January 2009
3 posts
1 tag
Martial Arts and non-violence
How to square that circle? With taiji a seminal source is the Tao De Jing: Chapter 5 “Heaven and Earth are not kind The ten thousand things are like straw dogs to them. The sages are not kind People are like straw dogs to them. Yet heaven and earth and all the spaces inbetween Are like bellows, empty yet inexhaustable Always producing more.” (transl by Addiss. 1993) These ideas were...
5 Animal Play: About the Tiger
The Five Animals Qigong (wuqinxi) is based on the Five Phase theory which is also a foundational theory for Chinese Medicine (TCM). The Five Phases describe the cyclical tranformations of Yin and Yang using the icons of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. The Tiger corresponds to the Wood phase which is maybe best summarized by it’s association with Spring. In the Spring plants like bamboo...
History and the New Year
North American culture is based on erasing history. From colonization of the continent to the modern methods of building suburbs, we try to clear away what was there. This mindset colours everything. Chinese culture has a different relationship with history and traditions. So to practice qigong or taiji is understood to tap into something that extends beyond any one individual. So the new year is...