Tai Chi - Movement in the Light
WHAT IS INFINITE TAI CHI?
"Be still like a mountain, and flow like a great river" Lao Tze
Tai Chi is an ancient chinese form of exercise and breathing techniques based on the timeless wisdom of the Tao. The movements are gentle, slow and graceful and yet they provide deep and profound benefits. By learning a form, set of movements, one can connect mind, body and spirit, in unity, and through this begin to move beyond the form to experience the essence of our being.
Infinite Tai Chi is based on the timeless wisdom and understanding of the eternal and natural rhythmic movement of life. The vital life energy which flows through all living beings helps to activate the body's natural ability to heal itself, releasing blocked energies and cleansing the body of toxins. Some of the benefits from the ancient art of Tai Chi are: Rejuvenation, Longevity, Natural Health, Inner Strength, Grace and Beauty.
The form has within its inner structure the potential to connect us to nature and its vital life force. It harmonises the two interconnected forces of yin and yang to bring balance to our mind, body and spirit. An internal alchemy takes place that transforms the spirit.
Holistic exercise such as this is one of the keys to mindfulness. Living in the present moment can be transformational, as this is where you will find your spirit. We have lost the ability to listen to our spirit. But we are Infinite spirit, one with the universe.
As seekers of truth, we search for higher meaning only to realise that the higher reality is within us, as the circle of tai chi, the circle of light reminds us. Going within is our journey, and taking time to be quiet and still in movement, connects us to the quiet voice of our being. We feel connected, heaven and earth are one, and we are one, with the universe.
In this inner space we can find peace and trust. We begin to realise the purity and power of our soul consciousness. We can begin to realise our enormous potential to co-create our lives.
The basic nature of Chi or Qi is the manifestation of transformation. Chi is considered to have two aspects Yin Qi and Yang Qi. Thus in Tai Chi we are concerned with these two aspects, so that Chi can move naturally and in accordance with nature. Both these two aspects need to be properly balanced to produce a free flowing, harmonious circulation of Chi around the body and mind.
Infinite Tai Chi is movement in the light. It moves the chi freely around the body, harmonising and balancing. The form has within it the circular pattern of nature, integrating mind and body, in a continuous expansion of being. This brings forth an awakening of spirit and an awareness of the potential we have within us.
"The quality of our health and our lives depends on what we think is possible for ourselves. Infinite Tai Chi will greatly expand the horizons of what we think is possible, while enhancing all aspects of our well-being." Light Foundation
Jason Chan my teacher and co-founder of the Light Foundation, sums up Infinite Tai Chi " A wholesome discipline for Perfect Harmony in Life, wherein lies all our Joy, Happiness, Health, Abundance, Compassion and Love."
TAI CHI – A PERSONAL JOURNEY
Infinite Tai Chi represents to me a journey, a road to freedom, self-expression and the Grand Ultimate. Tai Chi is continuous and has no end, representing the journey of the spirit that is infinite and eternal.
Everyone’s journey is personal, and each chooses their own path. Ultimately, however, our journey will at some point bring us back to our Origin. The journey must then represent a process of growth, development, learning and change, for us to be able to begin the return to our original pure state.
Tai Chi assists me in this personal process of transformation. Learning the form and its essence is a challenge, and its regular practice a discipline for the mind and body. This then is a journey one can wish to take or not. But like all things in life that are worth having there is some struggle. “ Overcoming others requires force; overcoming the self requires strength.” Tai Te Ching. Taking the spiritual path requires one to face challenges and discipline the mind, in order to move forward.
The practice of Tai Chi has helped me move forward in a holistic way. It has helped me integrate the mind-body-spirit axis into my life, bringing with it greater awareness, strength and clarity. The physical movement has given me more grounding, discipline and focus. It has activated my chi, life force and produced a sensitivity to nature and the flow of the universe.
Tai chi is about generating and feeling energy through movement, the ultimate energy that powers the universe. It provides a way of being one with the world, without fear of what might be, living only in the present moment. This to me is one of my greatest challenges and overcoming this obstacle to living life fully, is worth every effort.
Movement is vital in life not only in a physical sense but also in a symbolic sense. The tai chi form is symbolic of the inner journey, the souls moving from the outer world to the inner world, the material to the spiritual, darkness to light. Like a transcendental flow of energy that propels one forward beyond the form to the essence.
As a moving meditation, the form stills the mind and awakens the spirit within. This is what attracts me to Tai Chi, it provides a physical connection to the spirits journey in this world. As it has been said, we are not human beings seeking a spiritual way but spiritual beings having a human experience.
Movement is at the heart of life, just as it is at the heart and centre of the Tai Chi form. “ The human sprit has its source in the divine fountain, which must be permitted to flow freely through man. Anyone who flows as life flows, has solved the enigma of human existence and needs no other power.” Lao – Tsu
In spite of the struggle there is much joy. If I can be centred and happy like this in my body, then surely I can apply this new found belief to everything else that I do. This gives me hope and optimism, qualities that are vital for a world that throws at us new obstacles and areas for growth.
“Participators in the evolution of the Universe: this is a phrase that resonates with possibilities and potential. For this means to realise that the future is not just waiting to happen, instead, it is taking shape right here and now, in the attitudes we hold, the choices we make and the values we cherish.” Thinking like the Universe by Pir V.I. Khan
This encapsulates to me the human potential that we all have. In practising the Tai Chi form we can begin to feel an affinity with the trees, the butterflies, the sun, the animals, the birds and the great energies of nature. We can begin to discover the self we had forgotten.
Being in rhythm with the law of Nature and in harmony with the elements is the beauty and grace of the form. Remembering the interdependency of Yin and Yang, the coexistence of positive and negative, darkness and light, feminine and masculine, Sun and Moon, brings forth balance and order to our movement, thought and actions. Such is the great beauty of Tai Chi.
There is much to discover in this world, Tai Chi is for me a journey of self-discovery and an inspiration to my Spirit. The potential is there to be realised, for the Tai Chi circle of light can illuminate my being and bring me back to the centre of my reality.
Faeeza Keshavjee (2002)