POETIC CONCEPT ABOUT T'AI CHI CH'UAN By Wasentha Young T'AI CHI COMES FROM WU CHI Wu is the state of nothingness- the great void, empty space. Philosophically, in relation to the Tao, everything that exists comes from Wu, or nothing. Wu is the Mother of all things. When you bring in the concept of Chi, then you are putting a vibration of energy in the middle, or somewhere within nothing. With that dot of vibration, there is a state of simultaneous movement and stillness. ABSOLUTELY WU (Wu, pronounced woo, means nothing) From where did life come? There seems to be no real answer. Ommmmmm Is there a soul who can say: What is Wu? No one can say Wu about it :-) CHI Vibration of light Pulsating with the Potential of life. WU CHI There in Wu seems to be a light Spiraling in, lets call it night. There ID Wu appears to be the movement of beings Life and beings integrated with a distinguishing connection Lets call it the Universe THROW THE BODY WIDE OPEN When starting to move (performing the T'ai Chi Ch'uan Form), there is a sense of opening the body, so it actually becomes as full as the empty space surrounding it. Opening the joints, muscles and mind. Changing the state of mind from a still position with potential movement, by £Using the openness and stillness of Wu into the body, and the vibration or potential of motion, to the movements of the Form. Again movement and stillness co-exist. RELAX THE BODY Letting go of tension is like opening a tighten fist. Let it open, let the structure dissolve into space. There are muscles that will be tense in order to hold the body in certain postures, but extra tension, the kind that builds is what you want to let go of. I call extra tension -the body thinking -noise in the body. The idea here is to " allow the body to be. When you throw the body open, imagining that space allows one to hear the tensions. THREAD THE NINE HOLES IN THE PEARL The Pearl is a highly valued gemstone with a translucent luster and a delicate play of surface color. The more perfect its shape and the deeper the luster, the greater the value. Here the pearl is one's body. The mind is the tread and the joints of the body the holes. To thread the nine holes in the pearl, one uses the mind to not only experience the space of the joints, but to string all the joints together with an imaginary thread. To do this ones posture must be correct so that the muscles and organs of the body are not be tense around the joint. The head is upright, with the chin slightly weighted; the coccyx is slightly weighted, to open the lower back; the elbows are weighted; the knees, slightly bent; and the feet relaxed on the ground. This should create the sensation of standing ''as if being hung by a string'. in complete effortless balance. The 9 holes that are focused on are the ankles, knees, hips, coccyx, shoulders, elbows, wrists, back of neck (where the head connects to the spinal column, and the top of the head. Essentially the mind travels through the skeletal system to get to these places. FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH The lustre of my being shines, As I deeply touch the stability of my structure. The essence of energy flows, Up from the Earth through the holes of flexibility, Energetically linking my branches. Many pieces are strung together as one. Imagining the purity of an innocent spring Traveling up connecting me to the clouds, And showering me with a youthful relaxation. MACRO/MICRO Wave As spacious as empty , I open. My mass not holding on, I dissolve. Substance and Space, Space and Substance, fused, There is no difference. The Peaceful Dragon School • P.O. Box 7034, Ann Arbor, MI 48107 (Studio located at: 1945 Pauline Blvd., Ann Arbor, MI 48103) Voice (734) 741-0695 • Fax (734) 741-0318 E-mail: wasentha@peacefuldragonschool.com Web Site Address: http://www.PeacefulDragonSchool.Com PeacefulDragonSchool.Com ©1999 All Rights Reserved