Below are our posts on the beautiful and beneficial art of tai chi. There are also posts on tai chi’s sister art baguazhang and on the practices of qigong, meditation, postural exercises and so forth.
More are being added all the time. Keep checking back.
If you’re new to tai chi begin here.
To learn the form see our tai chi form pathway.
Infinity Circle
The infinity circle is used in tai chi and many kung fu styles. The whole circle itself is rarely done but parts of it make up so many movements that it is worth practicing and becoming very familiar with. It’s like learning the scales when playing music. It makes you…
Your Three Wild Horses
In the Jade Dragon tradition we say that every person possesses 3 wild horses. These 3 horses are largely out of control and pull us this way and that. They drain us of energy with their wildness and age us prematurely. What are our 3 horses? As any horseman knows…
The 2 types of fear and how to deal with them
Virtually all negative emotions are based on fear. Fear is our most primal emotion and one that a great many people feel, to a greater or lesser extent, every single day. We have around 30 names for different types of fear, and many more slang words: anxiety, dread, panic, alarm…
Slow Down
When was the last time you ever truly savoured anything? Most of us are permanently in too much of a rush to ever really enjoy anything we do, see or eat. It makes us more productive but is that a always a good thing? There is more to life than…
The Real Reason Why You Can’t Relax – The Tension Paradox
Why on earth is long lasting, genuine, deep relaxation so difficult to attain? The answer is the ‘tension paradox’ but before we look at what that is let’s take a quick look at your relaxation options. Here are some of the main things people do to relax and release some…
Taoism – The Way of Nature
Taoism (Daoism) is an ancient Chinese philosophy – possibly the oldest surviving spiritual philosophy in the world. This article seeks to explain what it is but that is very difficult. So difficult in fact that the very first line of the main Taoist book the Tao Te Ching states that…
The Two Hand Circle – Power through the whole body
Of the 4 main circular arm patterns I teach this is the most fundamental. All the others are variations of this one. This is also the most powerful as both arms are working as a team connected to a strong structure and the power flows through the whole body. Before…
Tai Chi Yin and Yang Training
The term tai chi (taiji) refers to the constant interplay between the forces of yin and yang. Tai Chi Chuan (taijiquan) is the martial art that uses those forces to develop extraordinary power. Very few tai chi schools now teach the development and use of these forces. This is a…
The Pathway to Learning Tai Chi
So you’re interested in learning tai chi. Good decision as there are very few practices in the world that have such a wide range of benefits and will keep you engaged for so long. On this site you will find an increasingly deep and broad range of skills, movements, exercises…
Essential Skill – Transferring Weight
The ultimate aim of all Chinese martial arts and particularly tai chi chuan is to attain the maximum power with the minimum effort. To achieve this end we align our body with gravity so that every part is supported by the legs and then we move by pushing the legs…
Pathway through the 37 posture Tai Chi form. Full videos included
This post takes you step-by-step through the form with links to all the movements. It also includes videos of the whole form. As always note that these videos don’t show you the way to do it – they show you a way to do it. Many variations are possible, and…
What are Yin and Yang
The Chinese word tai chi (taiji) refers to the ancient concept of yin and yang. Yin yang theory is one of the most important concepts in Chinese culture and has been hugely influential all around the world. The Chinese see the yin yang theory as the governing principle behind all…
Qi – The energy of life
The Chinese term qi (pronounced chee) refers to universal life energy. This energy has been investigated and written about by most cultures in the world. The Japanese call it ki, the Indians call it prana, the Greeks pneuma and so on. But what is it? Qi is an energy that…
Standing up. A simple guide to good posture
Your posture is all about the way you hold and move your body. A good posture makes you feel alive, nimble, full of energy and puts minimal strain on your body. A poor posture makes you feel sluggish, drained and puts excess stress on various key joints and other systems…
The Monkey Mind Versus The Eagle Mind
Would you like to be more focused in whatever you do? Have you tried meditating but couldn’t control your racing mind? Would you like to be calmer and feel in more control of your emotions? Then learn to control your errant monkey mind. Most people have a mind that is…