Relaxation in T'ai Chi, by Li Yaxuan

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As far as a practitioner of Taijiquan is concerned, most important is that he should calm himself, banish distracting thoughts from his mind, relax both body and mind and not be constrained. In this way, the inborn inspiration and natural stableness will revive from varieties that are twisted. Do not be distracted, the quietness and stableness are important.

By Li Yaxuan.

"Inborn inspiration” means, I think, one’s innate vibrancy and aliveness (shen).

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Michael Garofalo culled information, quotes and references on relaxation - Relaxed - and I am grateful for his effort. Over several days in July 2011, I meditated over each one of these quotes and made notes in my T'ai Chi journal:

Not just to be really, really, but truly to be completely and absolutely shoong. I would like to imagine that in the future, I can be completely impervious to some people's craziness and shenanigans, by being absolutely shoong.

Going forward I will post regularly on relaxation, with more quotes and notes.

Relaxation in T'ai Chi, by Cheng Man-ch'ing

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The most important point of T'ai Chi is relax. Relaxation helps your body repel illness; it allows your ch'i and blood to flow smoothly; it harmonizes the sinews and vessels, balances the Five Internal Organs, and opens the Triple Burners - how can any disease invade your body? The ancients said that the best doctor cured those not yet ill, and T'ai Chi is the finest medicine of the best doctor.

From Cheng Man-ch'ing: Master of Five Excellences.

I can formulate an Algorithm for Health … I have begun to, for Exercise and for Nutrition. The thing is, I’ve been more sick, since I moved to Dubai, largely because, I think, of the polluted air and questionable quality of food. I am otherwise healthy and fit … insha’allah.

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Michael Garofalo culled information, quotes and references on relaxation - Relaxed - and I am grateful for his effort. Over several days in July 2011, I meditated over each one of these quotes and made notes in my T'ai Chi journal:

Not just to be really, really, but truly to be completely and absolutely shoong. I would like to imagine that in the future, I can be completely impervious to some people's craziness and shenanigans, by being absolutely shoong.

Going forward I will post regularly on relaxation, with more quotes and notes.

Relaxation in T'ai Chi, by Yang Zhenduo

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Relaxation of the whole body means the conscious relaxation of all the joints, and this organically links up all parts of the body in a better way. This does not mean softness. It requires a lot of practice in order to understand this point thoroughly. Relaxation also means the "stretching" of the limbs, which gives you a feeling of heaviness. (This feeling of heaviness or stiffness is a concrete reflection of strength.) This feeling is neither a feeling of softness nor stiffness, but somewhere in between. It should not be confined to a specific part, but involves the whole body. It is like molten iron under high temperature. So relaxation "dissolves" stiff strength in very much the same way. Stiff strength, also called "clumsy strength," undergoes a qualitative change after thousands of times of "dissolution" exercises. Just like iron which can be turned into steel, so "clumsy strength" can be turned into force, and relaxation is a means of gradually converting it into force. Our ancestors put it well: "Conscious relaxation will unconsciously produce force." There is truth in this statement.

From Yang Style Taijiquan, by Yang Zhenduo (emphasis added)

What does this mean: What is it like to be molten iron? Perhaps soft, yet hard and enduring, at the same time.

In light of my studies on E = mc², I am interested in things that speak to producing energy, force, power etc.

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Michael Garofalo culled information, quotes and references on relaxation - Relaxed - and I am grateful for his effort. Over several days in July 2011, I meditated over each one of these quotes and made notes in my T'ai Chi journal:

Not just to be really, really, but truly to be completely and absolutely shoong. I would like to imagine that in the future, I can be completely impervious to some people's craziness and shenanigans, by being absolutely shoong.

Going forward I will post regularly on relaxation, with more quotes and notes.

T'ai Chi at Work, by Paul Lam

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While we in the US are used to exercising in a special place, at a scheduled time, and with particular clothing, T'ai Chi is an anytime, anywhere and any wear exercise.   So it's perfectly suited - literally and figuratively - for the workplace.

• You can do T'ai Chi seated at your desk or standing up even in small space.  I've practice it in an empty office or conference room.
• You can do so wearing whatever clothing you're already wearing.  Do it gently and slowly, and you avoid sweating.  
• Even brief practice sessions - for example, one to five minutes - are very effective, as long as you focus and concentrate and abide by T'ai Chi principles.

In this respect, Paul Lam's T'ai Chi @ Work offers useful guidance and encouragement.

T'ai Chi is Nature, Across Styles, by Paul Lam

Paul Lam

In his video Yang Style T'ai Chi 40 Forms, Paul Lam gives a brief demonstration of different styles:

• Chen.  The oldest style, complex and vigorous movements.
• Sun.  Higher stances, smaller steps.  Contains unique, powerful Qigong elements.
• Yang.  Most popular, created by Yang Luchan.  Gentle, graceful and expansive movements.      

Lam encourages us not to rush the study and practice of T'ai Chi.  It is, after all, nature.  This is how I learned it, and this is the attitude I adopted: Practice one movement a week, and be sure to master it as best as possible.  

T'ai Chi Exercises, by Paul Lam

If you do these warm-up exercises, according to T'ai Chi principles - for example, centered, rooted and mindful - then you gain their benefits of health and relaxation as if these were T'ai Chi form.  In particular, Paul Lam asks us to imagine the body as a string: Feel the stretch, as you pull the string at the top and at the bottom.  That gentle stretch is what you ought to feel, when you do T'ai Chi.

Like the warm-up, the cool-down exercises ought to be done according to T'ai Chi principles, too.  At the end of your form, be sure to take a few moments to settle your energy.  I've encouraged my students to commit the sensation of doing T'ai Chi to memory.  This way, they can call upon it at any time during their day. 

T'ai Chi of Yang Sau Chung, son of Yang Chengfu

Yang, Sau Chung (1910-1985), was the eldest son of Grandmaster Yang Cheng Fu. He started learning his family style when he was 8 years old under the strict supervision of his father. At 14, he started to assist his father in teaching T'ai Chi Ch'uan. By the age of 19, he was travelling throughout China with his father to assist in teaching T'ai Chi. 

In truth, many people who have claimed to learned from Yang, Cheng Fu actually learned from Yang, Sau Chung. In 1949, he moved to Hong Kong, and he taught privately at his home until his death in 1985. 

His dedication to Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan was as equally committed as his father, grandfather Yang Chien Hou, and his great grandfather Yang Lu Chan; and, as a result, he achieved one of the highest levels.

Notice how Yang Sau Chung leans noticeably in many of his postures and extensions.  Maybe it has to do with the nature of his body, that is, spine, bones and muscles, but it's a more pronounced leaning than we see in his father Yang Chengfu.  Again, study his form, compare with what the form that you're learning, and decide accordingly how you ought to practice your own form.

Adapting T'ai Chi to Fit Yourself

Yang Cheng-fu and one of his senior disciples Chen Wei-Ming doing Yang style T'ai Chi Ch'uan.

It is important to abide by T'ai Chi principles of movement and posture, such as rootedness, relaxation, and mindfulness.  But ultimately you must adapt it to fit your body, your style, and your understanding of this martial art.  You see how Chen Wei-Ming's form is sometimes very different from his teacher and master Yang Chengfu.

Yang Style 108, by Yang Chengfu

Pencil drawings by Matthias Wagner, Baden-Baden, Germany, based on photos of Great Grandmaster Yang Chengfu, published 1934 in his book 太極拳體用全書. 

Louis Swaim, leading specialist on taijiquan and translator of the english edition "The Essence And Application of Taijiquan", sais: "Your photo-based illustrations are beautiful. You did a fantastic job of capturing the light and shadow, disclosing detail in Yang Chengfu's postures and expressions. As you can imagine, over the years I have studied the old photos very carefully, so I can appreciate your exquisite eye for important detail that one had to strain to notice in the photos.

This is a very good video rendition of pencil drawings of Yang Chengfu, set in the sequence of the Yang Style 108.  Notice how the reverent master is solidly rooted and comfortably stretched in his posture.  Study this video for your learning, and compare it with videos of other T'ai Chi practitioners.