TAI CHI VILLAGE issue 8 - 10th May 2020
DISCOVER TAI CHI
Welcome to the Tai Chi Village
About Tai Chi Village
In this issue we introduce a cultural principle called 'ziran'.
When we took the diďŹƒcult decision to close all our classes we had a clear aim to keep in touch with all our participants.
In our book review Winnie the Pooh helps explain the philosophy of Taoism from which Tai Chi, in part, springs.
We think of each class as a community of practise. Not just a place where people can learn tai chi but a place for sharing and connecting with others also.
In our Science Corner we take a look at some interesting research on Wave Hands in Clouds.
Thank you for getting in touch and telling us how you look forward to our newsletter.
Phil & Helen
We hope you feel connected with the Tai Chi Village too.
Bright Border Planting at Clie Castle Park, Keighley by Helen
Reflections When we look at Chinese arts such as tai chi without context it can feel like looking at a large rock in a dried up river bed. Without the river we can't see the forces that shaped the rock. Throughout Chinese art, music, and day to day life Zìrán 自然 represents just such a river. Two characters make up Zìrán. Zì (自) "nose; self; oneself" and Rán (然) "right; correct; so". Together they represent the idea of naturalness or being self-so. We might say, ‘It's as plain as the nose on your face’! Artists and musicians aim for this sense of naturalness. They seek constantly for a quality we would describe as authentic, real, genuine or unaffected. ‘’It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.” - Pablo Picasso “You have to play a long time to be able to play like yourself.” - Miles Davis When you practise Tai Chi get a feel for this natural quality.
自然
You may like this video clip of just such an example of Zìrán in practice:
Zìrán
https://web.beijingbagua.com/2019/09/03/chenbafa-wubu-master-chen-xiang/
Image by Helen Parsons
Book Review
Facebook Live Streams
On past our past Facebook Live Streams we've reviewed one of our favourite books about Tai Chi or the culture from which Tai Chi springs.
Tai Chi in the Tea House
In keeping with the theme of ‘Ziran’ we recommend a book we covered a few weeks ago: The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff.
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Tuesday from 11:00am & Thursday from 7:00 pm
A mix of news and updates, answers to your questions, a review, and tai chi and qigong movements to enjoy. We continue with our step by step introduction to the new official tai chi form by the People's Republic of China (PRC). Called Eight Forms, Five Steps or Bafa Wubu. Bafa meaning eight forms, Wubu meaning five steps, or directions. Phil will lead you, one movement at a time, through this fabulous short form.
Referral link: https://amzn.to/35J1GoY
Remember you can watch all our live streams again on our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/discovert aichi/
Scroll down the timeline or click on 'Videos' in the menu on the left hand side of the screen to find all our videos. Enjoy : )
Her mind is free from all thoughts. Her demeanor is still and silent. Her face beams with simplicity. Cold as autumn, warm as spring, her joy and anger Sent in by Alison as natural asCthe seasons. Sent in by Alison Chuang-Tze
By Fiona
Carol from our St Hugh's class sent us this fab image of her on a woodland birthday walk.
Science Corner
deeper into our understanding of those tai chi principles we talk about in our classes:
This week we uploaded all our videos on Wave Hands in Clouds (WHC) to our online learning space at:
By Irene controlled Frames & Pillars, relaxed shoulders, transfer of weight, natural balanced posture, the coordination of our hands with our steps, and the ability to cross our mid-line with our hands in particular
www.patreon.com/discovertaichi We have taken time to delve deep into the component parts that make up this 'mother' movement in all tai chi. Sometimes our acquisitive nature pushes us to chase more and more movements rather than improving the quality of the ones that we have learnt. Learning tai chi requires us to not just amass a series of choreographed movements but to deepen our understanding of those movements. WHC offers us the opportunity to really delve
No wonder WHC takes some time to learn and why it features in rehabilitation research. The sustained focus and attention needed to accomplish WHC appears to support our mental wellness too. Helping us to remain mindfully present to the movement as it unfolds. You may like to read this research article to ďŹ nd out more: Effects of Tai Chi Yunshou exercise on community-based stroke patients: a cluster randomized controlled trial.
If you enjoyed this edition of the Tai Chi Village maybe you'd like to buy us a coffee, just to say thanks! Click the big button below to visit our new site at: ko-fi.com/discovertaichi
We'd like to say a great big thank you to our most recent members to our online learning community: Christine, Francis, Jana, Joy, Judy, Mark, Rachel. Start your online journey with Tai Chi Foundations here:
You may like to visit our blog/website at discovertaichi.com for more blog posts about tai chi. Click our logo below:
https://www.patreon.com/discovertaichi
We look forward to seeing you. Helen & Phil : )
GET IN TOUCH
Thanks for reading the Tai Chi Village.
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All the best Helen and Phil
E: huntunwellbeing@gmail.com
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