You Cannot Call It Lofty

"The Way has its reality and its signs but is without action or form.
You can hand it down but you cannot receive it, you can ignore it but you cannot see it.
It is its own source, its own root.
Before heaven and earth existed it was there, from the ancient times.
It gave spirituality to the spirits and to God, it gave birth to heaven and to earth.
It exists beyond the highest point, and yet you cannot call it lofty.
It exists beneath the limit of the six directions, and yet you cannot call it deep.
It was born before heaven and earth, and yet you cannot say it has been there for long,
It is earlier than the earliest time, and yet you cannot call it old."

- The Crookbacked Woman and the Sage by Chuang Tzu
Translated by Burton Watson, 1964 Crone Taoism

Internal Mental Cultivation and Taijiquan

"The three educational schools are: Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism. These three schools are the most influential groups that have long dominated Chinese thinking and philosophy. Each of these three schools focuses on the philosophical development of human nature (i.e. internal mental cultivation) through comprehension and physical health through physical activities (i.e., martial activities). Moreover, each of these schools believes that the mind is the master of the entire being, and controls our thinking and physical activities. In order to reach the goal mental or spiritual cultivation and physical health, you must know how to protect and firm you essence (Gu Jing), nourish your Qi (Yang Qi), and raise up your spirit (Ti Shen). These three things are considered the three treasures of life (San Bao). Only if you know how to do these things are you then able to have a peaceful, calm, and profound mind to think, ponder and understand. Moreover, you will be able to perform you physical activities healthily."
- Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming, Tai Chi Secrets of the Yang Style, 2001, p. 138


Virtues and a Good Life

How to Live a Good Life: Advice from Wise Persons

Epicureans

Stoics



Tai Chi Chuan Classical Yang Style: The Complete Form and Qigong. By Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming. Boston, MA, 2010. 396 pages. ISBN: 978-1594392009. "Awards: Gold Winner, 2011 IP's Living Now Awards; Gold Winner, 2011 eLit Award, Finalist - 2011 Eric Hoffer Award, Finalist - 2011 USA Best Book Award. Taijiquan is a slow and relaxed moving meditation. It is also a sophisticated martial arts system. Through practicing Taijiquan, you are able to calm down the mind, locate your spiritual center, and consequently find your entire being. From the relaxed moving exercise, you can bring your physical body into an ultimate level of relaxation and natural ease, resulting in smooth Qi (inner energy) and blood circulation. This is a key to maintaining health and recovering from sickness. This book is an in-depth guide for beginners to learn Taijiquan properly. It offers a general plan for practicing Taijiquan, and then goes into great depth to present enough content for proper learning." If you have practiced a version of the Yang style based on the Yang Cheng Fu (1920's) version, as documented by Fu Zhongwen, then you will find differences from the Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming version of the "classical" Yang Style Taijiquan movement sequence.  The postures are the same, the sequence is somewhat different.  VSCL.

Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan

Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Short 24 Form

Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Long 108 Form 

Alan Watts

Cheng Man-ch'ing

Yang Cheng Fu

Maintain Your Vertical Center-Line

"1.  Develop your ability to maintain your vertical centerline as an axis from the Bai Hui downwards through the perineum.
2.  Develop your ability to always move fluidly from your center.
3.  Maintain your root so that you do not bounce up.
4.  Allow  your spirit and intention to manifest within each movement.
5.  Develop your Ting Jing skill in order to listen and perceive what needs to be perceived.
6.  Always strive to integrate the different parts of your body, as well as the different parts of your self.
7.  Always attend to stregthening the weakest part.
8.  Breath naturally.
9.  Like water, seek the most natural path.  Employ the least amount of force necessary for any given action.
10.  When issuing force forward, root down to the back and draw in the front.  When receiving for from the front, root to the front and ground down to the back.
11.  Remember that both life and T'ai Chi are temporary gifts.  Celebrate them accordingly."
-   John Loupos, Inside Tai Chi, p. 181

Rooting and Center-Line

Balancing on One Leg Like a Crane   Crane Frolic Qigong.  

Taijiquan Standard 24 Form in the Yang Style

Here are three very good Taijiquan books by Sifu John Loupos that I have studied for a many years.  Sifu Loupos has been studying and teaching external and internal martial arts since 1966.  He has a B.S. degree in psychology.  His writing is clear, informative, insightful, and very useful for Taijiquan practitioners at all levels. 

Inside Tai Chi: Hints, Tips, Training, and Process for Students and Teachers.  By John Loupos.  Boston, Massachusetts, YMAA Publications, 2002.  Glossary, resources, index, 209 pages.  ISBN: 1886969108.  
    
Exploring Tai Chi: Contemporary Views on an Ancient Art.  By John Loupos.  Boston, Massachusetts,  YMAA Publications, 2003.  135 illustrations.  Glossary, index, 206 pages.  ISBN: 0940871424. 

Tai Chi Connections: Advancing Your Tai Chi Experience.  By John Loupos.  Boston, MA, YMAA Publication Center, 2005.  Index, 194 pages.  ISBN: 1594390320.       

太 極 拳