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| Sunday, 7 March 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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T'ai Chi : Meditation in motion by Umangi de Mel
If you ask 10 people what they seek for most, nine might say 'strength and well-being'. Those are two words many crave to have in their lives...Unfortunately 'well-being' is seldom on the list "T'ai Chi is something that helps a weak body or enhances a healthy body", says Manjula Yackdehiarachchi, Hai-deng Wushu Foundation. "It means ultimate force". The notion of it is associated with Yin-yang concept which is a combination of two different forces. Manjula says T'ai Chi is a Chinese art which started in 618 A.D.-907 A.D.
Explaining further, Manjula says that T'ai Chi differs from kung fu. "Kung fu is a collection of different styles - Tiger style, monkey, snake, eagle and crane to name a few. People who perform the art imitate nature and animals. The ways in which the animals defend themselves adapting them to form their own styles. None of these styles are inter-connected, they differ from one another." Where as T'ai Chi is a way of training yourself to maintain the harmony between the mind and body. "Focusing is the key word. It's very important to focus on what you do. The transition between every movement is like a chain reaction. Some people identify it as a technique, for some it's an exercise, a form of medication or meditation, but T'ai Chi is a blend of all these terms," he says.
According to an old saying "It helps one to attain the pliability of a child, the vitality of a lumberjack and the wisdom of a sage." "Physically it's a blend of soft, slow and graceful movements but it requires more of the psychological aspect too. One needs to calm oneself down, focus the mind on the precise execution of whatever the exercise one does". Manjula says that there were many forms of T'ai Chi, "they are called '22' form, 40-42 form, 56 form, 72 form, 48 form etc. Each of these moves serves different purposes and they are effective on every part of the body. It's actually a blend of focusing which take turns to soothe the body."
It may look easy comparatively to other styles like kung fu which is fast. But nobody realises that human body needs a good training to be slow and steady." He says that it's a 'special' training. "You've got to focus on your breathing, likewise focusing on the heart beat and blood circulation is very important. A combination of these techniques, movements and the routine is harder than any other form of martial art. T'ai Chi is a good energy boost. For people who live in cities, those who've got high blood pressure and those who have no time to do proper exercises, T'ai Chi could be very useful. It helps proper blood circulation, the whole respiratory system and joints." Manjula points out that it gives 'harmonised and uniform breathing'. "T'ai Chi is a self-healing mechanism. When you move the muscles in a rhythmatic way, it allows the blood flow and helps to sort out issues affecting joints. It's just a matter of focusing on the ache or the pain," he says. According to our apprentice, T'ai Chi is one of the best exercises for elderly people. "It's good for old ages and youth as well. There are certain people who practice T'ai Chi for self-defense. You can attack a strong person with a lesser force like T'ai Chi. It's not a matter of putting a lot of pressure on your pushes, but identifying the right push in the right direction. It makes a huge difference, with a low force, you make a huge impact." He says that a person practising T'ai Chi can fight for a longer period, "you consume less energy which allows you to continue fighting, despite the size of the opponent." T'ai Chi can be very comforting, says Manjula. "When done properly, you can continue for hours. You are your master, you do it by yourself." The Sri Lankans, though don't seem to have grasped the essence of T'ai Chi as yet. "They don't like it. Lack of understanding and awareness has prevented Sri Lankans from learning the art," he says. |
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Literally 'Tai' means grand or limitless and 'Chi' is the inner energy,
the breath of life. T'ai Chi is described as internal kung fu or
meditation in motion. "It's an evolved form of Martial Arts which has
derived from 'Taoism'."
T'ai Chi is a slow motion exercise which is soft, slow, smooth and
graceful.
The slow gliding movements may seem weird and simple but they could be
far from easy. The flowing, dreamlike exercises could actually make you
swim in air. "T'ai Chi looks very easy since it's slow and soft but
if you think it's an easy technique, you're mistaken. A lot of people seem
to misunderstand its potential and requirements.
