Video Case Study #5: Flowing with Energy - Freeing Your "Inner" Tai Chi Master

By: Al Simon

Welcome to our Advanced Training video case studies. These case studies look in-depth at certain aspect of our advanced Tai Chi and Qigong training.

Working on energy flow in Tai Chi is not something vague or mystical reserved for masters - it's something practical that YOU can do!

Find out the steps that lead to energy flow and how you can use them to free your "inner" Tai Chi master.

Key points:

• There's a Zen saying:

  "Before I began studying, mountains were mountains and rivers were rivers. As I studied, 'mountains' weren’t mountains and 'rivers' weren’t rivers. As I realized my true nature, mountains were again mountains and rivers were again rivers."

  
  
  
• Energy work in Tai Chi is a similar process
  
  
  • Tai Chi movements originally are just movements (robotic Tai Chi)
    
    
  • Tai Chi movements aren't movements, but a stripping away of filters to become aware of your energy patterns
    
    
  • Tai Chi movements are again movements, as you develop an open awareness of energy flow
  
  
  
• The practical steps:
  
  
  1. The Robotic Stage - do not neglect this stage, and spend more time on it than you think you need.
     
     
  2. Working on Energy Flow - Pick three or four of the most important
     
     
  3. Work on them one at a time – each for an extended period of time
     
     
  4. Cycle through the list several times
     
     
  5. Work on them in a single movement before trying to extend them to multiple movements
  
  
  
• The "Big Four" energy flows in ChiFusion Tai Chi:
  
  
  • Inside the body: Rising-then-falling leg-hip-leg flow
    
    
  • Rising leg-spine-shoulder-arm-hand flow
    
    
  • Outside the body: a “collecting” flow from Wei Chi to lower dantien
    
    
  • Outside the body: a “covering” flow from lower dantien to Wei Chi
  
  
  
• Freeing Your Inner Master
  
  
  • This is not vague or mystical – this is a practical, core influence
    
    
  • It’s not something you think about or imagine, it’s something you feel !
    
    
  • This is where true health, stress relief, and chi development in Tai Chi starts
    
    
  • This is something you can do!

Action Steps:

• Review Level 3 in the advanced training in your ChiFusion Tai Chi and Qigong Complete Course