Description
More and more people all over the world are studying Tai Chi. No matter what style they study, what direction they take, or what level they are at, all agree on one thing: Tai Chi is a limitless journey and there is always more to be learned. There are so many questions along the way and everyone has them, students and teachers alike, questions that are fundamental to all styles of Tai Chi, fundamental to all learning processes.Inside Tai Chi will prepare anyone taking the journey for what to expect along the way, offering practical advice, observations, training exercises and detailed discussions on the learning process. It will help students learn--and teachers teach--more effectively, offering real life tools such as stress reduction along with invaluable Tai Chi specific tools such as advanced rooting exercises. Chock-full of insights, advice, and observations (testimonials too) from a long time teacher, Inside Tai Chi is designed to help you get the most from your practice. Explore all that Tai Chi can be, as a physical discipline, as well as a mental, emotional, and spiritual discipline. Inside Tai Chi will not only enrich your practice but your entire life.Deepen your understanding for great Tai Chi.Inspiration and advice for a lifetime of practice.For all styles and all levels of experience.… (more)
Library's review
What's the next step along your tai chi journey?
More and more people all over the world are studying tai chi. No matter what syle they study, what direction they take, what level they are at, all agree on one thing: Tai Chi is a limitless journey and there is always more to be learned. There are so
Inside Tai Chi will prepare anyone taking the journey for what to expect along the way, offering practical advice, observations, training exercises, and detailed discussions on the learning process. It will help students learn-and teachers teach-more effectively, offering real life tools such as stress reduction along with invaluable Tai Chi specific tools such as advnaced rooting execises. Chock-full of insights, advice, and obsdervations (testimonials too) from a long time teacher, Inside Tai Chi is designed to help you get the most from your practice. explore all that Tai Chi can be, as a physical discipine, as well as a mental, emotional, and spiritual discipline, Inside Tai Chi will not only enrich your practice but your entire life.
Deepen your understanding for treat tai chi.
Inspiration and advice for a lifetime of practice.
For all styles and all levels of experience.
John Loupos has been studying martial arts since the age of fifteen, owning an operating the Jade Forest Kung Fu/Tai Chi School. The author of Tales and Strategies from the Jade Forest and Beyond, he live in Cohassat, Massachusetts.
Contents
Foreword
Preface
Prelude
Romanization of Chinese words
How to use this book
Acknowledgments
Part One Basic theroy and intra-personal practice skills
Chapter 1 Introduction
A brief history of t'ai chi ch'uan
A t'ai chi primer: T'ai chi ch'uan explained
Things to remember
Chapter 2 Ch'i, where to begin
Why the west is playing catch up, double blind or just blind
The role of ch'i in our lives
T'ai chi and sex
Ch'i: Subjective versus objective
Using intention to cultivate ch'i
Using attention to cultivate ch'i
Why go to all that effort to cultivate ch'i?
You and your ch'i
Cultivating your ch'i, things to consider
Things to remember
Chapter 3 Understanding stress as it relates to t'ai chi
How stress affects the body/ming
Releasing versus relinquishing stress
Stress as an investment
Divesting yourself of stress and tension held in the body
Understanding what you are up against
Know when to get hellp
Using t'ai chi to relinquish stress
Conscious aabdominal breathing
Guiding the breath
Allowing the breath
Stress in the mind
Breath is life
T'ai chi as a recuperative modality
Things to remember
Chapter 4 The imporatnce of rooting, how to get yours and keep it
Why root?
What is rooting
All power comes from the earth
Stess can unroot you
Get a root, get a life
Invest in loss
Stationary solo practice
Pushing without pushing
Stationary practice with a partner
Non-physical benefits of rooting: Emotional rooting
Conclusion
Things to remember
Chapter 5 T'ai chi as an exercise in displacement
Where we stand in the tao
Consequences, tangible and otherwise
On a larger scale
Displacement exercise
Emotional displaacement
Displacement and application
Envelopment as a corollary to displacement
How to enveloop an incoming force
Things to remember
Chapter 6 Form as a vessel for t'ai chi principles
Learn the principles to get the form
Learn the form well to get the principles
Form versus no-form
Form without structure
Structure or stricture
Get your body in the moment
Structure begets resilience
Thngs to remember
Chapter 7 The role of ch'i kung in relation to t'ai chi
An exercise in futility
What is ch'i kung (qigong)?
Three different categoriew of ch'i kkung
Why ch'i kung as an adjunct?
Different strokes for different folks
Teaching styles can vary
ˇwo pioneers
Simple standing
Things to remember
Chapter 8 Heartfulness and freedom through t'ai chi
Freedom
Where is the heart in t'ai chi?
Standards of the heart
Congruence as one component of heartfulness
Impediments to heartfulnesss
Heartfulness can help your t'ai chi
Metaphor and tool
Insight through t'ai chi
Good physical health as a part of overall health
What is good health?
Listen inwardly to develop insight
Heartfulness (in)action
Heartfulness and integration
Things to remember
Chapter 9 Conflict-an antithesis to t'ai chi
What conflict is, universally speaking
Opposite or conflicting
Free will
How conflict affects us
Conflict pandemic
Not being 'Out' of harmony
Step back from conformity
Firewalking as a metaphor for conflict resolution
Culmination in summary
Things to remember
Part Two Intermediate/advanced theory and technical praactice skills
Chapter 10 Miscellaneous practice hints form the ground up and from the outside in
Stretching for t'ai chi
What if it hurts?-Stress disclaimer
Stay within your limits
What to do with your toes and feeet
What to do with your knees
The perineum
What to do with your qua
The role of the waist
What to do with your tailbone
The kidneys
What to do with your spine
What to do with your back and chest
What to do with your arms and hands
How to rally relax and sink the shoulders
What to do with your head
What to do with your tongue
What tto do with your eyes
How to breathe in t'ai chi
In conclusion
Chapter 11 Optimize your practice
How we learn new skills
Repetition is the key
Feel good, or feel right
Balancing your strengths and weaknesses
Apply8ing this to yiour form
Divide and conquer
Alter the context
Creating drills
Reverse practice
Mirror imaging
Different learning styles-Advice for teachers; Flexibility is the key; How to determine your learning modality
Chapter 12 Advanced rooting practice and envelopment exercises
Pulling to your root
Other stationary variations-Variation 1 and 2
Moving practice
Rooting through your form
Step by step
Advanced form practice
Advanced envelopment exercises-Easy does it at first; Hide and seek
Chapter 13 Where to go form here, a consumer's guide
Variables to consider and resources to access
Making contact
Good communication is essentail
Check it out, ask questions
Committing to a course of study
Part Three Personal accounts, lecture transcripts/musings, and appendices
Chapter 14 Stories
Chapter 15 Lectures & musings
Happy feet/healthy feet
T'ai chi standing
How a worm drives
The eyes have it
How we learn by osmosis
T'ai chi for kids?
The seeming downside of new information
The power of a smile
Surface tension
Box of chocolates,, or slice of pie
T'ai chi s a healing art
T'ai chi and old bones
Bounce back force
Inteligent t'ai chi
The yin and yang of t'ai chi, and t'ai chi students
Natural reflections
Appendix A Ten classical principles of t'ai chi ch'uan
Appendix B Additonal principles
Appendix C Recommended reading (bibliography)
References
Glossary of terms
About the author
Index
More and more people all over the world are studying tai chi. No matter what syle they study, what direction they take, what level they are at, all agree on one thing: Tai Chi is a limitless journey and there is always more to be learned. There are so
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many questions along the way and everyone has them, students and teachers alike, questions that are fundamental to all styles of tai chi, fundamental to all learning processes.Inside Tai Chi will prepare anyone taking the journey for what to expect along the way, offering practical advice, observations, training exercises, and detailed discussions on the learning process. It will help students learn-and teachers teach-more effectively, offering real life tools such as stress reduction along with invaluable Tai Chi specific tools such as advnaced rooting execises. Chock-full of insights, advice, and obsdervations (testimonials too) from a long time teacher, Inside Tai Chi is designed to help you get the most from your practice. explore all that Tai Chi can be, as a physical discipine, as well as a mental, emotional, and spiritual discipline, Inside Tai Chi will not only enrich your practice but your entire life.
Deepen your understanding for treat tai chi.
Inspiration and advice for a lifetime of practice.
For all styles and all levels of experience.
John Loupos has been studying martial arts since the age of fifteen, owning an operating the Jade Forest Kung Fu/Tai Chi School. The author of Tales and Strategies from the Jade Forest and Beyond, he live in Cohassat, Massachusetts.
Contents
Foreword
Preface
Prelude
Romanization of Chinese words
How to use this book
Acknowledgments
Part One Basic theroy and intra-personal practice skills
Chapter 1 Introduction
A brief history of t'ai chi ch'uan
A t'ai chi primer: T'ai chi ch'uan explained
Things to remember
Chapter 2 Ch'i, where to begin
Why the west is playing catch up, double blind or just blind
The role of ch'i in our lives
T'ai chi and sex
Ch'i: Subjective versus objective
Using intention to cultivate ch'i
Using attention to cultivate ch'i
Why go to all that effort to cultivate ch'i?
You and your ch'i
Cultivating your ch'i, things to consider
Things to remember
Chapter 3 Understanding stress as it relates to t'ai chi
How stress affects the body/ming
Releasing versus relinquishing stress
Stress as an investment
Divesting yourself of stress and tension held in the body
Understanding what you are up against
Know when to get hellp
Using t'ai chi to relinquish stress
Conscious aabdominal breathing
Guiding the breath
Allowing the breath
Stress in the mind
Breath is life
T'ai chi as a recuperative modality
Things to remember
Chapter 4 The imporatnce of rooting, how to get yours and keep it
Why root?
What is rooting
All power comes from the earth
Stess can unroot you
Get a root, get a life
Invest in loss
Stationary solo practice
Pushing without pushing
Stationary practice with a partner
Non-physical benefits of rooting: Emotional rooting
Conclusion
Things to remember
Chapter 5 T'ai chi as an exercise in displacement
Where we stand in the tao
Consequences, tangible and otherwise
On a larger scale
Displacement exercise
Emotional displaacement
Displacement and application
Envelopment as a corollary to displacement
How to enveloop an incoming force
Things to remember
Chapter 6 Form as a vessel for t'ai chi principles
Learn the principles to get the form
Learn the form well to get the principles
Form versus no-form
Form without structure
Structure or stricture
Get your body in the moment
Structure begets resilience
Thngs to remember
Chapter 7 The role of ch'i kung in relation to t'ai chi
An exercise in futility
What is ch'i kung (qigong)?
Three different categoriew of ch'i kkung
Why ch'i kung as an adjunct?
Different strokes for different folks
Teaching styles can vary
ˇwo pioneers
Simple standing
Things to remember
Chapter 8 Heartfulness and freedom through t'ai chi
Freedom
Where is the heart in t'ai chi?
Standards of the heart
Congruence as one component of heartfulness
Impediments to heartfulnesss
Heartfulness can help your t'ai chi
Metaphor and tool
Insight through t'ai chi
Good physical health as a part of overall health
What is good health?
Listen inwardly to develop insight
Heartfulness (in)action
Heartfulness and integration
Things to remember
Chapter 9 Conflict-an antithesis to t'ai chi
What conflict is, universally speaking
Opposite or conflicting
Free will
How conflict affects us
Conflict pandemic
Not being 'Out' of harmony
Step back from conformity
Firewalking as a metaphor for conflict resolution
Culmination in summary
Things to remember
Part Two Intermediate/advanced theory and technical praactice skills
Chapter 10 Miscellaneous practice hints form the ground up and from the outside in
Stretching for t'ai chi
What if it hurts?-Stress disclaimer
Stay within your limits
What to do with your toes and feeet
What to do with your knees
The perineum
What to do with your qua
The role of the waist
What to do with your tailbone
The kidneys
What to do with your spine
What to do with your back and chest
What to do with your arms and hands
How to rally relax and sink the shoulders
What to do with your head
What to do with your tongue
What tto do with your eyes
How to breathe in t'ai chi
In conclusion
Chapter 11 Optimize your practice
How we learn new skills
Repetition is the key
Feel good, or feel right
Balancing your strengths and weaknesses
Apply8ing this to yiour form
Divide and conquer
Alter the context
Creating drills
Reverse practice
Mirror imaging
Different learning styles-Advice for teachers; Flexibility is the key; How to determine your learning modality
Chapter 12 Advanced rooting practice and envelopment exercises
Pulling to your root
Other stationary variations-Variation 1 and 2
Moving practice
Rooting through your form
Step by step
Advanced form practice
Advanced envelopment exercises-Easy does it at first; Hide and seek
Chapter 13 Where to go form here, a consumer's guide
Variables to consider and resources to access
Making contact
Good communication is essentail
Check it out, ask questions
Committing to a course of study
Part Three Personal accounts, lecture transcripts/musings, and appendices
Chapter 14 Stories
Chapter 15 Lectures & musings
Happy feet/healthy feet
T'ai chi standing
How a worm drives
The eyes have it
How we learn by osmosis
T'ai chi for kids?
The seeming downside of new information
The power of a smile
Surface tension
Box of chocolates,, or slice of pie
T'ai chi s a healing art
T'ai chi and old bones
Bounce back force
Inteligent t'ai chi
The yin and yang of t'ai chi, and t'ai chi students
Natural reflections
Appendix A Ten classical principles of t'ai chi ch'uan
Appendix B Additonal principles
Appendix C Recommended reading (bibliography)
References
Glossary of terms
About the author
Index
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Subjects
Genres
ISBN
1886969108 / 9781886969100
Publication
YMAA Publication Center Main Office 4354 Washington Street Boston, Massachusetts 02131