Tai Chi and Good Health

"Everything about Tai Chi is relaxed, deliberate and focused in the moment. The simple truth is, when you engage in Tai Chi you're temporarily disconnecting your awareness from your present life situations - be it family, work, friends etc. Think of it as a momentary retreat from life to regroup your energies. If properly learned and practiced, the resulting benefits of bringing your life energy into a balanced, harmonized and integrated state can serve to increase your vitality, reduce stress, better control your emotions, modify your habits and much, and much more!"
- Si Gung Tiru Sadasivam, Tai Chi Chuan

Yoga Journal Newsletter

I really enjoy reading the e-mail neweletter from Yoga Journal. You can sign up for the excellent Yoga Journal E-mail Newsletter by visiting their webpage. Anyone interested in Chinese Qigong will find much useful information in this newsletter. I'm of the opionion that Qigong (Chi-Kung, Dao-Yin) is a type of Yoga, probably older than Hatha Yoga from India. The earliest Yoga Sutra by Pantanjali (200 A.D.), does not have any detailed instructions on postures or breathing exercises. These instructions began to appear in published works in India by the 16th century. Chinese Qigong (Dao-Yin) postures and breathing exercises have a documented history back to 300 B.C.. I'm sure cross-fertilization of mind-body arts occurred between India, Tibet and China since 1,000 B.C..
In many ways the country, source, or time of origin of a mind-body-spirit practice is irrelevant to a person practicing in 2005. "Just Do It" and do it every day.

T'ai Chi Ch'uan Bibliography and Links

This bibliography and links list provides a good entry portal to the world of Taijiquan and Qigong.

Back Home Again

Karen and I joined our children and their spouses who all live in Portland, Oregon, for holiday celebrations. Everyone seemed to enjoy the festivities, fine dining, games, and conversations. Sightseeing, shopping, dining, and walking the streets of a big city like Portland is exciting for us both. We live in Red Bluff, California, population 15,000; therefore, going to Portland is a real adventure for us.

It has been raining for over two weeks in the northwest. Plenty of rain, but not enough snow in the mountains of California or Oregon. We have benefitted from over 8 inches of rainfall in Red Bluff during the month of December.

We went shopping at Powell's Bookstore in downtown Portland. They offer a very good selection of new and used books on T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Qigong, Yoga, Kung Fu, exercise, and Asian philosophy and religion. I purchased the book "Tai Chi Connections: Advancing Your Tai Chi Experience" by John Loupos (YMAA, 2005). I look forward to reading the book this week.

The One and the Many

 

Michael G. wrote to me 0n 12/19 and commented:
"Your work is very impressive.
I have one question: Do you feel the love from the one that is?"

I wrote back,

I feel deep and abiding gratitude for the love, goodness, beauty, knowledge, and successes in our lives.
I feel great sadness about the illnesses, tragedy, ugliness, ignorance, evil and failures in the world.
I try to act wisely on all of these kinds of feelings.

I feel love from the One That Is, and from the One That Is Not.
The One I am certain about is Many.

 

The Many Create and Elevate The One

 

"Simplifying our relations to things sometimes allows us to live
more complex intellectual and emotional lives.

Repetition and diversification are Nature's formulas.

Simplifying and simplicity are never simple matters.

The empty garden is already full.

The simplest garden is never simple.

It takes four seasons to know one year.

Complexity is closer to the Truth.

Diversity, multiplicity, relations, combinations, mixtures, complexity - rarely just one process or one thing.

Never just One: fruit, a hoe, the moving Sun."

- Michael P. Garofalo, Pulling Onions

 

"An agricultural adage says the tiny animals that live below the
surface of a healthy pasture weigh more than the cows grazing
above it. In a catalogue selling composting equipment I read
that two handfuls of healthy soil contain more living organisms
than there are people on the earth. What these beings are and
what they can be doing is difficult to even begin to comprehend,
but it helps to realize that even thought they are many,
they work as one."
- Carol Williams, Bringing a Garden to Life, 1998

Green Way Wisdom - Complexity

 

 

Green Way Blog Homepage
Blog Search Terms: Complexity, Gardening, Zen, Meditation.

 

The Spirit of Gardening - Garden Digest Usage in 2005

The Cloud Hands Blog, the Green Way Blog, and the Valley Spirit Journal are all publications of Green Way Research. The author, compiler, librarian and webmaster of Green Way Research is Michael P. Garofalo.

The main websites of Green Way Research are:
The Spirit of Gardening
Cloud Hands: T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Chi Kung
Zen Poetry
Months: Poems, Quotations, Links, Folklore, Resources, Chores
Cuttings: Haiku, Zen, and Concrete Poetry

Green Way Research publishes various websites at two Internet Domain Names:
www.gardendigest.com
www.egreenway.com

 

Annual Usage Report for: www.gardendigest.com

 

Usage Report for the Month of November 2005

Detailed statistics are available for the exact usage per webpage for all webpages at the www.gardendigest.com domain. All statistics are for .htm or .html webpages served; and exclude counts for graphics files (.jpg or .gif) served as part of these webpages.

In November, 2005, the usage report showed the following number of webpages (.htm or .html) served from the domain:

Spirit of Gardening 112, 523
www.gardendigest.com/

Cuttings: Haiku Poetry 35,444
www.gardendigest.com/poetry/

Concrete Poetry 19,597
www.gardendigest.com/concrete/

Zen Poetry 11,655
www.gardendigest.com/zen/

String Figures 7,439
www.gardendigest.com/string/

Total 186,658
www.gardendigest.com

 

Annual Estimates for 2005: www.gardendigest.com

Factoring in the fact that the summer months (June - September) have less usage than the October - May period, I can make a reasonable estimate of usage of the webpages (.htm or .hrml) at the www.gardendigest.com domain, excluding graphics files (.jpg and .gif) served.

In 2005, I estimate that www.gardendigest.com served the following number of webpages (excluding graphics files: .jpg and .gif) to people around the world:

Spirit of Gardening 1,148,000
www.gardendigest.com/

Cuttings: Haiku Poetry 362,000
www.gardendigest.com/poetry/

Concrete Poetry 200,000
www.gardendigest.com/concrete/

Zen Poetry 119,000
www.gardendigest.com/zen/

String Figures 76,000
www.gardendigest.com/string/

Total 1,905,000
www.gardendigest.com

 

The Spirit of Gardening website has served up over 8 million webpages from January 1, 1999 through December 31, 2005.
www.gardendigest.com/index.htm
and
www.egreenway.com/months/index.htm

The Poetry Webpages have served up over 2,298,000 webpages from March 1, 2000 through December 31, 2005.

The Cloud Hands: Taijiquan and Qigong website has served up over 1,240,000 webpages from January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2005.
www.egreenway.com/taichichuan/index.htm

 

 

Chi Kung - Standing Like a Tree

"This practice is part of an ancient Chinese health system of exercises. One of the first references found about this type of exercise is in the Huang-Ti Nei Ching (Classics of Medicine by the Yellow Emperor, 2690-2590 B.C. E.) which is, by the way, probably one of the oldest books in the medical field. This posture, practiced and transmitted secretly in martial arts circles, has been openly shown to the public since the last century. Wang Xiang Zhai, a very famous martial arts master of that period in China, made of this technique the base of a new martial art that he called I Chuan (Mind Boxing). He used to say, "The immobility is the mother of any movement or technique."
- Victoria Windholtz, Standing Like a Tree
T'ai Chi: The International Magazine of T'ai Chi Ch'uan: Volume 19, No. 6, December, 2005, pp. 6-9.


Zhan Zhuang: Standing Like A Tree. Rooting Deeply Into Tranquility, Power and Vitality. A Chinese Meditation and Qigong Discipline. Bibliography, Links, Resources, Practices, Quotations, Notes.
By Michael P. Garofalo, 12/18/2005, 94Kb

Opening Up to Playfulness

T'ai Chi Ch'uan is for me, among other things, a way of playing. Playing to lift my spirits, playing to meet a challenge, playing for delight, playing to show off, playing for exercise, playing for no reason at all.

"We are never more fully alive, more completely ourselves, or more deeply engrossed in anything than when we are playing."
- Charles Schaefer

"The true object of all human life is play.
Earth is a task garden; heaven is a playground."
- G. K. Chesterton

"It is a happy talent to know how to play."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sun Lu Tang (1861-1933)

"When a modern day "New Age" practitioner of tai chi speaks of the art as being "good for his health and a way to align his energy with the energy of the Tao," that viewpoint came largely from Sun Lu Tang. Or when pa kua practitioners walk the pa kua circle on a California beach and talk of how "pa kua forms are physical embodiments of the I-Ching," their ideas derive largely from Sun Lu Tang. Or when modern day practitioners of xing yi opine that "the five forms of xing yi interact like the five basic elements in Taoist cosmology," they to owe their thinking largely to Sun Lu Tang."
- Elisabeth Guo and Brian L. Kennedy, Sun Lu Tang: Fighter, Scholar and Image Maker.

Sun Style Taijiquan: Bibliography, Links, Resources, Quotes
By Michael P. Garofalo, 12/18/2005, 130Kb

New resource:
"A Last Interview with Sun Stylist Sun Jianyun." Tai Chi: The International Magazine of T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Vol. 29, No. 6, December, 2005, pp. 36-37.

Picking Up Leaves

As I played with the Yang Long Form, each of my steps crunched leaves under my feet. As I reached down to pick up the needle from the bottom of the sea, I picked up a few leaves from the gray winter grass. As I crossed hands in the horse stance, a fig leaf fell on my fingers.


despite fascination
do not be concerned
that form is emptiness
and emptiness is form
It is All
a brown falling leaf
no different
from
anything
else.

- Michael McClure



Last day of Autumn,
dead leaves dropping--
form is emptiness.

First day of Winter,
ditch completely dry--
emptiness is form.

- Michael Garofalo, Above the Fog

 

Green Way Blog Homepage
Blog Search Terms: Zen, Heart Sutra, Zen Poetry.

Green Way Wisdom - Zen Poetry

 

Returning Home

I was in Sacramento for six days. I took a YogaFit Level I retraining/reintegration workshop over the past weekend. Then, I worked for the State of California, Department of Education, Technology Division, to review Enhancing Technology Through Education grants for Round 4 and Round 5.

The City of Sacramento, California, is also the State Capitol for California. It was a lovely time of the year to visit the town. The mornings were cold and foggy, and the afternoons cool and clear. Many trees still had very beautiful autumn leaves - the yello ginkos were especially dramatic. I enjoyed meeting some new people and sharing activities together with them. A delightful experience!

SF Parkour

"Hi Mike! I have a question for you. I am part of a group called SF Parkour. Parkour is a new sport that is kind of like urban gymnastics. We run around and jump off, over and through things, trying to be as fluid and interactive with our (urban) environment as possible. Information about this "sport" (if you can call it that) can be found on our website.

We're trying to find a slogan for our group. I thought that starting with a cliché or platitude and altering it somehow to be relevant to our sport might sound cool, so I did a Google search for common clichés and found your site - a smorgasbord of clichés. Half way through the B section I thought well crap, this guy's thought about clichés a lot, I should just ask him if he's got any suggestions. If you have any good suggestions, post 'em, or email me and I will. Also, if it helps your inspiration, whoever's slogan wins gets $50 and a T-shirt. Meanwhile, I'll be making my way down the list..."
- Jeff, December 8, 2005



Meadlad Jeff doing some precision jumps over posts and pipes
at the creek near the UC Berkeley Campus, California.

Also, take a look at my post on "Walking the Circle."

The Art of Peace

"The Art of Peace begins with you. Work on yourself and your appointed task in the Art of Peace. Everyone has a spirit that can be refined, a body that can be trained in some manner, a suitable path to follow. You are here for no other purpose than to realize your inner divinity and manifest your innate enlightenment. Foster peace in your own life and then apply the Art to all that you encounter."

"One does not need buildings, money, power, or status to practice the Art of Peace. Heaven is right where you are standing, and that is the place to train."

The Art of Peace by Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969)

Qigong - Bibliography

Good Books on Qigong

Ch'i Kung: Bibliography, Resources, Links, Lessons, Guides

The Way of Qigong: The Art and Science of Chinese Energy Healing. By Kenneth S. Cohen. Foreword by Larry Dossey. New York Ballantine Books, 1997. Index, notes, appendices, 427 pages. ISBN: 0345421094. One of my favorite books: comprehensive, informative, practical, and scientific.

The Web That Has No Weaver: Understanding Chinese Medicine. By Ted J. Kaptchuk, O.M.D.. Chicago, McGraw Hill Contemporary Books, 2nd Edition, 2000. Index, bibliography, appendices, notes, 500 pages. Foreward by Margaret Caudill, M.D., and by Andrew Weil, M.D. ISBN: 0809228408. An excellent introduction to traditional Chinese medicine and modern research on the topic.

The Healing Promise of Qi: Creating Extraordinary Wellness Through Qigong and Tai Chi. By Roger Jahnke, O.M.D.. Chicago, Contemporary Books, 2002. Index, notes, extensive recommended reading list, 316 pages. ISBN: 0809295288.

The Root of Chinese Chi Kung: The Secrets of Chi Kung Training. By Yang Jwing-Ming. YMAA Chi Kung Series #1. Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, Yang's Martial Arts Association, 1989. Glossary, 272 pages. ISBN: 0940871076. There are newer editions of this book. Yang Jwing-Ming has published many other excellent books on Qigong and Taijiquan.

Refining Oneself to the End

"T'ai Chi Ch'uan bases itself exclusively on gentleness, softness, naturalness and bringing you back to your original nature. Daily training makes the muscles and bones become softer and more pliable, and it especially causes the breath to become natural. These are the results of disciplining and refining the ching, ch'i, and shen to the end of your days. How then can you consider dispensing with your kung or wish to suffer bitterly."
- Chen Yen-lin, 1932, Cultivating the Ch'i,
Translated by Stuart Alve Olson, p. 30.

I find that emphasizing the quality of "Sung" while practicing Taijiquan or Qigong is very useful. For me, "Sung" includes meanings such as relaxed, loose, pliable, yielding, responsive, open, soft, flexible.

The Circles of the Fight

"When you are in a matching situation with your opponent, there are three circles of offensive and defensive domains or territories. These circles are large circle (Chang Ju, i.e., long range), middle circle (Zhon Ju, i.e., middle range), and short circle (Duan Ju, i.e., short range). These circles are also called rings. In a battle, you should not stay in the same rign, which allows your opponent to set up a strategy against you easily. Your rights should be variable, random and confusing to your opponent. Not only just the size of the rings, but also the height of defensive and offensive actions should vary as well. When this happens, you will generate more confusion for your opponent and this will allow you to execute your techniques effectively and efficiently."
- Yang, Yu (Ban-Hou) 1837-1892
Translated by Yang, Jiwng-Ming, Tai Chi Secrets of the Yang Style, p. 24

Most people doing Tai Chi will be concerned about the following three circles. The first circle is the area in which you are standing. Where are you rooted? How is your footing? Are you stable, balanced, and in control? Are you safe? It includes the spherical area your arms and legs can extend to while keeping at least one foot rooted. The second circle is the area into which you are stepping next. Is it safe to step? Will you be able to stay stable, balanced, and in control as you step into one of the eight directions? It includes the spherical area your arms and legs can extend to as you step and move in a new direction. Will the first circle support your full weight on one leg as you move into the second circle? The third circle is the area into which you can walk, move freely, and move around in safely. It may be the whole area of a park, the dojo or kwoon, your backyard, your back porch, or as far away as you can walk.

Gong Fu

"Gong Fu is an ancient Chinese term describing work, devotion, and effort that has been successfully applied over a substantial period of time, resulting in a degree of mastery in a specific field. Although the term is synonymous in the West with martial arts ("Kung Fu" or "Gong Fu"), it is equally applicable to calligraphy, painting, music, or other areas of endeavor."
- Andy James

"The most essential factor is persistence -- the determination never to allow your energy or enthusiasm to be dampened by the discouragement that must inevitably come."
- James Whitcomb Riley

"We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort."
- Jessie Owens

Will Power - Quotes and Poems


A Blog to Visit:

Ghataka This blog features interesting commentary in Italian, a variety of quotations, a beautiful format, and some very creative graphics. The subtitle is: "In the Upanishads "Gathaka" describes the Union between Soul and Matter." Take a close look at the spinning graphic for "Om Mane Pade Om."

Tags: Qigong, Gongfu, Tai Chi Chuan, Mind-Body Arts, Chi Kung.

Motivating a Web Publisher

Kudos, Praise, Awards, and Feedback in November, 2005:

I have been publishing webpages since 1995, and remain well motivated to continue my learning and creative efforts. I find delight in researching and writing on topics of keen interest to me. I satisfy an ongoing desire to learn more about the advances in computer software and hardware. I enjoy the many pleasures of social computing, and in making new friends. It is very satisfying to develop a product or service that is popular with readers. Web publishing has enabled me to earn a good part-time income as a writer and webmaster. My professional development as a librarian (M.S. L.S.) has expanded greatly over the last decade because of web publishing. My philosophical interests are able to flower and bear seed, and my "love of wisdom" continues to grow.

I get email feedback from readers nearly every day. Many offer good suggestions for improving a webpage or blog I publish. A few disagree with my comments and ideas. Many write to thank me for my publications, praise my work, and encourage me to continue. Some thank me for helping them find something they had been looking for on the Internet. Some want to exchange links because of common interests.

I thank everyone who has taken the time to write to me. I answer all legitimate email messages sent to me.

Best wishes to you all for a fine winter!

Some of the kudos and questions sent to me are posted on the last day of each month in the Valley Spirit Journal.

The Spirit of Gardening website has a long kudos, feedback and awards webpage.

The Cloud Hands: Taijiquan and Qigong website also has an extensive kudos, feedback and awards webpage.

The Zen Poetry website has a kudos, feedback and awards webpage.

Tai Chi Chuan

This weblog provides news and information about daily additions to the Cloud Hands: Tai Chi Chuan Website. This website offers over 40 large webpages on Taijiquan, Qigong, Ba Gua Zhang, and internal martial arts. It offers numerous detailed guides to the Yang and Sun Styles of Tai Chi Chuan. Over 1.2 million webpages from this website have been served to readers around the world since January, 2003.

 

Cloud Hands Blog Homepage.

Technorati Blog Engine

Tai Chi Chuan
Taijiquan
Qigong
Mind-Body Arts
Kung Fu
Martial Arts.


AltaVista Bablel Fish Translation Options:
Enter: mpgtaijiquan.blogspot.com
For a translation of the Cloud Hands Blog:

English into French
Enter: mpgtaijiquan.blogspot.com and then select "English into French"
Mains De Nuage : Taijiquan et Qigong
Chi Ch'uan de T'ai et Ch'i Kung: Nouvelles, notes, ressources, et citations.

English into Spanish
Enter: mpgtaijiquan.blogspot.com and then select "English into Spanish"
Manos De la Nube: Taijiquan y Qigong
Chi Ch'uan de T'ai y Ch'i Kung: Noticias, notas, recursos, y cotizaciones.

English into German
Enter: mpgtaijiquan.blogspot.com and then select "English into German"
Wolke Hände: Taijiquan und Qigong
T'ai Chi Ch'uan und Ch'i Kung: Nachrichten, Anmerkungen, Betriebsmittel und Anführungsstriche.

 

Northwestern U. S. Taiji News

April 1-2, 2006. Tai Chi for Arthritis Workshop. Workshop led by Troyce Thome. Coordinated by Robin Malby. Pleasant Hill Community Center, Pleasant Hill, California.

Smiling Panda Qigong, Michael Eakin, Stockton, CA.

RSS Feed for Cloud Hands Blog

Walking the Circle

"Hidden in a remote corner of Beijing's Ditan ("Temple of the Earth") Park is a small area with gongfu enthusiasts practicing their eight directions exercises. The men (and all visitors to this area seem to be men) balance precariously on a series of bricks and stones, carefully stepping from one to the next, the best proponents able to make many rounds."
- Xiaming, Flickr Photos and Notes



Ba Gua Zhang is an internal martial arts style that involves dodging attacks and attacking while moving in complex circular patterns. A few practice Bagua Zhang while walking in a circle and stepping from post to post which are set in the ground in a circular pattern; or, walking on the ground between large posts sent in the ground in a circular or figure eight pattern.

Walking in circles for meditative focus is also part of the labyrinth traditions.

The symbolism of the eight trigrams also has relevance in this context.

Chinese Sabers

A reader send me the follwing email:

"About the Chinese Sabers .. . I have attached a picture of a saber?! That was "passedon to me." Are you able to tell me more about it, and whether it is worth me getting it restored ,and where in the UK is the best place to do it? Thank you kindly. I have learned more about Chinese swords in the last hour reading your webpage than I could ever have imagined."
- JC, England, 11/29/05

I am not qualified to answer your questions. I suggest writing to some of the experts, like Scott Rodell, and seeking some advice. Do some Internet searching for leads to sword/saber restorers in your area, and do some phone work through telephone directories. Mostly European swordplay in your area, but some of these people will be able to help.

 

Non-Interfering Awareness

"Because self-actualizing people ordinarily do not have to abstract need-gratifying qualities nor see the person as a tool, it is much more possible for them to take a non-valuing, non-judging, non-interfering, non-condemning attitude towards others, a desirelessness, a 'choiceless awareness.' " ... This kind of detached, Taoist, passive, non-interfering awareness of all the simultaneous existing aspects of the concrete, has much in common with some descriptions of the aesthetic experience and of the mystic experience."
- Abraham Maslow, Toward a Psychology of Being, 1962, p. 38

Both Taijiquan and Qigong emphasize cultivating this type of neutral, clear, open, aware, and engaged state of consciousness while practicing mind-body arts.

Taoism: Links, Bibliography, Resources

The Great Bear Moves Again

"Taiji Quan movements evolved from this ancient lumbering gait of a bear, unfortunately due to the linguistic drift and misinterpretation, the Great Bear Polar Circle remains hidden for most practitioners. If one retraced to an older practice of the Five Animal Frolics, one can still see the original lumbering Gait of a black bear frolic swaying side to side. If Taiji Quan did evolve from the Five Animal Frolics then the Taiji form must contain within its structure a Bear movement. Such discovery re-connects me to the ancient Complete Reality Sect of Taoist Ritual and opens my eyes to the depth of Taiji practice. That the very functioning of the Taiji form is a shamanistic journey of recreating the Heavenly drama of the Ursula Major constellation which contained the Big Dipper. With the Great Bear Rite as part of my practice of Taiji movements, this transported my consciousness to a level that is universal. My body became part of the Cosmos. The movements took on a numinous quality."
- Sat Chuen Hon, The Great Bear Star Steps

Life Energy

"The form of energy composing the chakras and currents in the subtle body is unknown to science. The Hindus call it prana, which means literally "life" - that is "life-force." The Chinese call it chi, the Polynesians mana, the Amerindians orenda, and the ancient Germans od. It is an all-pervasive "organic" energy. In modern times, the pyschiatrist Wilhelm Reich attempted to resuscitate this notion in his concept of the orgone, but he met with hostility from the scientific establishment. More recently, Russian parapsychologists have introduced the notion of bioplasma, which is explained as a radiant energy field interpenetrating physical organisms."
- Georg Feuerstein, "Yoga: The Technology of Ecstasy," 1989, p.258.

Standing Like a Tree

"This posture is often called the "Wu Ji" posture in Taijiquan. It is the resting position, the position before any motion begins, a state of "grand emptiness." It is the primordial condition - empty, free, motionless, without qualities. It precedes the movement of Yin/Yang both logically and temporally. The classics talk of Wu Ji giving birth to Taiji, emptiness transforming itself into the manifold of cyclic dualities. Our course, our bodies are never completely at rest: our hearts contract and relax, our blood moves up and down, we breath in and out, our two feet and two arms help keep us in balance as we stand, our mind may be calm and focused but billions of neurons are quite busy in our brains creating that phenomenon we directly apprehend as consciousness. So, the "Wu Ji" state of this posture is more symbolic, allegorical, or figuratively interpreted. Students should note that this posture is very similar to the Yoga posture of Tadasana - the Mountain Pose. We should stand like a Mountain: strong, stable, unmoving, grand, still, aloof, above the mundane, powerful, accepting but unbroken by the storms of ideas, and avalanches of strong emotions and real worries. "
- Michael P. Garofalo, The Eight Section Brocade Qigong

The Arrow's Gone Past Already

Zen's Chinese Heritage: The Masters and Their Teachings.
By Andy Ferguson. Foreword by Reb Anderson.
Boston, Wisdom Publications, 2000. Glossaries, name lists, bibliography, index, 518 pages. ISBN: 0861711637.


A monk asked, "What is Tongan's arrow?"
Daopi said, "Look behind you."
The monk asked, "What's back there?"
Daopi said, "It's gone past already."
- Zen's Chinese Heritage, p. 257



I started reading the literature of Zen when I was fifteen. 45 years later, I still can sit up straight after grappling with a clever retort, a puzzling non-sequitur, a zany twist on some allusion, a bold example, an illogical brain-lock, or a slap of cold water on the face provided by a confident Zen man. I still like to smile when pondering the mystery of whatever "It" is. I treasure the Chan playfulness, practicality, humor, and seriousness.

Anyone studying Taijiquan and Qigong will quickly come into contact with the legends and lore of Taoism and Chan Buddhism (Zen). A quick look at the sidebar on this blog points to some of my own studies in these areas.

Bagua Zhang - Eight Trigrams Boxing

"Baguazhang (Emei Baguazhang): Theory and Applications."
By Liang, Master Shou-Yu, and Wu, Wen-Ching, and Yang, Jwing-Ming.
YMAA Publication Center, 1994. 364 pages. ISBN: 0940871300.

Instructional videotape also available.
Chinese Internal Martial Arts.

Excellent introduction to the subject. Includes many translations of seminal Baguazhang texts and sayings. Index, glossary, appendices, lists of movements. Another excellent YMAA publication. This text includes many detailed charts of Baguazhang lineages.

One reader is of the opinion that the "8 palms Master Liang presents comprises the basic Baguazhang set that seems to have been taught at the Central Kuoshu Institute at Nanking. The lineage is Fu Chen-Sung's, and the form is also known by the name of 'Old Eight Palms.' ... The "Swimming Dragon" form presented seems to have come from Sun Lu Tang's lineage."

Cloud Hands Website Usage in 2005

The statistics for October usage at www.egreenway.com shows that readers around the world requested 144,910 webpages excluding graphics files (.jpg and .gif).


For the 2005 year, based on statistical analysis, www.egreenway.com sent out the following number of webpages:


Mind-Body Arts
Cloud Hands: Tai Chi Chuan and Qigong Website
Yoga, Meditation, and Fitness Websites
903,600 webpages in 2005


Months Website and Green Way Blog
602,400 webpages in 2005


Total for www.egreenway.com in webpages served:
1,506,000 webpages in 2005




I estimate that the Cloud Hands: Taijiquan and Qigong Website will have served 1,240,000 webpages to people around the world from January 1, 2003 until December 31, 2005.

Taijiquan Glossary

"Dear Mike, Great site! I have been trying to find an English-Chinese character glossary of the T'ai Chi movements. Do you know of any that might be found on-line? I have bought a Chinese book on t'ai chi but it is difficult to reconcile the terms with English (or French!) ones. Thanks in advance, and once more for the terrific website."
- Deborah K. F., 11/18/05

Deborah,

I enjoyed the book by Jane Schorre, "How to Grasp the Bird's Tail if You Don't Speak Chinese." Calligraphy by Margaret Chang. Berkeley, California, North Atlantic Books, 1997. 115 pages. ISBN: 1556433360.

There are many excellent English-Chinese glossaries in the great books by Yang Jwing-Ming, YMAA Publications.

For an on-line resource take a look at: Magic Tortoise.

Best wishes for a fine autumn,

Mike Garofalo

Eight Section Brocade

In 1973, archeologists in China excavated the tomb of king Ma who lived in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - 24 AD). In this tomb at Mawangdui, on the outskirts of the city of Changsha in Hunan Province, they discovered medical manuals, compilations, and a silk scroll on which were drawn 44 humans in various poses or postures. Under each pose, or Dao-yin diagram, was a caption with the name of an animal or the name of the disease that the posture might help cure. A number of the postures in the Dao-yin Tu closely resemble some in the Eight Section Brocade (The Wonders of Qigong, 1985, pp. 13-17).

Chang San-Feng's Treatise on T'ai Chi Ch'uan

Master Chang San-Feng’s Treatise on T’ai Chi Ch’uan, Part 1
A Taijiquan Classic by Zhang San-feng, circa 1200 CE:

“With every movement string all the parts together, keeping the entire body light and nimble. ”
- Stuart Olson

“In any action, the whole body should be light and agile, or Ching and Lin. One should feel that all of the body’s joints are connected with full linkage. ”
-Jou, Tsung Hwa

“Once in motion, every part of the body is light and agile and must bethreaded together. ”
- Yang, Jwing-Ming

“Whenever one moves, the entire body must be light and lively, and must above all be connected throughout. ”
- Barbara Davis

“Once you begin to move, the entire body must be light and limber. Each part of your body should be connected to every other part.”
- Liao, Waysun

“Move in an agile, balanced, and coordinated manner.
Once you decide to move,
The parts of the body should act together:
Feeling connected and coordinated,
As balanced as two feathers on a scale,
Strung together like pearls in a necklace,
Agile like a cat,
Lighter than moonbeams,
Mobile as a young monkey.”
- Michael Garofalo

- Master Chang San-Feng’s Principles of T’ai Chi Ch’uan.

“While making a stride, it is as quietly as a cat walks, and while putting forth strength the exertion is so mild, that it looks like reeling off raw silk from a cocoon. The movements, like clouds floating in the sky, are spry and light, but well-balanced and steady. Motion is even and fluid, the muscles neither stiff nor rigid. Breathing should be deep and even … the mind is tranquil but alert, with consciousness commanding thebody. In practicing T’ai Chi Chuan it is essential that movements be guided by consciousness and that there be stillness in movement - a unity of stillness and motion.”
- Official Chinese Instruction Manual for the “24 Movement Yang Short Form,”quoted by Howard Reid in his book The Way of Harmony, p. 90.

Yang Style Taijiquan Long Form

If you are learning the Yang Style Taijiquan long form, you might find the following webpage of use to you as you study and practice:

Yang Family Style Tai Chi Chuan Traditional Long Form
By Michael P. Garofalo.
This webpage provides a list and brief description of the 108 movements of the Yang Style Taijiquan Long Form divided into five sections for teaching (.html and .pdf versions available). The webpage includes an extensive bibliography on the subject, scores of Internet links, historical notes, and quotations. 120Kb.

The Yang Long Form discussed on this webpage conforms to the form developed by Yang Cheng-Fu (1883-1936) and documented in books by Bu Fu Zongwen (1903-1994) and Yang Zhenduo. The numbering of the movements varies from author to author, but the essential sequence and moves remains the same.

Northwest Coast Taiji News

December 3-10, 2005 Chinese Shamanic Qigong and Taiji Workshop. Led by Master Wu-Zhongxian. Workshop in Portland, Oregon.

Wu Zhongxian, Master. Chinese Shamanic Qigong and Taiji. P.O. Box 42366, Portland, Oregon. 503-936-3390 Email: qimasterwu@earthlink.net.

Northern California Taiji News

November 18-21st, 2005. The Eighth World Congress on Qigong and the Eighth American Qigong Conference will hold a joint convention this November at the Golden Gateway Holiday Inn in San Francisco. The theme of this year's event is "Qigong for Individual and Planetary Health: An Essential Balance."

Shaman, Allan Michael. Tai Chi Chuan Teacher, recently moved to San Francisco. Thirty plus years experience in Tai Chi Chuan and Qigong in US and Asia. Teaches Indoor Yang Style, Cheng Hsin Tui Shou, San Shou, Wu Qin Xi (5 Animal Frolics), Wuxiang Qigong, Tai Chi Sword & Saber.

Stillness

"The first level of stillness is about being with yourself in order to know yourself. This is accomplished by being wide awake and aware as you deliberately relax into yourself. The idea is to consciously enter into a state wherein you temporarily suspend everything you think you know about who you are, including anything you have ever been taught, and simply be attentive to what's going on right there where you are. You practice being quiet, both physically and mentally, as you pay attention to the sensations in your body, the various thoughts in your mind, and your current experience of being conscious and alive. You practice simple body-mind awareness, being conscious of the moment you are now in, and thereby experience with clarity the energy of you. You consciously experience yourself as you actually are. In this way you open yourself to a new, truer, less distorted experience of you and the world."

- Erich Schiffmann, Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving Into Stillness, 1996, p. 7.

Weekend Workshop: Mat Pilates - Breathing Out

I attended the AFAA (American Fitness Association of America) weekend workshop on Practical Mat Pilates. The workshop was from 9-6 pm at the California Family Fitness gym in Roseville. Roseville is 20 miles west of Sacramento.

Carlos Requejo, an experienced and highly qualified master trainer, taught us 26 basic Pilates exercises, led two workouts, and provided us with very good individual tips on the movements. We learned a great deal about the kineseology of the movements.

Pilates emphasizes breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. The exhalation should be a bit more forceful. One should exhale like they were blowing out a candle, blowing up a balloon, fogging a mirror, or hissing in the back of the throat. It is like "warriors breath" in yoga. The idea is to engage the deepest transverse abdominals and rectus abdominis when you exhale.

There are numerous specialized systems for breathing in Chinese Qigong.

Chi - Energy

"The form of energy composing the chakras and currents in the subtle body is unknown to science. The Hindus call it prana, which means literally "life" - that is "life-force." The Chinese call it ch'i, the Polynesians mana, the Amerindians orenda, and the ancient Germans od. It is an all-pervasive "organic" energy. In modern times, the pyschiatrist Wilhelm Reich attempted to resuscitate this notion in his concept of the orgone, but he met with hostility from the scientific establishment. More recently, Russian parapsychologists have introduced the notion of bioplasma, which is explained as a radiant energy field interpenetrating physical organisms."- Georg Feuerstein, "Yoga: The Technology of Ecstasy," 1989, p.258.

Saber (Broadsword, Dao) Swordsmanship

"The single edged, curved bladed dao, or saber, dates from around the 13th -14th centuries. The curved blade was introduced to China as a result of the Mongol invasions, and its popularity is shown by the fact that it had eclipsed the straight bladed jian as the dominant military side arm from the 15th century onward. The "willow leaf" (liu ye) dao is an old blade pattern which displays considerable variety in shape and dimensions. Generally averaging about 26 -30 inches in length, its blade curves gently throughout its entire length. The blade may remain almost the same width for its whole length, or it may gradually taper towards the point. It often had a sharpened back edge, indicating a higher degree of sophistication in its technical usage. A military issue weapon, its blade shape, size, types of fittings and ornamentation were regulated by documented imperial specifications. Each blade size was intended for a specific military application. For example, a relatively short dao might be used by vanguard troops scaling walls on climbing ladders, where a long, difficult to draw sword would be awkward to put into use. The willow leaf saber was almost completely eclipsed by the "oxtail" blade pattern made for civilian use by the mid 19th century."

- David F. Dolbear, Introduction to Antique Chinese Swords of the Qing Dynasty Period

Push Hands (Tui Shou)

"Push Hands is a relaxed, two-person sparring exercise that one may begin upon completion the Tai Chi Short Form. It may be considered as the bridge between the Form and fighting practice. Three specific techniques are emphasized: sticking--maintaining light contact with an opponent; listening--sensing the magnitude and direction of an opponent's force; andyielding--responding to an opponent's force partially by giving way, and partially by controlling or guiding its direction. The ultimate goal of the training is to reduce the amount of force needed to neutralize attacks, so that one may defeat speed and strength with skill."
- Chu Tai Chi, New York

Tai Chi For Arithritis

Robin Malby writes:

"For all of you who expressed an interest or signed up for Dr. Paul Lam's Tai Chi for Arthritis Teacher Training this past July in Pleasant Hill, even though that one was canceled, another workshop has been scheduled for April 1 and 2, 2006, at Pleasant Hill Community Center, 320 Civic Drive, Pleasant Hill, Ca. 94523.

Master Trainer Troyce Thome, from Southern California, will be flying up to conduct this level one and level two training. She is a highly qualified and experienced instructor. I will be assisting her with teaching and demonstrating and we both look forward to working with those of you who decide to attend.

You will soon receive a flyer in the mail with more information. If you are interested and wish to be included on the mailing list so I can send you registration materials as the April dates get closer, please contact me.

Thank you,

Robin Malby
rlmalby@aol.com
(925) 672-4315"

In the Cloud Hands blog and website, I focus on Taijiquan and Qigong workshops, events, seminars, and training programs in Northern California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. I maintain a directory to resources in this area of the United States.

Taiji Sword (Jian)

"Professor Cheng said that the Tai Chi Chuan he practiced was like a tripod: the form, push hands, and the sword. The goal of swordplay is to combine our Tai Chi quality of stable, heavy rootedness with rapid movement. Be as solid as a tree but quick as a cat. Work to develop a sense of root even when the form has you leaping off the ground. The ch'i sets the sword in motion. After that, like a hawk sailing on wind currents, let the sword ride the currents of gravity and centrifugal force."
- Wolfe Lowenthal, Gateway to the Miraculous, 1994, p. 26.

Eight Trigrams

Sung: Relaxed, Loose, Open

"First, last, and always the student must relax. Various calisthenics aid him in achieving this. All rigidity and strength must be emptied from the upper torso andmust sink to the very soles of the feet, one of which is always firmly rooted to theground. Without proper relaxation the student can never hope to achieve thetrueness of the T'ai-chi postures. The student relaxes completely and breathes as a child - naturally through the nose, the diaphragm being aided by the abdominalrather than the intercostal muscles. Man's intrinsic energy, the ch'i, should bestored just below the navel. The mind directs this energy throughout the bodyaccording to need. But the ch'i cannot circulated in an unrelaxed body."

- Robert W. Smith, Chinese Boxing: Masters and Methods, 1974, p. 26.

Sung: Relaxed, Loose, Open, Soft, Fluid Links, bibliography, quotes, notes.

Touch the Root of Heaven

Breathing Out -
Touching the Root of Heaven,
One's heart opens;
The Dragon slips into the water..
Breathing In -
Standing on the Root of Earth,
One's heart is still and deep;
The Tiger's claw cannot be moved.

"As you go on breathing in this frame of mind, with these associations, alternating between movement and stillness, it is important that the focus of your mind doesnot shift. Let the true breath come and go, a subtle continuum on the brink of existence. Tune the breathing until you get breath without breathing; become one with it, and then the spirit can be solidified and the elixir can be made."
- Chang San-Feng
Commentary on Ancestor Lu's Hundred-Character Tablet
Translated by Thomas Cleary
Vitality, Energy, Spirit: A Taoist Sourcebook, 1991, p. 187.

Poetic interpretation by Mike Garofalo of expository text of Chang San-Feng.

Sun Style Tai Chi Chuan

“In regards to the practice of Taijiquan, Sun Lu Tang often said that his teacher, Master HaoWei Zhen, would say there were three levels of development in the training of Taijiquan. The following are the three levels often mentioned by Master Sun:
“In the initial stages of practiceone will feel as if walking on the floor of the ocean. The movements will feel heavy as if all thewater was pressing down on the body.
The second stage feels as if the feet are not touchingthe floor bottom, but the body is floating within the water. The movements of Taijiquan willfeel more natural at this stage.
The third stage is when the body is light and agile where onewill feel as if walking on the oceans surface. At this stage achievement in Taijiquan hasbeen obtained”.
- A Brief Introduction to Sun Style Tai Chi Chuan,
Sun Jian Yun (1913-2003),Translated by Ted Knecht

Sun Style Taijiquan: Links, Bibliography, Quotes, Notes, Biography of Sun Lu Tang

Green Way

I frequently add notes about Tai Chi Chuan and Qigong to my blog titled Green Way which includes information, comments, quotes, links and bibliographic references on the following subjects: gardening, mind-body arts, Green philosophy, Zen, short poems, mysticism, wizardry, religions, Taoism, Yoga, meditation, and other subjects of interest to me. Therefore, there is a some overlap between the Cloud Hands blog and the Green Way blog.

Generally, my style of working is to keep my daily notes, research, ideas, and comments in my Valley Spirit Journal. I write this using Microsoft FrontPage, store my working files on my computer, and then upload every so often to the Green Way Research website. I back up locally to a CD. I can work on-line or off-line while using FrontPage. I then cut and past text from the Valley Spirit Journal into the Word Press (Green Way) or Blogger (Cloud Hands) text editor on-line. I think the Blogger text editor is better than the Word Press text editor.

The Roots of Taijiquan - Taoism

Websites and Blogs about Taoism

All Taijiquan and Qigong practitioners learn about the main concepts of Taoism, Chan (Zen Buddhism), and traditional Chinese medicine as they advance in their practice and understanding of these mind-body arts. These viewpoints and practices are intertwined with each other, support each other, and nourish each other like the interlaced roots in a great redwood grove. To truly practice Taijiquan, the Grand Ultimate internal martial art, is to follow the Tao (the Way), understand the interplay of Yin and Yang, and to seek to harmonize the body-mind-spirit in a higher synthesis of the Active Imagination (Carl Jung).

For today, read: Tai Chi and Taoist Thought By Kyle Weaner.

Alchemical Taoism Some detail on the Microcosmic Orbits.

Architecture at Wudang Shan

British Taoist Association

Chad Hansen's Chinese Philosophy Page

Chang San-Feng

China Related Links

Chinese Philosophy Page

Chinese Religions Links By Joseph Adler, Department of Religious Studies, Kenyon College.

Chuang Tsu (Zhuang Zi) Translated by Lin Yutang. 165 Kb.

Chuang Tsu (Zhuang Zi) Translated by Burton Watson. 110Kb.

Chuang Tzu

The Golden Elixir

How to Overcome Without Fighting

Hsing Chen Internal Arts

Hua Hu Ching

I Ching

International Taoist Tai Chi Society

Lieh-Tsu Translated by Lionel Giles. 148Kb.

Panlatrevo

Tai Chi and Taoist Thought By Kyle Weaner.

Taoism and the Philosophy of T'ai Chi Ch'uan

Taoism: Bibliography and Links

Taoism Information Page Includes a number of translations of essential texts.

Taoism - Sinophilia

The Taoist Blog

Taoist Canon

Taoist Immortals

Taoist Scriptures An excellent collection of translations.

Tao of Sean

Tao Te Ching Translated by J. McDonald. 54Kb.

Tao Te Ching

The Useless Tree

Blog Search Terms: Taoism, Tao, Qigong, Tai Chi Chuan.

Lao Tsu's "Tao Te Ching"

Tim Chilcott wrote to me yesterday about his new translation:

"I'm pleased to say that a new translation of one of the central texts in world religion and philosophy is now on-line, and can be read at http://www.tclt.org.uk/. The work is Laozi's Daode jing (or, as it still often transliterated, Lao Tzu's Tao te Ching). Whether interpreted as a book of religious teachings, or a political or sociological treatise, or a personal philosophical guide, the Chinese text has been translated more often than any book apart from the Bible; and this new version develops the experiment in translation that was initiated in 2004 with Matsuo's Basho's Oku no hosomichi [The Narrow Road to the Far North].

The presentation of the material follows the pattern of previous translations on the site: an Introduction that explores some of the special issues raised in translating the Daode jing, a Chronology of possible composition and promulgation, a Note on the Transliteration of Chinese characters, the Text itself (with original characters and pinyin romanisation on verso pages, and the translation on facing recto pages), and a section pointing to Further Reading and Internet Links. As ever, any comments you may have, whether critical or commendatory, will be appreciated."

Five Animal Frolics Qigong

Five Animal Frolics Qigong Links, bibliography, resources, quotes, and notes by Mike Garofalo.

"Hua Tuo's Five Animal Frolics," Zhou Lishang. T'ai Chi: The International Magazine of T'ai Chi Ch'uan: Vol. 29, No. 4, August, 2005, pp. 42-49. Translation by Yan Shufan. Part 1. A detailed article on how to do the Frolics. This version of the Frolics set was developed by the Shanghai University of Sports and approved by the State Physical Culture and Sports Bureau. This article includes set by set photos, instructions, and some very interesting illustrations from the Ma Wang Dui Tomb No. 3 findings.

"Hua Tuo's Five Animal Frolics," by Zhou Lishang. T'ai Chi: The International Magazine of T'ai Chi Ch'uan: Vol. 29, No. 5, October, 2005, pp. 42-49. Translation by Yan Shufan. Part 2. This second article includes detailed instructions and photographs of the form. Includes information on the internal benefits of this form and TCM meridian theory related to the movements.

These two articles are the most detailed printed description of a version of the Five Animal Frolics that I have ever seen. Approval by the Chinese State Physical Culture and Sports Bureau will greatly contribute to the dissemination of this version of the Frolics, the production of DVDs, VCDs, and videotapes on the form, and more widespread teaching of this ancient popular qigong form.

Eight Section Brocade Qigong

“Chinese medical chi-gung emphasizes soft, slow, rhythmic movements of the body synchronized with deep diaphragmatic breathing. The purpose of these exercises is to stretch the tendons, loosen the joints, and tone the muscles, to promote circulation of blood, and to regulate all the vital functions of the body. The medical school adapted many forms of ‘moving meditation” exercise for therapeutic use, including the ancient Dao-Yin and ‘Play of the Five Beasts’ forms based on animal movements, martial forms such as ‘Eight Pieces of Brocade’ and Tai Chi Chuan, and special exercises developed specifically to treat various internal organs.”- Daniel Reid, A Complete Guide to Chi Kung, p. 52.

The Eight Section Brocade Qigong, Ba Duan Jin Qigong, includes a detailed description of the movements, information on the benefits of each movements, a historical introduction to the form, references to books and links, quotes, and other resources. The webpages is quite large - over 330 Kb. Written and researched by Michael P. Garofalo, and published by Green Way Research, Red Bluff, California.

Luo Han (Lohan) Qigong

Luohan Qigong, Lohan Qigong, Luohan Gong, Lohan Gong

Shaolin Buddhist Qigong
Resources, Lessons, History, Links, Bibliography, Notes, Research
http://www.egreenway.com/qigong/lohan.htm

"One tradition is that the Buddhist teacher, Bodhidharma (448-527 CE), a famous Grand Master of Chan (Zen),introduced a set of 18 exercises to the Buddhist monks at the Shaolin Temple. These are known as the Eighteen Hands of the Lohan. This Shaolin Lohan Qigong (i.e., the art of the breath of the enlightened ones), "is an internal set of exercises for cultivating the "three treasures" of qi (vital energy), jing (essence), and shen (spirit)," according to Howard Choy. The Kung Fu master, Sifu Wong Kiew-Kit, referring to the Shaolin Wahnam style, says "the first eight Lohan Hands are the same as the eight exercises in a famous set of chi kung exercises called the Eight Pieces of Brocade." There are numerous versions,seated and standing, of Bodhiidharma's exercise sets - including the related "Tendon-Changing and Marrow-Washing" qigong set. Some versions of the 18 Lohan (Luohan) Hands have up to four levels, and scores of movement forms for qigong and martial purposes."
- Michael P. Garofalo, Eight Section Brocade (330Kb)

For a comparison of some of the exercises in the Lohan Qigong with the Eight Section Brocade see my chart on the topic.

The Luohan Qigong includes a massage or patting training methods, and this is especially popular among Yin Fu Bagua enthusiasts. Master Xie Pei Qi has a DVD out on the topic.

Tai Chi Chuan Workshops in Northern California

January 14-17, 2006, Master Yang Jun, Hand Form and Saber Workshop
Stockton, CA. Information Website: Raymond Tom 209-952-8582

January 3-5, 2006, Daoist Master Oleg Tcherne, Alchemy of Tui Shou (Push Hands)
Sacramento, CA Information:William Cranstoun 916-965-0575

Yin and Yang Philosophy Course

There's a new on-line course on Yin and Yang Philosophy at the Way of Perfect Emptiness. For more information about the course's outline and registration, please contact Sarah Cole at the Way of Perfect Emptiness. Other courses on Taoism are also available at this website.

Cloud Hands Website

This blog is for public notification of additions to webpages at my main Taijiquan and Qigong website: Cloud Hands. The website includes detailed guides to Yang and Sun Taijiquan,
saber and sword weapons, and numerous qigong forms.

Technorati Profile

Wild Goose Qigong

Stretching Like a Bird

“Breathing in and out in various manners, spitting out the old and taking in the new, walking like a bear and stretching their neck like a bird to achieve longevity - this is what such practitioners of Dao-yin, cultivators of the body and all those searching for long life like Ancestor Peng, enjoy.”
- Chuang-Tzu, Chapter 15, circa 300 BCE.

The Wild Goose Qigong webpage includes references to books, websites, videos, DVDs and instructionalresources on this popular Chinese exercise system. A list of the 64 movements of the form is included.Information on all of the masters of the form are included. Lore and Taoist legends about geese andmythical birds are included.


Blog Search Terms: Qigong, Taoism, Mind-Body Arts, Exercise.