Answers to Common Tai Chi Qi Gong Questions
Is this the ultimate list of questions and answers on Tai Chi and Qi Gong?
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Q1: I hear people talk about their Qi. I do not feel it. Can you describe what it feels like?
A: Whether or not you feel your Qi, or are even aware of Qi, everyone has Qi. The Chinese teach that this is our internal energy; it animates life. Without Qi, we cannot survive. We practice Tai Chi and Qigong to accumulate and cultivate Qi in order to improve our health as well as our martial art skills. As students practice the different postures and movements, they learn to feel, recognize, and experience their own Qi. Some people may feel Qi easier in some movements rather than others or the energy might feel stronger or weaker in certain sections of the Tai Chi form. As soon as we experience what Qi feels like in a single movement, we should then try to apply this feeling to all other movements. People experience Qi in many different ways. You may feel the palms of your hands get warm, your fingers might tingle, or your hands may feel heavy, full or thick. Your arms might feel buoy- ant, floating as though you were in a pool of water. When you try to raise them, they lift with al- most no effort. You may feel the energy go through your body like a warm wave of water or air … (read more in the book)
Q2: I have read two rather different descriptions pertaining to the flow of Qi within the body. First: Qi is felt flowing through well-grounded feet, up through the legs and down through the top of the head, joining at the dantian (meeting of heaven and earth point in acupuncture). Second: Qi will wash through you, over your whole body as if you were transparent to it. I can feel both sensations happening and the second is the stronger feeling. However, I suspect that the first description is nearer to what you teach. How would you guide me?
Q3: You have mentioned that blood and Qi travel together. What do you mean by that?
Q4: In class you tell us that proper posture is basic to achieving a high level of Tai Chi. The whole body must be aligned and relaxed to generate and circulate Qi through the body. What are the basics of posture and why are they important?
Q5: Could you explain what it means to be grounded or rooted. What are your thoughts on this principle when you are not on solid ground, for instance, practicing on an upper floor in a house or in a tall building? Perhaps a better example would be practicing in an airplane where nothing physical connects you with the earth. In these circumstances, it feels a bit odd grounding deeply into something that is not there.
Q6: For the past 6 years I have been practicing the same type of Qigong that you teach; head erect, body straight, nose to navel, sacrum to heels, 3 bows, one circle. Now I read that some schools in China have their students practice Qigong sitting or in bed lying on the side. How can methods work that totally disregard the principles I have been taught to regard as essential?
Q7: When practicing standing meditation in class, you tell us to watch deep inside ourselves. Could you explain, in more detail, what you mean by this? I get an image of looking at myself literally on the inside; somewhat like taking an assessment of not only my physical condition, (for instance, noticing places where I hurt or am holding tension) but also observing my thoughts and feelings as they come to me.
Q8: How do you keep the mind calm? When I practice, my thoughts tend to interrupt no matter what I try to do. The more I try to be quiet, the busier my mind seems to get.
Q9: What is the difference between Qigong and Tai Chi?
Q10: How often should we practice Tai Chi or Qigong and for what length of time?
Q11: Is Tai Chi Chuan appropriate for everyone?
Q12: How should one breathe while practicing Tai Chi?
Q13: I have heard you tell students that they should “curl the toes” or grasp the ground with the toes when practicing Tai Chi. Why is this so important? When curling the toes during the Tai Chi form, should this be done as a gentle but firm contraction? How do you “grasp the ground with your toes” when the foot is lifted from the ground?
Q14: There are so many different styles, forms and variations of forms, within the Tai Chi community. Which one is the best?
Q15: If you know you have made a mistake while practicing the form, should you stop and correct it at that point, or should you continue on and correct at the completion of the form?
Q16: Sometimes my knees feel uncomfortable as if there is too much pressure on them. I am concerned about injuring my knees. Am I doing something wrong?
Q17: Why do my legs shake when I practice?
Q18: I find it very hard to perform the movements as slow as the teacher. I always feel like I am get- ting way ahead. Does Tai Chi have to be practiced slowly? Is it appropriate to do some move- ments faster or slower than others, possibly depending on the intended application?
Q19: Is it acceptable to practice Tai Chi with music?
Q20: Should a student practice in front of a mirror?
Q21: Is Tai Chi an effective form of self-defense that can be used in a physical street situation?
Q22: I have Tai Chi books which describe a method whereby people stand in a goat stance visualizing energy absorption joint-by-joint and bone-by-bone. Do you think this is an efficient way to absorb energy into the entire body or would just performing standing meditation without this mental process, work just as well?
Q23: It has been said that Tai Chi should be practiced from the right side only, due to the placement of the internal organs in the body. What are your feelings on this?
Q24: Is there a way to know if you are doing Tai Chi correctly if you have no one to check your posture?
Q25: Shifting weight and adjusting balance is one thing when both of my feet are on the ground, but why do I run into problems with one-footed stances and kicking moves?
Q26: I seem to have the most trouble with postures that require balancing on one foot. Sometimes I do fine, but very often, I find myself wobbling or even needing to put my foot down, to re- cover balance. How do you find the right balance consistently, and, more importantly, maintain your balance when standing on one foot?
Q27: Is it better to practice Tai Chi inside or outside?
Q28: Many writings on Tai Chi Chuan insist on the fact that one should never be double weighted, that at all times there should be an empty and a full leg. When I practice however, it seems to be very difficult to be firmly rooted unless my weight is equally distributed. What should I do?
Q29: You talk about your whole body being connected as one unit. What do you mean by this and how do you achieve this?
Q30. I would like to introduce my 12 year old daughter to Tai Chi. Based on advice I have gotten from others, I have waited until now to consider getting her started. I know that for the external styles such as karate, they begin teaching children at a very early age. She has a friend who has been studying karate for 3 years and the friend has been very successful in her form and spar- ring competitions. For Tai Chi, do you think that 12 is a good age to start, or should she wait?
Q31: What is Push Hands?
Q32: From other articles I have read, I am lead to believe that there are different types of Push Hands, like there are different styles of Tai Chi. If there are different Push Hands types, how do they differ, and why?
Q33: You tell us not to use muscle force when we do Push Hands, but what is the intention of Push Hands if it is not to push?
Q34: What are your suggestions for improving Push Hands skills?
Q35: Can you recommend exercises to help develop relaxation when doing Push Hands?
Q36: How do you know when you are using too much force when practicing Push Hands?
Q37: Could you explain why you say principles are more important than technique?
Q38: Can you please explain a little more about the nature of my “center“, particularly as it affects Push Hands. For instance, what is my center? Is it my center of gravity, my center of aware- ness, the center of my Qi, or maybe the center of effort as I expand? I feel a very definite center as I am doing Qigong practice; right through the centerline of my body.
Q39: After a recent Push Hands practice, I started to think about Push Hands and the concepts of yielding and leading.
Q40: When Pushing Hands you tell us to adhere and stick with our opponent. You also tell us to move from our feet. Are we supposed to feel our opponent’s changes in our feet or do we sense their movements first in those places where we make contact with our opponent? For in- stance, if we are feeling our opponent’s pressure coming into our shoulder or hip, how does that affect our reaction time if we respond from our feet?
Q41: When Pushing Hands we are constantly adjusting our posture. Is this a balancing mechanism? Are we adjusting our energy at the same time or am I confusing energy with the strength we use to stick to an opponent?
Q42: I used to jog about 25 miles a week and loved it. However, I had to give it up very soon after I began Qigong and Tai Chi about 5 years ago. Qigong and Tai Chi are now an important part of my life but I really miss running. Is there something in Tai Chi or Qigong which combines the two?
Q43: You often remind us not to watch our hands or feet. You tell us to see, but do not look. What should we do with our eyes and where should we direct our view when we practice?
Q44: Sometimes my practice feels wonderful, I feel relaxed, my body moves well. But there are other times when I am practicing exactly the same way, yet everything feels off. I lose my balance easily and my timing and coordination feel out of sync. Why is that?
Q45: How does a student find a good teacher of Tai Chi and Qigong?
Q46. What characteristic does a teacher search for in students?
Q47: Sometimes, as I do the Qigong or Tai Chi movements, I get a strong feeling that I want to work against a resistance that is especially felt between the palms of my hands. Am I right to avoid this? Is there a benefit to focusing on the Qi flowing through me and overcoming this perceived resistance?
Q48: I have read that we use our mind to lead Qi, but what does that really mean?
Q49: What does it mean to “Fajing“? I have seen you demonstrate this power with seemingly very little movement or effort. How is it done and how does one practice it?
Q50: I am confused by the term “Gongfu” (Kungfu). I have seen it used in many different contexts, referring to various different styles of martial arts, both internal and external, weapons forms, and even a genre of martial arts movies. What is “Gongfu”?
Q51: You often correct the position of students’ hands. Could you explain the correct way to position the hands and explain what you are looking for and why this is important?
Q52: Why does it seem that lowering your stance helps to increase the energy absorbed into the dantian.
Q53: Where is the best place in a home to practice? It seems certain places in my home are better for gathering energy than others. If this is possible, would you please enlighten me as to why this is so?
Q54: Can you please explain the relationship between my dantian and my feet? I understand that my dantian is in my abdomen, slightly below my navel and that this is where I store and gen- erate Qi. I can feel strong Qi in my dantian which I can move from my dantian. I have now also been able to go further and move from my feet, my Qi rising from my feet, controlled by my waist and then flowing to my arms and head. However, this is where I get confused: how did my Qi get to my feet from my dantian if it is now flowing the other way? Also, if I am moving from my feet, did they somehow take over this function from my dantian or does my dantian still interact with my feet in some way?
Q55: Will you describe what you mean when you make a reference to the mind/body together?
Q56: I use my “intent” to absorb energy from the surrounding air but never from specific objects. Is there a different type of “intent” used in absorbing energy from specific objects, like mountains, trees or lakes? Since all things have Qi, is the Qi the same in quality or is it different?
Q57: What do you mean when you tell us to turn from the “inside bones“.
Q58: You are constantly reminding us to sit while doing Tai Chi and in the Qigong movements. Could you describe exactly what you want us to do and what you are looking for in our posture?
Q59: Because of an illness, I have not practiced my Tai Chi or any other kind of exercises during the last two weeks. Yesterday, for the first time, I did some Tai Chi and it went extremely well. My knees, which are habitually stiff from what I attribute to athletic stress during my younger years, were very flexible, more so than normal. However, today they again feel stiff. Is it possible that I am storing some Qi in my knees, or that energy blockages are causing this discomfort? Is there something I can do to remedy this problem?
Q60: You tell us to feel our bodies “move like a wave” and also that when “one part of the body moves, all parts of the body should move”. These two actions seem to me to be mutually exclusive. In my mind “like a wave” means the motion starts at my feet and then progresses to ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, elbows, wrists, palms and fingers. But that means in any given movement that one part, perhaps my knees, would start moving prior to the part to which it is connected (elbows). On the other hand “one part moves, all parts move” seems to me to mean that if my knee moves, my elbow (and everything else for that matter) should start moving at that exact same instant. Where am I going wrong?
Q61: Tai Chi involves a lot of turning and shifting. If one side of your body is more flexible than the other side, should you turn to extend as far as you are able on the good side or stay within the limits of the stiffer side? To be more specific, I have a painful, arthritic hip. Should I try to make it move as far as other parts are able to move even though it becomes quite uncomfortable? I try to do the movements as I see you do them, but my body does not turn that far.
Q62: My right leg is about an inch longer than my left. I am beginning to learn Tai Chi. Is this likely to hinder my progress in any way, and is there anything I can do to help if this is the case?
Q63: Does absorbing energy happen physically, by itself, or do you have to consciously initiate and control this action?
Q64: What is the ultimate secret of Tai Chi and Qigong? Why can a Master do these movements so much better than his students?
For non-cryptic and easy-to-ready answers to the following common questions, get a FREE SCRIBD trial to access this book:
https://www.everand.com/read/523960461/Answers-to-Common-Tai-Chi-and-Qigong-Questions
