The Arts of Awareness: Taiji Quan (Tai Chi Chuan) and Qi Gong (Chi Kung)

During our ten-day long vacation on Naxos island, we will have the chance to practice about 14 hours of Yang style Taiji Quan and 4 hours of basic Qi Gong. We will practice mainly performing the 24 movement simplified Beijing form. I always say to my students that it is not the style or form (Chen, Yang, Wu, traditional, simplified, long or short) that brings results but rather the way we practice it.

The very moment when one realizes in one's heart this simple truth, which applies to all aspects of our lives, one becomes a true observer and, thus, a true student.
 

Faithful to that spirit of practicing, we will not focus so much on the details of the external movement, trying to perfect it, but we will mainly deepen into ourselves, observing our breath, look, tensions, attitude, emotions, intention and thoughts while performing the soft and elegant moves of Taiji.

We will try to forget what we think we know. We will not judge. We will not try to improve or even change anything; we will simply let ourselves be. The more we are, the more we feel. The more we feel, the more we observe. The more we observe, the more we understand. The more we understand, the more we change.

Change is not something that we should solely decide upon in our mind. Rather, change is something that, when we feel that it is ready to happen, we simply let ourselves surrender to and follow. Similar to the feeling of the flow of a river, we dive in with courage and passion in order to explore the natural powers and rhythms of life.

Unquestionably real change requires decision, patience, strength and courage. Practising in this "internal" way, we may see things from a slightly different perspective, and we may feel that the change we desire is within our grasp, if "only" we let it happen, instead of trying too hard for it.

The truth is one, but the ways to reach it may vary. Why not try a softer approach for a change??

Discreet hints on the Yin-Yang principle, the 5 Elements qualities and the "secret" practicing points of Yang style (as written in the Chinese Classics) will help you relax your body and breath, clear your intention, soften your attitude, strengthen your focus, enhance and subtle your observation while practicing. 

We will implement and crystallize in our practice all those Taoist meditative and internal elements that have empowered the "soft" "shadow-boxing" art of Taiji Quan and turned it into the "Ultimate Art of Martial Arts".

We will discuss less on the martial aspect of the form and more on its healing properties, therefore we will only briefly "correct" the external moves, unless the "mistakes" significantly block the flow of energy.

We will learn to find the move through the stance, the attack through withdraw, and the power through the relaxation.

We will try to learn how to let yang evolve into yin and yin into yang, how to let the universe energies circulate within us, how to let our feelings be harmonized with the help of the interaction of the 5 elements energies inside us.

The seminar is addressed to people who already know well the sequence and practice regularly the basic Beijing 24 movements form.

Yannis Sampsonidis

Universal Tao Instructor

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