tai chi (tai chi chuan, Tai Ji, tai ji chuan, Tai Ji Juan, tai ji quan, Taiqi): A variation of self-healing. Tai chi is an ancient, yoga-like Chinese system of ballet-like exercises designed for health, self-defense, and spiritual development.

Practicing tai chi facilitates the flow of chi (life energy) through the body by dissolving blockages both within the body and between the body and the environment. Traditional tai chi involves about 108 to 128 postures, including repetitions. The difficulty lies in concatenating the postures into circular movements. Quan means boxing.

(See also: Tai chi, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

Tai chi (other names: Tai chi chuan, Tai Ji, tai ji chuan, Tai Ji Juan, Tai ji quan, Taiqi): Variation of self-healing. Tai chi is an ancient, yoga-like Chinese system of ballet-like exercises designed for health, self-defense, and spiritual development. Practicing tai chi supposedly facilitates the flow of chi through the body by dissolving blockages both within the body and between the body and the environment. Traditional Tai Chi prescribes about 108 to 128 postures, including repetitions.

(See also: Tai chi, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

TAI CHI: Part of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Flowing slow movement and breathing techniques stimulate and regulate the flow of Chi energy.

(See also: TAI CHI, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Tai Chi, the ancient martial art form, is not only about movements. It is also about the principles behind the movements following which you can discover the stillness in movement and the energy that flows through you. Its first principle is: Go slow.

As you do the movements, pretend you are the tortoise in the race against the hare. Rushing gets you nowhere, certainly not to mindful balance and definitely not to enlightenment. Discover the stillness in slow movements and the movement in quiet stillness.

(See also: Tai Chi, Faith and Belief, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

T'ai Chi Ch'uan or Taijiquan (Chinese: 太極拳; Pinyin: Tàijíquán; literally "supreme ultimate fist"), commonly known as T'ai Chi, Tai Chi, or Taiji, is a nei chia ("internal") Chinese martial art. This art is often practiced for the purposes of health and longevity (some recent medical studies support its effectiveness here). T'ai Chi Ch'uan is considered a soft style martial art, an art applied wit ...

Including:

• Tai Chi Chuan - Overview
• Tai Chi Chuan - T'ai Chi Ch'uan training and techniques
• Tai Chi Chuan - T'ai Chi Ch'uan styles and history
• Tai Chi Chuan - Family tree
• Tai Chi Chuan - T'ai Chi Ch'uan in the present
• Tai Chi Chuan - Modern forms
• Tai Chi Chuan - T'ai Chi Ch'uan as a health practice and a form of traditional Chinese medicine
• Tai Chi Chuan - Citations to medical research

Read more here: » Tai Chi Chuan: Encyclopedia - Tai Chi Chuan

Tai Chi movements have a ballet-like quality; yet there is an underlying strength. Tai Chi is the most highly evolved art, science and philosophy of mind and body development, which gives you the - strength of a bull; the serenity of a Buddha.

The Tai Chi movements were originated and refined by those who were highly knowledgeable about the principles of movement, action, physiology and health. It is usual for people unacquainted with Tai Chi to remark: - It looks just like ballet�.

Read more here: » Tai Chi movements: The Beauty of Tai Chi Movements

Different people practise Tai Chi for different reasons. Some take it up for health benefits and others, for spiritual development. But the more serious practitioners never lose sight of the fact that Tai Chi is basically a martial art. Whatever your reason for studying Tai Chi, there is no denying that one hour of Tai Chi effects changes in your attitude, outlook, and perception, making you stress-free. You concentrate better on your breathing, connect to your - chi and feel grounded, physically and mentally.

Read more here: » Tai Chi: Just Relax, Let Your Chi Flow Freely - Tai Chi

Tai Chi is a mindful practice, an ancient, internal martial art, which gives you a feeling of success and accomplishment. It helps you find out how to slow down instead of always going faster and harder.

Buddha said: - Life is so short that it must be lived slowly- . Slowing down can mean you look at things calmly. Dont fly off the handle. Tai Chi can positively affect every aspect of your life including your physical and mental health, your view of the world and the way you interact with others.

Read more here: » Tai Chi: Push the Sky, Open Your Wings, Take Off with Tai Chi

Tai Chi Chuan was derived from Taoism. The most important practice of Taoism was concerned with tranquility of mind and improvement of temperament. At the end of the Sung Dynasty a Taoist by the name of Cheung San Fung, in order to find one suitable martial art for the Taoist, often observed the habits of long- lived animals such as turtles and cranes. After many years of study, he, at last, created Tai Chi Chuan.

Read more here: » Tai Chi Chuan: The History Application of Tai

Tai Chi Chuan is one way of working towards harmonising our energies both internally and externally so that we live in tune with nature. Because the movements of Tai Chi Chuan are slow and meditative, they put us indirect contact with nature.

Tai Chi Chuan not only provides a foundation for self-defence, but also teaches principles of harmonious action. Being in harmony requires flexibility in thought and the ability to release an idea free from the ego.

Tai Chi Chuan emphasises becoming aware of the inter-relationship of all the parts of one'sbody - both with one another and with the environment and moving these parts harmoniously under the direction of the mind. To be able to do this, special training is required.

(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

The long-developing, prepubescence ramping toward the kundalini spinal puberty is known as pranotthana ("intensified, uplifted life energy," perhaps emergent within cellular mitochondria). This is clearly the same force of quivering uprightness active in Quakerism, Shakerism, Judaic davening (torso-rocking prayer), charismatic Holy Ghost phenomena, the swaying zikr and whirling dervish of Islam, the quiverings of the Orthodox hesychast, the Goddess-worshipping circle dance, the Dionysian revel of the Greek mystery schools, the flowing movements of tai chi, the ecstatic shamanic dance, the yogically derived Andalusian flamenco, the Middle-Eastern belly dance, and the orgonic quivering-streamings of bioenergetics

Read more here: » Postgenital Stirrings: A Spiritual Prepubescence

Wudang Tai Chi Chuan 武當太極拳 is a name given to a system of Tai Chi Chuan that was developed by a Hong Kong 香港 based Tai Chi Chuan master known as Cheng Tinhung 鄭天熊. Cheng Tinhung had never claimed to be teaching a particular school of Tai Chi Chuan, but its close links to the Wu 吳 school of Tai Chi Chuan are clearly evident in its forms and applications. However, there are considerable differences between the modern Wu 吳 schools, both Northern and Southern, and the Wudang Tai Chi Chuan system, this is largely attri ...

Including:

• Wudang Tai Chi Chuan - Overview
• Wudang Tai Chi Chuan - Qi Minxuan
• Wudang Tai Chi Chuan - Cheng Tinhung
• Wudang Tai Chi Chuan - Dan Docherty
• Wudang Tai Chi Chuan - Wudang Tai Chi Chuan Lineage

Read more here: » Wudang Tai Chi Chuan: Encyclopedia - Wudang Tai Chi Chuan

The Chen style (陳氏) is considered to be the senior branch of the five main Taijiquan family styles and the third in terms of popularity. The Chen style today is known for its low postures and vigorous martial art training. While there are many hundreds of schools teaching Taijiquan around the world, the Chen family styles are said to go the farthest in maintaining the martial art style of teaching (as opposed to health focus) that has been normative for Taijiquan instruction for most of its history. Beside from empty hand training ...

Including:

• Chen style Tai Chi Chuan - History
• Chen style Tai Chi Chuan - Chen Quan – Chen's fist
• Chen style Tai Chi Chuan - Chen Quan becomes Taijiquan
• Chen style Tai Chi Chuan - Today
• Chen style Tai Chi Chuan - Variants
• Chen style Tai Chi Chuan - Lao Jia – Old frame
• Chen style Tai Chi Chuan - Xin Jia – New frame
• Chen style Tai Chi Chuan - Xiao Jia – Small frame
• Chen style Tai Chi Chuan - Xinyin Hunyuan
• Chen style Tai Chi Chuan - 赵堡 Zhao Bao
• Chen style Tai Chi Chuan - HuLei Jia – Thunder frame

Read more here: » Chen style Tai Chi Chuan: Encyclopedia - Chen style Tai Chi Chuan

Yang style (楊氏) T'ai Chi Ch'uan in its many variations is the most popular and widely practised style in the world today and the second in terms of seniority among the primary five family styles of T'ai Chi. The Yang family first became involved in the study of T'ai Chi in the early 1800s. The founder of the Yang style was Yang Lu-ch'an (楊露禪), aka Yang Fu-k'ui (楊福魁, 1799-1872), who studied under Ch'en Chang-hsing starting in 1820. Yang's subsequent expression of T'ai Chi as a teacher in his own right became know ...

Including:

• Yang style Tai Chi Chuan - Yang Family Tree

Read more here: » Yang style Tai Chi Chuan: Encyclopedia - Yang style Tai Chi Chuan

The Human Potential Movement came out of the social and intellectual milieu of the 1960s and was formed to promote the cultivation of extraordinary potential believed to be largely untapped in most people. The movement is premised on the belief that through the development of human potential, humans can experience an exceptional quality of life filled with happiness, creativity, and fulfillment. A corollary belief is often that those who begin to unleash this potential will find their actions within society to be directed towards help ...

Including:

• Human Potential Movement - Roots
• Human Potential Movement - Relationship to other fields
• Human Potential Movement - Esalen
• Human Potential Movement - Criticism
• Human Potential Movement - Notable figures

Read more here: » Human Potential Movement: Encyclopedia - Human Potential Movement

The Wu style (吳氏) T'ai Chi Ch'uan of Wu Ch'uan-yü (Wu Quanyou) and Wu Chien-ch'üan (Wu Jianquan) is the second most popular form of T'ai Chi Ch'uan in the world today, after the Yang style, and fourth in terms of family seniority. This style is often confused in the West with the Wu style (武氏) founded by Wu Yu-hsiang. While the names are distinct in pronunciation and the Chinese characters used to write them a ...

Including:

• Wu style T'ai Chi Ch'uan - Generational senior instructors of the Wu family T'ai Chi Ch'uan schools

Read more here: » Wu style T'ai Chi Ch'uan: Encyclopedia - Wu style T'ai Chi Ch'uan

The Wudang Mountains (Simplified: 武当山; Traditional: 武當山; Hanyu Pinyin: Wǔdāng Shān), also known as Wu Tang Shan or simply Wudang, are a small mountain range in the Hubei province of China, just to the south of the manufacturing city of Shiyan. In years past, the mountains of Wudang were known for the many Taoist monasteries to be found there, monasteries which became known as an academic centre for the research, teaching and practise of meditation, Chinese martial arts, ...

Including:

• Wudang Mountains - External link

Read more here: » Wudang Mountains: Encyclopedia - Wudang Mountains

The 42 Form (Competition Form) T'ai Chi Ch'uan is the Wushu competition form which combines movements drawn from the Yang, Wu, Chen, and Sun styles of traditional Tai Chi Chuan (Taijiquan). It was created in 1989 by the Chinese Sports Committee to standardized the many different competition forms. In the 11th Asian Games of 1990, Wushu was included as an item for competition for the first time with the 42 Form being chosen to represent T'ai Chi. It will be the form demon ...

Including:

• 42 Form Competition Form T'ai Chi Ch'uan - External links

Read more here: » 42 Form Competition Form T'ai Chi Ch'uan: Encyclopedia - 42 Form Competition Form T'ai Chi Ch'uan

Taiji may also mean: Taiji - a town in Wakayama, Japan Taiji - a Japanese musician. The Taiji (Traditional Chinese characters: 太極, the 'Supreme Ultimate'; Pinyin: tàijí; Wade-Giles: T'ai Chi; Cantonese IPA: [tɑɪ3gɪk6]; Jyutping: tai3gik6; Japanese: Taikyoku; Korean: Taeguk, Taegeuk or T'aegŭk) is a concept introduced in the Zhuang Zi and so has an early connection with Taoism (pronounced "Daoism"). However, it also appears in the ...

Read more here: » Taiji: Encyclopedia - Taiji

Qigong (Simplified: 气功; Traditional: 氣功; Hanyu Pinyin: qìgōng; Wade-Giles: ch'i4 kung1) is an increasingly popular aspect of Chinese medicine involving the coordination of different breathing patterns with various physical postures and motions of the body. Qigong is mostly taught for health maintenance purposes, but there are also some who teach it, especially in China, for therapeutic interventions. Various ...

Including:

• Qigong - History
• Qigong - Uses
• Qigong - Beliefs
• Qigong - Criticisms of qigong
• Qigong - Controversies within qigong

Read more here: » Qigong: Encyclopedia - Qigong