The "essence, energy and spirit" of Tai Chi

Author: Zhao Xu. 1978 was a year that ushered in a new era for Tai Chi. This year, Comrade Deng Xiaoping wrote the inscription "Tai Chi is good", which inspired the Tai Chi community. For more than two decades, inspired by the inscription of Comrade Deng Xiaoping, Tai Chi, as a high-level cultural heritage of the Chinese nation, has been developing at an extremely fast pace and has attracted more attention from the world today. Practicing Tai Chi can make people feel relaxed and progressive. Make people healthy and live a long life! First, Zhijing Tai Chi originated from China and is one of the outstanding representatives of traditional Chinese culture. So, the root of Tai Chi lies in China. It is generally believed that after King Wu of Zhou overthrew the Shang Dynasty, the theory of the Five Elements and the theory of Yin-Yang and the Eight Trigrams merged into one, forming a complete set of divination and numerology interpretation systems in ancient China. The original Tai Chi was established based on such a theoretical system. Through the practice of countless predecessors, by imitating the movements of certain types of animals in nature and following the requirements of Taoist health preservation and combat, a variety of Tai Chi routines have been formed. Fundamentally, it emphasizes the "essence, energy and spirit" of the human body, with the three treasures complementing each other, and stresses the organic combination of "correspondence between man and nature" and "Yin-Yang and Five Elements". The characteristics of the movements always adhere to the interplay of reality and illusion, the combination of hardness and softness, and the natural opening and closing. Both light, heavy and moderate; It is also flexible in response to both speed and slowness (responding quickly when the movement is rapid and following slowly when the movement is slow), integrating adaptation and combat. Relax the whole body to eliminate the "clumsy force", and guide the circulation of the "true qi" within the body through the external movement of the body, so that the meridians can be unobstructed. Long-term practice enriches the qi in the "dantian", accumulates the dynamic and vigorous force, and enables the body to reach a state of "essence, full energy and vigorous spirit". The internal environment and the external environment adapt and coordinate with each other, thus achieving the best state of life activities, which is called "ultimate essence". Second, the Supreme Qi 1. Through the practice of Tai Chi, one can cultivate a noble and upright spirit, a temperament that is neither aggressive nor harsh, capable of both bending and stretching, and capable of both contracting and releasing, as well as being intelligent and agile. 2. Through the combination of arc-shaped movement trajectories and the harmonious and symmetrical movements of hands, eyes, body, methods and steps, the "inner three harmonies" and "outer three harmonies" are integrated into one. The functions of both the left and right cerebral hemispheres are adjusted, and the central nervous system tends towards a more balanced and stable state. Modern medicine holds that health requires not only a strong body but also a good mental state. As the "biological-psychological-social" medical model has developed to the present day, how to enhance people's stress resistance to prevent and treat psychosomatic diseases cannot be ignored. It can be said that participating in the practice of Tai Chi is also one of the best ways, and Tai Chi will play an increasingly important role. 3. During the practice of Tai Chi, breathing is natural, gradually deepening and slowing down. The amount of oxygen inhaled is several times more than usual, and the blood output is more than twice as much as usual. At the same time, the amount of hemoglobin increases, which makes the oxygen supply to cells deeper and more complete, and quickly eliminates fatigue. It can also prevent excessive oxygen consumption caused by intense exercise (superaerobic exercise has been proven to be harmful to the body), regulate blood lipids and blood sugar, keep blood vessels elastic, and prevent blood vessel hardening and congestion. Therefore, it is beneficial to both the respiratory system and the circulatory system. It has a balanced "bidirectional regulation" on the body's immune system. 4. It has been verified that enhancing the flexibility of tendons, making joints more flexible, bones stronger, bone mass increased, and internal bone pressure stable are all highly beneficial to the musculoskeletal system. 5. Exercise helps the body dissipate heat, induce sweating, and ensure smooth bowel movements, thereby promoting the excretion of metabolic wastes. It is also a way to "eliminate pathogenic factors and strengthen the body's resistance". Third, the supreme Chinese calligraphy, painting and music pursue the highest artistic realm of spirit, vitality and charm. They interpret the harmonious and living rhythm in the dynamic balance of beginning, development, transition and conclusion. This traditional aesthetic thought has been fully reflected in the incisive theories and practical exercises of various Tai Chi Chuan schools. When watching a Tai Chi performance, one can appreciate its beauty. Practicing Tai Chi can verify beauty. It can be said that it is a beauty that is vast, profound and dynamic, a perfect blend that embodies the inner and outer unity of the charm of Chinese classical culture. Tai Chi is a component of ancient Chinese culture, a crystallization of the wisdom of the Chinese nation, and a precious cultural heritage left by our predecessors. Tai Chi has a long history and is profound and extensive. It is both ancient and novel, elegant and simple. It not only has great aesthetic value for the human body but also contains profound traditional Chinese philosophy. It has unique research significance both in combat skills and in physical fitness. Its compatibility is very broad. Regardless of ethnicity, industry, age difference or cultural level, everyone can benefit from Tai Chi. This phenomenon of human body culture is truly wonderful. We are delighted to see that along with the great tide of the integration and exchange of human cultures, Tai Chi has spread to all corners of the world and is widely welcomed by people, benefiting all mankind.