Chi Chuan.

The biomechanics of finger function as initiated in the cerebral cortex are intricate. The five fingers are controlled by two different nerve systems. The median nerve originates in the brachial plexus, from nerve roots that emerge out of the spinal cord in the base of the neck. The median nerve activates the index finger, the middle finger and the thumb. The pinky finger and the ring finger are connected to the ulnar nerve, which comes from the neck and runs down the arm and through the elbow.

In regard to the dynamic science and how it relates to Qi flow, “The median nerve triggers the index finger [the most active finger], the middle finger and the thumb to boost the Qi flow for an action. The ulnar nerve activates the pinky finger and the ring finger to defuse the Qi flow or to set up for action. The pinky finger is more active than the ring finger. I call the pinky fingers “the pre-action fingers.”

“When we turn or rotate the pinky and ring finger, the effects are softening of the rib-muscles, and releasing of the tailbone, flattening of the arch of feet, and discharging by the inner thigh muscles. This state of Yi brain is the pre-action or setting up for an action. When we spin or twist the index finger, the middle finger and the thumb, the toes fasten onto or press into to the ground while the body becomes substantial and the inner thigh muscles contract. Through this elegant system of stimulation and response, the Yi of brain stimulates the remote expression devices of the fingers and the toes into an action.

So, the pinky fingers “turn” and the index fingers “spin”. Turning sets up leverage for spinning. Turning is negative and spinning is positive. Without turning it is difficult to produce the effect of spinning. Spinning must be initiated by the pre-action of turning. This yin/yang interplay expressed through the fingers is a natural phenomenon.

We often unconsciously “turn” and then “spin” as we perform different tasks, “When we want to unlock a door and we insert the key in the lock there is an automatic reaction of lifting the pinky fingers as the big toe and inner thigh muscles are released. This is a set up for the big toe pressing or griping on to the ground, the inner thigh muscles contracting and the index fingers “spinning” the key to unlock the door. In the kitchen, the pinky fingers help to lift the knife and the index fingers do the cutting.”

The fingers and the toes are of utmost importance to our life. The fingers enable us to write, type, gesture, grab and much more; the toes enable us to move around from one place to another as needed and help us to maintain our balance and to support movements of the fingers. Both the fingers and the toes serve us as devices to express the brain’s intention and feelings while helping us to complete and fulfill our desired daily activities.

The benefits of Tai Chi Chuan in daily practice include boosting the energy Qi flow that lubricates our joints and enhance mobility, reducing aching and pain by clearing Qi blockage in the meridians; and helping the fingers and the toes move freely and flexibly, which allows the martial artists to have the rapid actions of their quick punches or kicks. The most important contribution made by our fingers and toes is to work like a handyman or handy-woman, helping us to move through our daily tasks more quickly and effectively.

To sum up, the intentional feeling Yi directs the energy Qi flow, generating the physical expressive devices of the fingers and the toes to fulfill our desires. The Yi, Qi and responsive fingers and toes are the central fundamental point in the Tai Chi Chuan practice. It is the best gift and the most generous contribution to the quality of human life.

We are the natural human beings with full passion and compassion of the feeling mind in the brain, enabling us to do the things that we want to do. Therefore, feeling is everything; it boosts the energy Qi flow throughout the body to keep us in good health. In addition, it enhances the mobility of our fingers and toes so that we can function like a super handyman or handy-woman to fulfill our desires and make us more productive and further contributing human beings in our modern society.

The following is my synopsis of Mind Over Matter: Higher Martial Arts by Shi Ming and Siao Weijia with Thomas Cleary (Translator). It is a slim volume (136 pages) of essays examining the role of consciousness in Chinese martial arts, specifically taijiquan. The additional references to William CC Chen are mine (Sifu Mark Bernhard)

The position of refinement of consciousness in the theory and practice of martial arts is utterly critical…To abandon this is tantamount to throwing away the living soul and fundamental work of the techniques and theories…

Chinese philosophy and humanistic ethics have a strong color of the search for universal beauty. All Chinese exercise routines unify form and spirit. All have a joyfulness, color, rhythm, meter, crescendo and diminuendo of mood, alternating movement and stillness. The martial arts are distinct from any other system of physical exercise or self-defense in their connection and intimate relationship, interpenetration, and mutual influence with every aspect of Chinese culture: philosophy, literature, art, music, painting, drama, and dance. The meaning of martial arts far transcends the domain of ordinary physical and mental exercises, or combative techniques. Advanced martial artists regard fighting per se as a minor aspect of a path or way by which to seek the Tao (Truth). Pugilism itself is a minor art: we must “defeat the enemy without doing battle.” This sublimation of martial arts from its primitive motives and purposes into the embodiment of the philosophical teachings result in a highly evolved psycho-physical activity.

The taiji postures (or “brain shapes” as William Chen calls them) are lively, expressive gestures and movements that are by turns firm, soft, like a rock carving, floating clouds, flowing water, like inspiring art and poetry. They imitate rivers, mountains, animals, plants, sun, moon, struggle and harmony, feelings and temperaments. Bringing an attentive consciousness to the morphology, movement, temperament, and spiritual conditions of animals, plants, and natural phenomena restores, nurtures and enriches our own biological and biodynamic abilities without returning to a bestial, uncivilized, or primitive state. This dynamic training of firmness/flexibility, emptiness/fullness, movement/stillness, speed/slowness, etc. creates a comprehensive processing of instinct, the subconscious, and consciousness to refine and use inner power to, in turn, refine mind and spirit.

The postures require the practitioner to go through training and principles analogous to what Buddhists call discipline, concentration, and insight until they reach a state of profound stillness known as “emptiness” (Buddhism), “the infinite” (Confucianism), and “non-contrivance” (Taoism). Continued training brings this stillness to a high degree of resilience, and stability, difficult to break down. Enlightenment can be defined as a consciousness field not subject to disturbance that, consequently, allows intrinsic or innate intelligence to emerge.

In calligraphy and Chinese painting “consciousness precedes the brush” and “the effect is outside the brush.” In taijiquan, the craft is in the body; the effect outside the fist­––inner and outer practiced simultaneously. Inner is the refinement of the person; outer is cultivation of the human to commune responsibly with the universe. Training the consciousness controls and directs the mechanical body, via regulation of the respiratory, nervous and endocrine systems. This can cure illness, strengthen the body, lengthen a life span, and disinter latent supra-normal capacities.

In this light, consciousness is not abstract or “mental” or “in the brain,” but a fusion of mind and body, spirit and matter, wherein will (intention) is used in place of physical strength, eliminating all excessive and inefficient tension: the tension of physical and mental instincts, the tension of initiative, tension produced by contradictions between conscious and subconscious, and tension aroused by external stimuli. This is not “natural” and does not come “naturally” but is, in essence, a mastery of Nature through a disciplined conformity to it,  bringing consciousness back to its root in the body. This is a very rare state of spontaneity, raising the subconscious to the level of consciousness, requiring the elimination of “conscious intent.” “Consciousness is a spiritual-material structure, consisting of a triad of information, capacity, and format. Only when it can perform successfully as such a structure can it function interactively with any spirit or matter at all. Consciousness has a field. And it has a force; it is a supra-normal consciousness whose own inherent capacity can activate other capacities, forming a potent force field.” Consciousness is always a medium and an instrument, as well as the object of training: practice cultivation is a cyclical pattern of using consciousness to refine consciousness.

• Vitality = the body/mechanical system
• Energy = power system (including the brain)
• Spirit = total expression of the life activity of vitality and energy = consciousness = mind with content = motivation and direction system.
• When consciousness dwells on something = intent.
• Changes in attention based on intent = thought.
• The means of disposal of affairs = mind = the order according to which energy operates
• Reaching afar by thought = consideration.
• Managing things with consideration = intelligence.
• Doubt disappears through habituation.

In martial arts, the most fundamental objects (raw materials) of processing are vitality, energy, spirit. The processing instrument is consciousness. The whole exercise system is the gathering and concentration of power, will, motor awareness, symbolic representations of exercise movements, memorization of exercise movements, key exercise centers of the brain, etc.­ and reducing it all to “consciousness” or “conscious intent in movement,” which we shorten to “conscious intent,” where the “recollection of something in mind is called conscious, and the sustaining of consciousness on a particular point is called intent.”

The goal is to establish a relationship of direct coordination between thought, intent and action, ultimately refined to spontaneity without conscious intent. First consciousness moves, then power moves, and then the physical body moves. William Chen states “taijiquan is feeling…passion…expression.” Power comes from qi moving in an unobstructed (song) field. Dynamic thought is defined as unifying thought and the coordinate extracorporeal consciousness field outside the body, when you reach the level of “original mind.” This is the realm that is “so vast there is nothing outside, so minute there is no inside,” “doing everything without doing anything.” Then the force of consciousness, like electricity in a wire or water in a pipe, can move unencumbered through and even outside the body. It is “free to move.”

This creates a highly relaxed and stable condition of body and mind. Metabolism slows down and stabilizes while the efficiency of physical and mental work increases. When environmental conditions are beyond human control, the practical thing to do is to change the human ability to adapt. Only when you have tuned yourself and strengthened your own ability to maintain balance in motion (fluctuation of influences) can you respond to (dissolve) imbalance brought on by opponents or the environment and you enter the realm of taiji (where “yin and yang play”), leaving behind the “world of 10,000 things.”