Emptiness, relaxation, roundness and vitality

When Hao Shaoru practiced Tai Chi to a more advanced stage, his body would give off a sense of height as if suspended in mid-air, and his entire body would seem like a huge balloon. With this feeling, one can reach the realm of flowing qi freely and living like a wheel. To reach this realm, one must first study and ponder over "emptiness, pine, roundness and vitality". Although "Kong Song Yuan Huo" consists of only four characters, it is not an easy task to truly understand its meaning and accurately embody it. Each of these four characters has its own method and function, and they are interrelated. When they are connected together, they are full of charm. Those who practice should act in accordance with the way, ask each word carefully, experience it attentively, and apply it to themselves. Based on the relationship among the four characters, the following will be elaborated from two aspects: "Emptiness and looseness" and "circle and vitality". The practice of Tai Chi should not merely focus on "looseness" and blindly pursue extreme looseness. Without the existence of "emptiness", no matter how relaxed one is, one cannot enter the advanced stage of Tai Chi. It is relatively easy to loosen the muscles and joints of the body, but it is very difficult to reach the state of "emptiness". Therefore, efforts must be made on the word "emptiness". In the practice of Tai Chi, "emptiness" and "relaxation" must be clearly distinguished, but neither can be abandoned. These two are both opposed to each other and interdependent and work together. If one blindly pursues "looseness"; Without the reliance of "emptiness", the drawbacks of "loss", "collapse" and "dispersion" are bound to occur. Such a loose result cannot produce ingenious effects and is a taboo in the practice of Tai Chi. Conversely, if one blindly pursues emptiness without the organic combination of relaxation, it will inevitably lead to emptiness without substance, that is, there is only subjective illusion but no objective change. Such a movement is also ineffective. When practicing Tai Chi, one must strive to achieve the unity of consciousness and material movement, and must not let consciousness become an illusion outside of material movement. Therefore, "emptiness" must have "looseness", and to achieve "looseness", there must be "emptiness". Only by organically combining the two can the purpose of promoting the flow of qi and energy be realized. Either seeking relaxation or emptiness alone goes against the principles of dialectics of Tai Chi movement. On a daily basis, when working on scaffolding, one must carefully and meticulously ponder the artistic conception of "emptiness" and "looseness". To loosen the muscles and joints, one must have a sense of emptiness in the mind. When one desires emptiness, one should have a sense of "relaxation" in one's mind. Only after practicing for a long time in this way can one achieve the unity of opposition between "emptiness" and "relaxation". Only by taking this step can there be hope of climbing the ladder to the advanced stage of Tai Chi. Many beginners practice boxing. Before they raise their hands, their minds become tense, and then their muscles and joints tense up as well. Subsequently, they feel stiff all over and have difficulty moving. To ensure that movements are not tense, one must first be mentally relaxed and natural, always keeping in mind the principle of using intention rather than force, and achieving a state of mental tranquility and physical comfort. Will it be achieved over time? quot; When empty, the intention rises; when loose, the qi sinks, and there is a sense of separation between the muscles and the bones. Then one can seek to achieve the pleasure of "perfect life". 2. Roundness and Vitality To achieve the state of vitality in practicing Tai Chi, the qi must first be complete. Only by being perfect can one be truly alive. Roundness is the foundation of vitality. As the saying goes, "Roundness brings vitality, while squareness leads to stagnation." To enter the state of perfect vitality, one must master the "momentum" and the "eight-sided support". Momentum is determined by the inner skills of the human body. The magnitude of the momentum is an important indicator to measure the depth of a person's Tai Chi skills. The greater the momentum, the deeper the skills. As the saying goes, "Tai Chi is not about the form but the momentum, not about the outside but the inside." In daily practice, the pursuit of momentum by learners cannot be ignored. The fundamental condition for pursuing momentum is the ability to master "emptiness" and "looseness". A perfect life cannot do without the prerequisite of "emptiness" and "looseness". If the muscles and joints of the learner have not yet reached a certain level of "emptiness" and "relaxation" requirements, "roundness and flexibility" will be out of reach. Only when the requirement of "roundness and vitality" is achieved can "emptiness" and "looseness" reach their ultimate subtleties. Since the momentum is required to be perfect and flawless, it is necessary to define a certain range and not allow it to spread aimlessly. Where there is a scope, there must be a center and a periphery. When practicing on a daily basis, one should envision a range of momentum centered around the waist that can be controlled by the mind. In sports, one must always respect this range. Every move should neither exceed its edge nor fail to reach it. In this way, the momentum can tend towards a full state without corners, edges or defects. The farther the edge of the momentum is from the center, the greater the momentum. Momentum should be supported by spirit. Only when the spirit can support all directions can the momentum be full and not wither. Conversely, the momentum must encircle the spirit in order to prevent the spirit from leaking out. When this requirement is met, the momentum will reach perfection and the spirit will be able to surge. When the spirit supports the eight directions, it is necessary to take the waist as the center and use the intention to generate eight lines to support in eight directions. The eight lines must be equal for the momentum to be complete. If the lengths of these eight lines are not uniform, the momentum will appear uneven. Therefore, while practitioners strive to achieve the eight aspects of spiritual support, they must also make the eight aspects equal. When practicing in daily life, one must pay attention to the relationship between the momentum and the support from all directions. At first, one cannot understand it and thus cannot control it by oneself. One must carefully recognize it, and over time, one can apply it to oneself. "Kai" means the amplification of momentum and must be pushed in all directions with the waist as the center. The contraction is the reduction of the momentum. These eight lines must be contracted with the waist as the center. Whether the momentum is magnified or reduced, the edge of the momentum is always passive. The initiative lies in the waist, and the waist is the master. Mastering the above essentials, one's momentum will no longer be scattered. Whether advancing or retreating, turning left or right, with every move, the entire body's momentum will be complete without losing the principle of a balloon. At the same time, with every move of the hands, there is a circular movement between the hands and the chest. Where there is a circle, there must be life. The driving force of life lies within rather than outside; the outside follows the inside, and the energy is unceasing. Movement refers to the rotation of qi, not the movement of form. When the entire body becomes one family, the qi can naturally spread throughout the body, thus being able to transform and rotate freely in all directions. Wherever I wish to go, the qi can go there, and the spirit and qi can naturally reach a state where things follow suit. At this point, whether moving forward or backward, left or right, up or down, bending, extending, opening or closing, with just one movement, the qi can flow and transform freely, and life is within it. Therefore, "the qi is like a wheel, and life is like a wheel."