Movements of Magic

When people think of Tai-chi they think of a series of slow motion movements.  These relaxing movements reduce stress, teach proper body mechanics and alignment, expanded attention and the uniting of mind and body.  You become aware of the activity of each muscle and joint of the body, how they work together and how to use minimal energy to move.  In addition you learn to use your whole lung rather than just the 25 per cent of the lung most people use.

There are also aerobic and acrobatic forms, animal and weapons forms.  These are nowadays classified as "Wushu" forms, along with the forms of Shaolin and other styles of Kung-fu.  While there may be a Shaolin "Tiger Form", there are also Tai-chi "Tiger Forms" and they look nothing like each other.  Each form teaches you to use the body in different ways and to strengthen joints and muscles, develop flexibility and very fine motor coordination. 

Tai-chi forms are a way of re-tuning the body every day to eliminate stress, aches and pains and tiredness.  Energy flows through the body, revitalizing each cell and organ.  Your mind calms down.

You are taught to feel your body as liquid rather than as solid.  Let your body ooze from back to front and from one side to another.  The momentum of your flowing body sinks beneath the floor on the outbreath and rises high above the head on the inbreath.  This develops a feeling of being connected to your environment.  You notice how each part of the body develops a "muscle memory" of the form so that you eventually can practice the entire form without thinking.  A "slow" form may last from 5 minutes to 40 minutes depending on the specific form. 

Slow forms are named after the master who created them and his family which carries on the tradition (Yang, Chen, Wu families as examples).  While such forms have been around for a long time, the "modern" version of the forms, which are based on self defense applications of the movements, began about 800 years ago with Chang, San-feng.  He felt that the principles of internal energy and softness could be used to develop the most advanced form of martial art.  The name "Tai-chi-Chuan" means "Grand Ultimate Martial Art."  The slow forms are the beginning exercise of this martial art. 

Most people now practice Tai-chi forms for health purposes.  They prevent the deterioration of the body due to age and keep you energized and relaxed.  The regular practice of a Tai-chi form makes everyday life more enjoyable.

Hi Bob !  Since I have started doing Tai Chi (almost a year now)  my sleep time have reduced to 5-6 hours a day  and just as you mention in your book I started to taking an advantage of this “free” time , of course I thought this is a consequence free as long as my body doesn’t feel tired , I am using newly found hours  mostly for reading/education and working out or running  . I was so amazed when I started gaining this time piece by piece  at a time I couldn’t believe it will last or that it is normal . So what would be the safe and reasonable approach to using it?

( Hi Greg ! :)

Dear Greg,

I would say that if you ever felt you needed to sleep more hours, do so.  You should also make sure you eat a healthy diet and spend some of that extra time preparing fresh, healthy food.  Avoid greasy foods.

Remember that if you work out your body also needs rest time to re-build muscle. 

The warning signs that you do need more sleep is when you start forgetting simple things like what you are scheduled to do that day or the name of a close friend.  If you begin to feel irritable you need more sleep.  When you reduce your sleeping hours it is important not to take caffeine because that of course can mask your need for sleep.

It is important to practice breathing techniques which specifically isolate breathing into each part of the lung (in the upper and lower, left and right, front and rear of the torso.)   In this way you will learn to use all of the lungs. Isolating each part builds your capacity to eventually breathe into the entire lungs. When you make the transition to less sleep you need the lungs to operate efficiently.  Most people only use 25 percent of the lungs at best.   

Use some of the extra time for stretching.  Reducing sleep time can allow tension to creep into the muscles without your noticing it. 

If you maintain a generally healthy lifestyle and can avoid excess stress it is possible to continue with less sleep.  But at any time, if you suddenly feel the need to add more sleep time, feel free to do that. 

Bob