The Way of Tai Chi

They're robots... and they're doing TAI CHI!!!

2009-09-22T10:24:00.002-06:00

When I think of how hard it is for my human students to learn these moves...

City Weekly World Tai Chi & Qigong Day Article

2009-04-29T14:32:00.002-06:00

City Weekly interviewed Bill Parkinson about this year's World Tai Chi and Qigong Day. I plan to write a post about last Saturday's World Tai Chi and Qigong day this week.

World Tai Chi & Qigong Day

"A Meditation On Meditation"

2009-04-29T09:34:00.002-06:00

I came across this bit of wisdom and wanted to share...

Earl Pomerantz: A Meditation on Meditation

The author humorously discusses why he meditates, how he discovered it, his daily practice, and the results he's gotten. Well worth the read... and to quote Earl:

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING POST MAY ACTUALLY BE USEFUL.

(There is no reason a warning necessarily has to be bad.)

What makes Taiji genuine?

2009-03-17T15:29:00.003-06:00

I've come across a few blog postings lately that talk about learning "genuine" Taiji. My natural first question is, 'what constitutes "genuine" Taiji?' Often the poster is referring to a traditional system where the sifu has a lineage tracing back to one of the originators. In this way, you're guaranteed a "pure" path. But in the case of Yang Lu Chan, who himself learned from the Chen family, he was forced to develop his own style and not teach anyone what he learned from them. Later his form was altered by himself, then both his sons and grandsons until we now have multiple forms identified as 'Yang' style.

So we can't really say "genuine" Taiji is determined by the purity of the form, as that's ever changing (and should be to continue as a dynamic art and not a stagnant and static art). So what makes Taiji genuine?

If you look at the underlying purpose behind Taiji, it's to build harmony with Yin and Yang in your art and from there, like a pebble dropping into the water, into the rest of your life.

If I asked you to draw a circle, divide it into half, and color one half black and one half white, you'd likely come up with this:

And that's only natural because that's how our thinking mind likes to look at the world: "something is this and it's not that."

But if you've truly lived in this world, you know that nothing is purely "black and white." Live a little longer, and you'll start to figure out that nothing is truly separate. Now look at the Yin and Yang:

The circle is divided in half, and one half is black and the other half is white. The difference is that each half contains a small aspect of the other half. Additionally, they aren't divided by a straight line, rather they're drawn to be dynamic; to imply movement. This symbol is called the Taijito, hence the name of our art being Taijiquan (quan, pronounced chwan, means fist).

This is the dynamic we are asked to live up to. A balance of the flow of Yin and Yang. Yin, the black half, is representative of passivity, or non-activity while Yang, the white half, is representative of activity. Nothing in nature is all active or all passive. Striving for a balance between the two helps us better deal with our lives just as easily as we deal with our opponents.

So "genuine" Taiji should emulate the Taiji and we should seek out harmony between Yin and Yang in our forms, our art, and our lives. In my experience, you don't necessarily need a lineage that stretches back generations (though that can help), what you need for "genuine" Taiji is to have a competent instructor that can help you find the balance between Yin and Yang.

New things

2008-10-01T12:05:00.002-06:00

I'm trying out my new web server. It has considerably more disk space available and is considerably cheaper. Unfortunately, it's configured differently, and though it seems straight forward, it has given me a few config problems, like with Blogger, so this post is as much a test as it is a blog entry.

Program seeks to prevent falls among seniors

2008-06-23T14:38:00.001-06:00

How can older adults prevent falls?
Exercise regularly; exercise programs like Tai Chi that increase strength and improve balance are especially good.

I could not agree more.

A Change of Consciousness

2007-12-18T23:28:00.000-07:00

The story that prompted this post could be an invention of the Starbuck's marketing team, but based on what was said, I'm willing to believe this actually happened...

Man pays for coffee of customer behind him, starts chain

A random act of kindness at a Starbucks in Florida caught on, and turned into a story of paying it forward.

It started Friday morning when one man paid for the coffee for the person in line behind him, and it went on all day.

Ironically, this chain of 'nice' started with anger.

The customer behind the man who started the whole this was honking and yelling at him. So the man, a Tai Chi
master, responded with a bit of zen.

"It wasn't an idea to pay anything forward. Of course I didn't know that all this would happen and nor was it even a random act of kindness. It was something else it was a change of consciousness. It was my desire to take this negative and change it into something positive," said the man.

The chain of paying for the car behind you lasted all day long.

This idea of a "change of consciousness" is not unfamiliar to us in Tai Chi, indeed, those of us in most martial arts. The biggest hurdle you have to overcome in martial arts is not getting your black-belt/sash; it's not finally beating that one big and surprisingly fast guy when sparring; it's not getting your high-kick, or any other move down... it's learning self control.

For most of us, some idiot honking while we're stuck in the drive-thru would likely illicit the opposite response than the Tai Chi master gave. I'm sure some of us have the image of getting out of our car and inviting this guy to "bring it". Others might take a more passive approach and put the car in "park," even after the window ahead cleared, just to annoy him. However, the worst thing that could and DOES happen is that we'd let his choices and actions affect our day.

We might snap at the person waiting on us at the window if they make a simple mistake; we might carry it with us into traffic, adding our own horn to day's noise; we might carry it with us to work or home or anywhere and let our temper finally flare when something inevitably happens. And each one of us would likely have a flash of the guy honking away as we let our frustrations out. I quote a famous story on the Zen page of this website:

Tanzan and Ekido, two Zen monks, were once travelling together down a muddy road. A heavy rain was still falling.

Coming around a bend, they encountered a young and lovely girl in a silk kimono, unable to cross the intersection. "Come on girl," said Tanzan at once. Lifting her in his arms, he carried her across the mud.

Ekido did not speak again until that night when they reached a lodging temple. Then he could no longer restrain himself. "We monks don’t go near females," he told Tanzan, "especially not young and lovely ones. It’s dangerous. Why did you do that?"

"I left that girl back at the road," said Tanzan, "are you still carrying her?"

Like Ekido we would likely let that driver ride with us all the way through our day, perhaps even letting it shape the rest of our week, month, and even life. And the worst part? We would likely feel powerless against it. It's so easy to react in kind to someone's chosen behavior. When my wife snaps at me in anger, I snap back. When someone flips me off, I flip right back. Mirroring is easy and seemingly automatic, but it's not always the right choice.

The Tai Chi master in the story made the right choice. He turned the negative into a positive and let it all go. He wasn't out to prove he was better, he didn't set out to start a kindness chain or even a boost to his personal karma... when he handed the money over to pay for that gentleman's beverage, he handed over any and all frustrations and hurt that he felt because that man's actions. This was a choice that was not automatic, nor was it something that came unconsciously. He had to take action to make it happen.

And think about how it changed everyone else's day! The man who received this gift let his anger and frustration go and paid for the coffee of the person behind, likely someone equally annoyed. This lasted all day and I'm sure brightened everyone who came into contact with it. Had this not been offered, I'm sure the honking man wouldn't have been happy to finally get through the line. Likely a dozen or so other things would have raised his ire throughout his day. Instead, this chosen change of consciousness changed his outlook, his consciousness, and he passed that on to everyone.

You probably won't have the chance to make a change of consciousness at the local Starbucks anytime soon. But there are other moments in our day when we can choose to react for the positive, rather than the negative. All martial artists will tell you that self control comes consciously and through effort, and even when we achieve it, we easily revert to old habits and lose that hard earned control just as fast. But now we know the difference and we can try to catch ourselves and make a choice to stay in control, and perhaps make our own little worlds a better place for everyone.

A Prayer in Motion

2007-11-29T23:16:00.000-07:00

I was reminded of this poem, that I used to include in my old paper manuals back in the day, as we walked through long form last night...

Tai Chi
By Adrienne deJager

Garden pavilion,
shade with six wind-walls
and a man.
Skin taut on bone and sinew.
His fingers balance sea, air, stars.
Eyes closed, ruling from within.
His face creviced with age,
pivots in the stillness.
Limbs, a windless sway of bamboo.
Wisps of white hair dull in the shade.
A prayer in motion.

Tai Chi and Yoga rated in the top 10 Complementary Medical Treatments from the Mayo Clinic

2007-08-15T09:22:00.000-06:00

It's always fun to get medical validation...

There are two great neglected areas in the treatment and prevention of disease: lifestyle changes and so-called complementary medicine. Lifestyle changes involve using diet, exercise, stress control and the like to treat and prevent disease. Unfortunately, too many doctors are too busy prescribing drugs and surgeries when lifestyle changes might be even more effective and safer.

The other neglected area is sometimes called alternative medicine, but now the preferred term is complementary medicine: treatments used in addition to conventional medicine such as acupuncture and spinal manipulation. It is intended to complement conventional medicine rather than being an alternative.

As most of the health care delivery system is on the medication/surgery merry-go-round, some doctors neglect or ignore altogether lifestyle treatment and complementary medicine...

Click to read the rest of the article...

Dragon Studios offers instruction in 3 of the ten...

5. Meditation. Meditation focuses on breathing and on a word such as "peace," "love" or "life." The word, repeated with each breath, is called the mantra. Mayo has used meditation to treat anxiety and high blood pressure and to help people quit smoking without medication.
An analysis of 20 studies found that meditation helped patients cope with epilepsy, premenstrual syndrome, menopausal symptoms, autoimmune disease and anxiety during cancer treatment.

9. Tai chi. This is a gentle exercise that is derived from Chinese martial arts. It involves a series of postures and movements performed slowly and gracefully. It is recommended to improve balance in older people to prevent their falling.
A study conducted in the Netherlands found those who practiced tai chi had 50 percent fewer falls and fewer injury-causing falls than those who did not.

10. Yoga. This involves stretching and breathing exercises derived from India. It is said to help body and mind. It is especially effective for stress relief, lower back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, osteoarthritis, anxiety and depression.
A study out of New Delhi, India, found that 98 people with heart disease and diabetes who practiced yoga breathing techniques and postures had significant improvement in total cholesterol and blood sugar.

Tai chi takes time but is worth the effort, students say

2007-07-26T14:50:00.000-06:00

The people watching one of May Chen's Tai chi classes at the Fremont Adult school recently shook their heads in disbelief.

"The class is two hours? I can't believe it!" one woman said to her companion. "That's so long!"

But for Chen's dedicated students, two hours is barely enough time to get started.

We all know the benefits of exercise, including: a lowered risk of diabetes and heart disease, a fit physique and improved mental clarity. Yet it's hard to fit in 30 minutes of pounding the pavement, let alone a two-hour session several times a week.

Chen, however, thinks this graceful practice of a martial art derived from Kung Fu is worth the time. And many of her students agree.

Click to read the full article...

Study: Tai chi may help prevent shingles - USATODAY.com

2007-04-09T22:55:00.000-06:00

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tai chi is already known as a good low-impact exercise for older people. Now a recent study suggests it offers benefits beyond improving fitness and balance: It may help prevent shingles, a painful skin condition.

Researchers found older people who performed the slow, graceful movements of tai chi had a better immune response against the virus that causes shingles than those who only got health education, according to the most rigorous test to date.

It's unclear how tai chi, an ancient Chinese martial art that has become increasingly popular in the West, affects the immune system. But health experts were encouraged by the positive results.

Read more at USATODAY.com...

Whereas shingles, at least in my experience, often is induced by stress, I can understand why T'ai Chi can help prevent this. The gentle, flowing movements of T'ai Chi, that encourage you to stay in the moment as you perform each movement can drain stress away faster than a foot massage (not to say anything against foot massages). A regular practice of T'ai Chi can indeed relieve many stress-related conditions, viral or otherwise.

In this moment

2007-04-04T13:45:00.000-06:00

What time is it? If you looked down at your task-tray clock, you can probably tell me the exact hour, minute and maybe even second. The hour does not matter, the minute does not matter, not even the second. Only this moment, this breath... and the time for that is always NOW.

The past is done. There is nothing I can do to change it, so I need to let it go. Any tragedy or triumph, I just have to let it be there in the past. As for the future... no matter how carefully it's planned, it always seems to turn out differently than expected, even if it's just slightly. Therefore, I don't want to waste a moment concerned about the future. I have things in place that will come to fruition in their moment in the future. They may not turn out as planned, and that's OK. It's OK because right now, I want to be in this moment.

Where are you? No, don't launch google maps or anything... in this moment, all that matters is to be HERE. Not somewhere else.

My mind likes to drift off to other places quite often, it's true... and it's important to stay here in this moment. Because in this moment, right NOW, this is where I am.

THE MASTERY OF MIND OVER BODY

2007-03-15T08:41:00.000-06:00

Martial arts training leads to turnabout in student's health

OCALA - When Ocala police were called to investigate a late night disturbance at Central Florida Community College recently, they expected to find a trespasser. But when they encountered a man flinging around a 12-foot-long spear, they could only stare as he performed an intricate martial arts routine.

Joe McNamara, 30, has spent the last five years in China learning and teaching internal martial arts.

As a child, McNamara took tae kwon do lessons. When he got older, he was diagnosed with autoimmune rhabdomyolysis, a rare, incurable disease that attacks the central nervous system, stiffens the muscles and results in kidney damage. When he had the opportunity to go to the Wudang Mountains of southwest China to learn how to better maintain his health, he left law school at Cornell University and took a flight halfway around the world. Expecting to only be there for a couple of months, he stayed there for half a decade.

"All the doctors said, 'You're going to go to the mountains? You're going to go there and die,'" McNamara said. "I'm friends with the doctors. They're good guys - but they were wrong."Read More...

Letting go of competition

2007-01-17T09:44:00.000-07:00

It's natural, once you've developed some skill in a martial art, to want to show off a little. Certainly, if you're advanced in a sport you shouldn't be beaten by those who aren't as experienced as you, right? A healthy competitive edge often aids us in improving our skills. We want to rise to the challenges. Unfortunately, being the best seems to have become the only goal of sports nowadays. The news is filled with stories of steroid and other performance enhancement abusers. It's not enough to be good, you have to be super-human, now.

In pushing hands practice, I see a lot of students getting competitive with their partner. They start to get serious and focussed, and they see how far or hard they can push their opponent. However, getting competitive in pushing hands keeps the focus on the opponent. When are they going to move? Did they give me an opportunity just now to push them? And then, when their opponent gets a push in on them, they're hard on themselves and tend to retaliate.

Bob Klein, in his book Movements of Power, tells the story of going to another school and pushing hands with the students, and every time he got a push in, the student would immediately slap him on the shoulder. He thought that the behavior might be isolated to that one student, until he pushed with another and was slapped. Indeed, as he pushed with each student, he got a slap.

Pushing hands teaches us about ourselves and about the nature of T'ai Chi combat. Our goal is to not be struck, and to move accordingly afterwards. If our opponent doesn't counter our move, they will fall. Until then, we keep ourselves protected.

After I learned pushing hands and started to get good at it, I found myself focusing on my opponent and being really hard on myself when they were able to get a push or strike in on me. When I let go of my need to compete, I started to notice how open I was leaving myself and how tense I stayed at certain times. By letting go of being the best, I was able to address these points and move into a better defensive position.

When you find yourself getting competitive, take a moment to reflect on your behavior. Where does it come from? Then let it go and get back to what's important... learning self mastery.

Finding Yin and Yang Harmony

2007-01-10T13:17:00.000-07:00

If only you had a nickel for every time you've heard some Tai Chi-er say that, right? And you've likely dismissed the concept as nothing more than finding balance, both physically and philosophically (which is hard enough as it is). However, yin/yang harmony in Tai Chi is a LOT more complicated than that, I'm sorry to report. Finding harmony means avoiding double-weightedness.

Double-weightedness revolves around the concept of allowing yin and yang to flow through you as you walk through the form. If your right hand is in a yang movement, your left hand should be yin. Additionally, if your left leg is providing the force, it should be in yang (energy flowing), while your right is in yin (stabilizing). In the Tai Chi classics, they say:

Anyone who has spent years of practice and still cannot neutralize,
and is always controlled by his opponent,
has not apprehended the fault of double-weightedness.

To avoid this fault one must distinguish yin from yang.

Pay attention to your form. If there is a point where both hands are yang, is there a part that's yin? If both legs are yang, how can you move? If both legs are yin, where will the energy come from? By examination of the form you will soon find the parts where you exhibit double-weightedness. By working with your instructor, you will find ways to eliminate it, and maintain control.

Above All... RELAX!

2007-01-03T10:11:00.000-07:00

I've decided to make this the theme for both my blog posts this week. In all things, Tai Chi, Yoga, LIFE, it's important to relax. At this time of year, most of the people in my life are doing two things. First, they're all taking a big sigh of relief that the last year and the Christmas season are now over. And second, they're stressing. Stressing over bills, having to return to work or school, New Year's resolutions, etc.

The trick, I've found, is staying relaxed in spite of it all. By staying relaxed, you allow the energy of your tasks and goals to flow through you and give everything a much stronger chance of turning out the way you'd like it.

In Tai Chi we have the concept of "Sung", which translates as "applied relaxation." The idea of Sung is that, although you are not totally relaxed, you relax the essential points on your body where the necessary energy will flow. Keeping key areas already relaxed is advised as you develop your frame, however, we often miss relaxing as we move through the form.

For example, in Single Whip the position of the body, particularly the feet and hips at the beginning of the movement, coil and compress the energy. In releasing this energy with the two hand movements we understand that any blockage in the torso, shoulders, arms, or hands will restrict how much of that energy will flow out. By staying relaxed as the arms swing into the first position, held together in front of your chest, then, as the right one is released, keep the arm relaxed, and allow the momentum of the hips to "push" your hand outward. As the leg is released, and you step to your left, relax the left shoulder and other joints as the energy pushes the left hand outward during the weight-shift. In this way will you be able to distribute maximum force with a minimal physical effort.

As you walk through your form, focus on relaxing. Pay attention to the flow of energy through your legs and hips, and feel if it's being blocked by tension anywhere in the body prior to being released to the hands. When you detect it, make any minor corrections and see if you can "un-kink" that area. Most of the time this is accomplished by just letting go of whatever is putting tension there. Occasionally, you may need to speak with your instructor to help you find options in getting a particular point relaxed.

Tai Chi: finding balance in complementary opposites

2006-12-12T15:45:00.000-07:00

The entire article (linked through the title above) was beautifully written, however, the list of the Ten Essential Elements of Tai Chi at the end of the article are what I want to emphasize:

Yang Chen-Fu's Ten Essentials of Tai Chi
(what you should try to emphasize in your practice)

Head upright to let the spirit of vitality rise to the top of the head.
Hold in the chest and pull up the back
Relax the waist (VERY important)
Differentiate between insubstantial and substantial (stance).
Sink the shoulders and drop the elbows
Use intent rather than force
Synchronize upper and lower body
Harmonize the internal and external
Move with continuity
Move with tranquility

I had a student ask me: "After the third form (of the Yang 108-movement form, which is broken into three form-sets for teaching), what's left to learn?"

When these 10 elements fall into place in your form practice, you become "transported," and begin to discover what Tai Chi is really all about.

Elle Macpherson bravely fought off a mugger outside a London nightclub.

2006-11-12T20:12:00.000-07:00

An eye witness told Britain's The Sun newspaper: "Everyone was watching her, he didn't stand a chance. As soon as he grabbed Elle's bag she swung around quite calmly, just went for his arm and got her bag. The mugger reacted like he'd been floored, then staggered back and ran for it." Elle regularly practices the ancient Chinese art of T'ai Chi, which has apparently given the catwalk queen "the strength of a bodybuilder."

A force of four ounces deflects a thousand pounds.
The T'ai Chi Classics

BOOKS!

2006-10-24T22:58:00.000-06:00

Have you been in our new bookstore section on the website? I'm really not shooting for self promotion here, I'm just VERY impressed by the interface. It's no secret I love the internet, and well made interfaces just make me happy. It's also no secret that I can lose myself for hours browsing in the martial arts, yoga, or philosophy sections in a bookstore... Now I can do that from my own website!

Earlier this year (or was it last year?) I signed up to be part of amazon.com's affiliate program. I figured, what the hell; I've always recommended books on this site for further study in Tai Chi, Yoga, and meditation. I even included links back to amazon.com, because I figure if you're interested in a particular book, you should have the chance to find it and buy it for yourself. Besides what're you going to do, write it down for your next visit to Barnes and Noble? Right. Links made sense to me, and what made even more sense was getting paid to host those links, so I joined the affiliate program.

Recently I got an email from amazon.com inviting me to try out their new "aStore." At first glance, it looked like another way to get images on my pages of the books, much like the ad blocks I was already using, and I was disappointed that they would only let me show nine books... I mean, I can recommend nineTEEN books off the top of my head when asked. Still, I wanted to give it a try, so I selected a magic nine (and believe me, that was no easy task) and started kinda playing around with it... WOW! The interface they provided really surprised me! Give it a try:

Go to the books page by clicking the link on your left in the menu bar. Yes, that one that says Bookstore... WAIT! Don't click it just yet, I haven't told you the coolest part!

Select any of the books from the main nine list that maybe interest you... This opens a single page for just that book, with additional information, reviews, etc. I know, boring. Though, watch the little menu on the right... it changes with each book to provide you options within the genre, or by the same author. How sweet is that?

I know what you're thinking, "sure, Amazon does that all the time on their site." But this interface is tied into my web design (like this blog), so you don't leave my site, and yet you can browse a library of books related to my teachings.

And did I mention... if you buy a book, I get a percentage of that sale? Not too big of one, sadly, and I'm hoping that enough people will take advantage of this that I can maybe use that money to pay for my operating costs for the server... or at least to buy some more books.

Namaste!

Zen Shorts

2006-08-21T13:17:00.000-06:00

I bought this the other day for my son to read to me, and it is BEAUTIFUL! It's about a panda bear named Stillwater (great name!) who helps three children by telling them Zen stories. The stories are classics and can be found in books like Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, By Paul Reps, and others. These stories, however, are much more accessible to children.

HIGHLY recommended!

Tai chi saves a former fireman

2006-07-02T22:54:00.000-06:00

This is a beautiful story about how Tai Chi can inspire and change a person.

Tai chi saves a former fireman

When I walked in the door, I felt this positive energy I hadn't felt in years...

I remember that feeling my first day in class. Tai Chi is truly for everybody. Like Master Goering, I also believe every one of my students can achieve black sash, despite any evident or perceived disability.

Namaste and Shanti!

Research shows Taiji (Tai Chi ) and Qigong benefit older adults

2006-06-28T23:11:00.000-06:00

Research reinforces findings that Chinese exercises benefit older adults

Be sure to pass this article (along with a link to my site) to anyone over 60 that you think might benefit from learning Tai Chi and Qigong.

Namaste!

Bear River T'ai Chi in the News

2006-06-25T23:52:00.000-06:00

I had the opportunity to meet Kayo Robertson of Bear River T'ai Chi at World Tai Chi Day this year. Here's a brief article about him and his school, the Bear River T'ai Chi Ch'uan Society:

The Herald Journal

I LOVED this quote:

Try resisting a teenager -- you're never going to win. It's been very helpful in my life to meet force with softness, and here is a chance to practice it.

The "Magic of Tai Chi"

2006-02-15T17:01:00.000-07:00

In the book "Movements of Magic," the author, Bob Klein, described two magics of Tai Chi. The first magic is learning to control yourself. This is the hardest magic to learn, and takes years to even be adept in it, let alone a master of it.

Self control begins with self awareness. How much of your self you are aware of is up to you, however, it is possible to be aware down to the celluar level. Once you have that awareness, you then learn control. Klein speaks of learning this awareness and control through meditation and practice of the form.

The second magic is learning to control other people. This is an easy magic to learn once you develop self control, as you will find just how out of control most people are in this world, and controlling them becomes a matter of simple re-direction. Re-direction of someone is mastered through the practice of hand-pushing.

The Dynamic of Yin and Yang

2006-01-19T12:53:00.000-07:00

If you were asked to draw a circle, divide it into two equal halves, and color one half black and one half white; you would likely divide the circle right down the middle (creating two half moons) and color one side black and one side white. This image is the usual shape of western philosophic thinking... everything is often black or white. Good or evil. Male or female. Abstinence or gluttony. And we seem to seek ways to make the world fit this image. However, with this world-view nothing can truly be balanced, and there is no room for a flow from black to white, you are either one or the other. Sure, people talk about "shades of gray," but that's usually a cop-out to how this type of thinking doesn't fit the actual world.

As an example, let's imagine a tropical storm moves in from the sea to a coastal city. The storm hits with "full fury," and the city is flooded and devastated. To the people living in the city, this is a "bad" or (when taking the western philosophy) a "black" storm.

Now imagine the storm moves inland from the coast, is broken up by some natural weather barriers, but still manages to provide ample rain and water to an inland area that has been plagued by drought. To the people living here, who depend upon the land for their livelyhood, this is a very "good" or "white" storm.

Now the storm moves over an inland lake, picks up excess moisture, and floods a lake-side city... is the storm good or bad? Can a storm be good or bad? Is God using the storm to punish the "evil" and reward the "good"?

Let's look at the Taoist philosophy of Tai Chi, the dynamic of Yin and Yang...

The Taoist (pronounced Dow-ist) view of the world is also represented by an equally divided circle with one half black and one half white, called the Yin and Yang or the Tai Chi symbol (see our school logo above for an example). However, despite similarities to its western cousin described above, the colors of the Yin and Yang do not represent good or evil, as those are abstract concepts created largely in the mind. Nor does it represent male and female, though the qualities it does represent are often mistaken as masculine and feminine qualities. Also, the image is not drawn to be static, rather the black and white elements are permitted to flow into one another.

The Taoists see the world, and all the things in it, as they naturally are: both aggressive and passive. And there isn’t such a thing as pure aggression or such a thing as pure passivity; each has an element of the other (hence the "dots" of the opposite color in the symbol [our dragons are holding the "dots" in our school logo]).

Passivity and Aggression are definately not static states. Things in nature are at times aggressive and other times passive, depending largely upon the situation and external stimuli. Therefore aggression moves into passivity and passivity moves into aggression. This movement is called Taiji (pinyin spelling, and accurate pronounciation of Tai Chi).

If we look at the example of the tropical storm above, we see that the storm was not guided by black or white motives. Rather it was reacting according to its nature and behaving aggressive or passive, based on its situation and external stimuli.

When I understood this dynamic, I suddenly became very much "at peace" with nature and natural occurances. I no longer look at a terrible situation as "God being displeased" or a blessed situation as "God being pleased." I think of it now as simply "a matter of Taiji," and do my best to find a balance within the situation.

I do my best, now, to live in a state of balance between Yin and Yang, allowing Taiji to occur, and try not remain too long in aggressiveness (Yang, white) or passivity (Yin, black). Allowing too much of one to build up in my life (most often, Yin, passivity) tends to throw my life out of balance, causing stress and dis-ease. Allowing for moments of aggression and passivity tends to allow me to maintain a balance of health and happiness. Letting go of the static method of dual, or black and white, thinking was my first step in truly understanding Taijiquan.