Spirited Calligraphy, by Chungliang Al Huang

Chungliang Al Huang is spirited and engaging, and here he speaks about the simplicity of calligraphy.  When you find yourself losing it, you can turn to it.  Notice how he expresses the calligraphy as T'ai Chi postures and he suggests centering the chi (life energy) in our tan tien (lower abdomen).  It is one of the five excellences that Cheng Man-ch'ing possessed.

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Professor Cheng Man-Ch’ing regarded a set of five disciplines—the "five excellences"—to be the mark of a well-rounded person: calligraphy, painting, poetry, t’ai chi, and medicine. Although he is best known for his teachings on the martial arts (in particular, his highly influential adaptation of t’ai chi), versatility was central to Cheng’s philosophy of life, and he encouraged his students to combine artistry with scholarship. This inspiring book is a commentary on and working compendium of Cheng’s literary and pictorial interpretations of these subjects. Of interest to aficionados of Chinese art, culture, and history, Master of Five Excellences also offers internal techniques for practitioners of the martial arts, as Hennessy provides an insight into the rarely-glimpsed creative side of Cheng Man-Ch’ing.

Reference: Master of Five Excellences.