Mr. Wang Yongquan Talks about the Practice of Health Preservation
Everyone should know that every posture and movement in the popular Tai Chi routines are originally combat techniques. Theoretically, they revolve around how to use these techniques and strategies to defeat an opponent. Therefore, after a period of practice, one naturally moves towards martial arts training, losing the meaning of health preservation. This set of Tai Chi, while being a martial art routine, also includes aspects of health preservation. To find the health-preserving practice within this martial art routine, one must clearly differentiate between the two different methods of practice: health preservation and martial application. Otherwise, neck treatment (or similar practices) won't achieve the purpose and requirements of practicing Tai Chi.
The practice for health preservation should focus on two points:
First, mentally, one must clearly recognize that the Tai Chi form being practiced is for health preservation. Therefore, there should be no trace of combative thoughts. Otherwise, it will inevitably lead to unknowingly moving towards the martial application method.
Second, when practicing the routine, attention should be paid to each posture externally, ensuring no chasing, no greed, no excess, and no dispersion. If these four requirements are violated, the postures will tend towards extremes or lose balance, causing stagnation in the body's flow. The Tai Chi manual states: "Each movement should be neither too close nor too far." This means each posture should not be underdone or overdone; during execution, it prevents stagnation. Cultivating internal power requires keeping spirit, intention, and energy contained internally without dispersing outwardly. When internal energy aligns with the opening and closing of postures, care should be taken not to let the internal energy fluctuate excessively due to the changes in posture. In any posture, the internal energy should always remain comfortable, natural, and capable of adapting to both stillness and movement freely. The Tai Chi classics say: "Stillness contains movement, yet remains still," which refers to this concept. It's also important to note that prolonged movement generates Yang energy, but excessive Yang can harm; prolonged stillness generates Yin energy, but excessive Yin can weaken. Therefore, both movement and stillness must be appropriate, balancing Yin and Yang, to achieve the goal of health preservation. During exercise, even in motion, one should remain calm and comfortable, strictly adhering to the health preservation form to ensure benefits without harm.
The health preservation form is for fitness, so every movement and stillness must meet the requirements of health preservation. Absolutely no martial application forms or hand gestures should be mixed into the health preservation form. The requirement for the health preservation form regarding body shape and hand gestures is that the entire body, up and down, left and right, front and back, should be relaxed, sunken, round, and lively — essentially, the whole body should have a spherical sensation. When practicing, whenever extending the hands, they must extend forward as a flat surface, with spirit, intention, and energy expanding in all directions, but not exceeding the "skin" of the sphere to prevent external dispersion, maintaining the idea of containing closure within extension. Whenever retracting the hands, the sphere should shrink, with spirit, intention, and energy contracting, but not becoming listless, maintaining the idea of containing extension within contraction. In summary, during the execution of each posture, one should not deviate from the circular form, striving to ensure forward and backward movements can rotate freely. When changing postures, the size of the sphere can expand or contract, but it must not lose its roundness or develop corners. Practicing in this way allows internal energy to remain comfortable and natural, unaffected by changes in posture, preventing breath retention, thereby achieving the goal of fitness.
The point is the crystallization of spirals, the plane is the boundary of intention and energy. If one seeks only in the external form, it is a waste of effort and leads to confusion. Tai Chi. If one seeks only in the techniques, it is hard to achieve mastery where emptiness and fullness transform.
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