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Yoga and Tai Chi

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Those of you that know a little bit about yoga will have recognised some of the static exercises as standard yoga positions. Of all the systems of static exercise, yoga is perhaps the most balanced and well-coordinated – it is certainly the oldest, with a history stretching back thousands of years.

T'ai chi is not quite as old as yoga. It consists of a mixture of static and dynamic exercises, blended together into graceful movements that look almost like a form of ballet.

The emphasis in both yoga and T'ai chi is not only on a healthy and supple body but also on inner peace and tranquillity.

They both look at the person as a whole being.

Yoga

The origins of yoga are unknown but from archaeological excavations it is recognised as being at least 6,000 years old and to have been widely practised from India to Egypt. The earliest traces of yoga are those found in the ruins of ancient cities in the Indus valley, known to have seen civilisations flourishing around the year 4,000 BC.

At some of these sites little figures seated in the lotus posture were found, indicating that yoga was being practised at that time.
The word yoga in fact means union and is used to describe various systems for developing physical, mental and spiritual health and uniting each individual with their true potentials.

Various forms of yoga are practised, including karma yoga, raja yoga, mantra yoga, gnana yoga and bhakti yoga, but all of them have the same aim – inner peace and happiness.

Hatha yoga

The yoga most widely practised in the Western world is hatha yoga. This consists of a collection of traditional exercises, postures and positions that lead to mastery of the body.

Ha in fact means sun and tha means moon; hence hatha means the joining of the sun and the moon or the development of both the masculine and feminine aspects of the human being and their union in a well-balanced and healthy individual.

The actual formulation of this system is credited to Patanjali who lived about 300 BC. He was not the creator of the techniques of hatha yoga, but he did write down descriptions of the positions and exercises that had been shown to be beneficial over centuries of experience.

Hatha yoga includes what are called the eight limbs of yoga progress– restraint, observance, postures, breath, withdrawal, concentration, meditation and illumination.

Of these eight, those most practised are postures, breath and meditation.

The postures

The postures are known as asanas.

They are a series of positions that are skilfully directed towards the development of suppleness and flexibility, through stretching, and strength, developed by remaining in positions for progressive lengths of time.

Certain asanas also develop balance and coordination others relate to specific organs and glands, increasing or reducing their blood circulation and nervous stimulation, influencing and improving their function.

The postures or asanas are practised without haste and are considered perfected when they can be performed effortlessly.

Pranayama

Breathing exercises are given great significance in hatha yoga, both for cleansing and healing and for reducing the tension of the mind and body.

You are probably well aware that your respiration fluctuates quite widely, depending on the circumstances. For example, anger and anxiety agitate the respiration, with fear it initially ceases and then becomes fast and shallow while concentration slows the respiration rate and makes it more rhythmic.

Pranayama is a technique that uses this relationship but, rather than letting the state of mind influence the rhythm of respiration, uses the rhythms of respiration to influence the state of mind.

The immediate goal of pranayama is to make respiration first rhythmical and then effortless and unconscious.
It is claimed by those who practise this technique that external pressures no longer disorganise their thinking and that the technique produces an inexpressible sensation of harmony.

Meditation

Mental exercises are also given great importance as an aid to concentration and understanding. These exercises are called meditations— sustained contemplation or concentration of the mind.

Through the continual practice of meditation a current of unified thought arises, but this is only possible when you have sufficient control of the body (through the practice of asanas) and have learnt how to calm any mental agitation.

The unity of thought is brought about by focusing attention on a given area within the body or on a sound or an object.

The given sound for meditation is known as a mantra and consists of a syllable, a word or a group of words, while a given object is known as a yantra and consists of an image of divinity, a complex design or a given diagram.

Going further

There are many different kinds of breathing and meditation techniques and there are numerous yoga institutions and foundations where they are taught and practised.

Most of these foundations are named after the individuals that established them and traditionally these individuals are afforded deep reverence by those who Iive and work in the foundations.

A reputable foundation will give the guidance necessary for taking your knowledge of yoga further.

T’ai chi chuan

The history of the Eastern martial arts is obscure, as most of the ancient techniques were developed through years of dedication and passed on only by word of mouth to a worthy few.

However the Shaolin monastery figures largely in this history, as many martial art forms are said to have originated from Shaolin Ch'uan-fa or Shaolin temple boxing, the martial art that evolved from the Shaolin temple in Wei, China.

Bodhidharma, an Indian Buddhist monk who resided at this monastery in the early sixth century, taught exercises, meditation and breathing techniques on which Shaolin temple boxing is thought to have been based. The teachings of Bodhidharma are also thought to form the basis of Zen meditation and he is widely regarded as the patron saint of many martial arts.

Although fighting arts existed before the arrival of Bodhidharma, he instilled the idea of practising to improve health, fitness and inner harmony and his exercises and breathing techniques, probably based on yoga, caused a re-evaluation of the fighting arts and the way in which they were being practised.

Generally the martial arts are classified as hard and soft, although facets of each are included in both. Put simply, the hard martial arts meet force with force and develop a very fast series of blows as an instantaneous response to an attack, one which leads to the immediate destruction of the attacker.

You may have seen examples of these lightning-quick responses in the many martial-arts movies that were popular not so long ago.

In contrast, the soft arts place emphasis on the necessity for outwitting an opponent, on making use of the incoming force by side-stepping the attack and then turning the force against the attacker, and sometimes adding to it to increase the effect.

The soft arts are said to have evolved from Taoist monks, recluses who embraced Taoism, an ancient Chinese philosophy first formalised and recorded in the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu about 300 BC. T'ai Chi Ch'uan is of this origin and of all the martial arts this is said to be the most popular.

According to the teaching of Lao Tzu, 'one who excels as a warrior does not appear formidable'.

In the practice of T'ai chi the evidence of the kicks, blocks, throws, pushes and strikes are concealed in a series of very slow rhythmic movements coupled with a calmness of the mind.

By continually repeating these movements at a very slow speed, relaxation can be maintained while the body is fully acquainted with every sequence. If necessary these movements or sequences can then be re-enacted very quickly while maintaining a high degree of relaxation in action.

Chi

In the practice of T'ai chi the body is kept slightly rounded, and moves in circles. Emphasis is placed on low abdominal breathing, as the careful control of respiration is thought to cultivate the chi.

Chi is the term given to the life force that flows through the human body along pathways known as meridians. The main purpose of cultivating the chi is to strengthen it and gain the ability to visualise its position as it flows through the body.

Once this becomes possible it can be conserved and in the event of illness it can be directed to any part of the body or, in the event of an external attack, it can be released with an explosive effect.

The existence of the chi meridians and vital pressure points is significant both in T'ai chi and in various forms of ancient Chinese medicine like acupuncture and acupressure. Like T'ai chi, these systems of medicine are used to evoke the free flow of chi throughout the body and to inhibit or improve the flow of chi from vital pressure points, according to the desired effect.

Knowledge of these pressure points is used as a means of improving the body's health and also, if necessary, to neutralise an assailant.

Flexibility and strength

To be adept in any form of martial art, stamina, strength and flexibility are crucial. These attributes can be developed by the use both of static exercise, and of one or more forms of dynamic exercise, like swimming, that promote all-round strength and endurance.

Harmonised through the practice of a martial art like T'ai chi, health and fitness are greatly improved and the body is well equipped to deal with any internal or external disruptions.

Indian, Chinese and Japanese masters have practised these arts for generations in order to develop and protect themselves both from within and without. Because of this, the ancient martial art systems are just as closely bound to self-healing and a harmonious life as they are to self-defence.

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