The Modern Application of Ancient Principles
Tai Ji is a form of the traditional healing arts. Since the beginning, the development of Tai Ji has absorbed the essence of Chinese medicine and been shaped by the principles of Chinese Martial Arts. Today, throughout the world millions of people rich and poor, young and old, male and female, strong and weak, from all walks of life, at both dawn and at dusk practice Tai Ji Quan to better their physical and mental strength, to learn about themselves and the natural world, and to enrich the quality of their lives.
The powerful therapeutic effects of Tai Ji Quan lead to improvements in the well-being of our minds and bodies which are credited to the characteristics of its movements. These well coordinated and relaxed body movements are slow and uninterrupted like flowing streams and moving clouds. The practice of Tai Ji Quan requires a high degree of synchronization between mind and body; the mind is tranquil but alert with a focused consciousness directing the body movements in conjunction with deep abdominal breathing that is performed in rhythmic harmony creating a unified flow of energy.
One of the key driving forces behind the continuing development of the cultural traditions of Tai Ji Quan is its adaptability and the ability to apply its theoretical principles and methods to meet the needs of contemporary life and social reality.
Since its birth, Tai Ji Quan has been shaped by the ideas of relativity and achieving balance in the process of change. Along with the theories of Yin & Yang and the Five Elements, Tai Ji Quan is also embedded with a set of principles promoting elasticity in our personal reactions (internal) to environmental actions (external).