In the practice of Taiji and Qigong we seek the elusive, the “zone”: that mystical place where the body flows, completely soft, in perfect harmony and balance; there is no time or space; there is no thought; there is only flow, relaxation, and presence. The mystical zone is the place of doing without effort, stillness in motion, harmonious balance, meditation in motion. Finding the zone is a goal of both Taiji and Qigong – until we can release that goal too.
Learning and practicing Taiji and Qigong unfolds in stages. My teacher, Master Tseng Yun Xiang (Wudang Chen) shared the saying:
” The first 10 years you can say you have been taught a little Taiji,
the second 10 years you can say you have learned a little Taiji,
the third 10 years you can say you know a little Taiji.”
This is a process, a journey, an evolution of body, mind and spirit. How quickly you glimpse the zone is different for each person. Once glimpsed, with continued practice, we may gradually develop the ability to sustain the zone.
In the moment of practice
Moving into the zone brings together many elements at the time of practice. They each affect our ability to be fully in the body and to release our intelligent mind’s hold on us. They include:
- Relaxation – Do you engage only the muscles that are absolutely necessary to do a particular movement? Is everything else relaxed? Is your mind relaxed?
- Rootedness/Connection to the earth –
- Are your feet actively connected to the earth?
- Are the joints in your feet, ankles, knees and hips unlocked? Are they soft so that the Qi can flow?
- Are your shoulders down?
- Are your armpits round and soft?
- As you move do you stay single weighted? Do you shift your weight fully to the supporting leg before lifting the other leg? Do you place the stepping foot down empty and then shift?
- Mindfulness – are you fully present in the practice? Are you fully present in your own body? Do you pay attention to the sensation of movement in the body?
- Ego-lessness – are you aware without self-consciousness? Do you practice discernment but not judgment?
- Harmony of breath – is your breath in harmony with the movement? Do you find the space between inhale and exhale? Between exhale and inhale? Do you allow the inhale to begin and end as the contracting movement begins and ends? Do you allow the exhale to begin and end as the expansion movement begins and ends?
- Harmony of movement – each movement has its own perfection, its own synthesis of eyes, balance, weight, flow, movement, breath, mindful awareness. Have you found the perfection of the movement when all of the elements are together and flowing out of the Dan Tian?
When we start to practice, we first have to learn the external physical movement, then we can add the eyes, the breath, the associated visualization, and eventually the Qi flow. The place of harmony may not be evident, so we practice, over and over and over again. Eventually, when all of the elements are just so, we may get a first glimpse of the harmony of the movement. Then we practice a thousand times more until we find that harmony each time we bring the elements together.
When we find that harmony of movement, let go of our ego, and simply be there with movement and breath, we move into the mystical zone. Time releases its hold, the vision becomes softer, the sense of self relaxes, the body becomes the vehicle for the movement, and the spirit rejoices.
When we practice as a group, in harmony and in unison, we expand the reach of the zone. We generate a broader Qi Chang or Qi field. That field encompasses the group, whether the practitioners are together in one room, or spread around the world. Beginners can more easily access the zone when supported by the group. Teachers can extend their fields to encompass the members of the group who’ve not yet quieted their minds sufficiently to participate fully in the field. In this way a beginner can get a sense of the zone even if they can’t enter and sustain it on their own.
Many factors beyond understanding of the mechanics of a movement affect our ability to move into the zone and to sustain it.
- The practitioners starting place
- Frequency and quality of practice
- Breadth of practice
- Goals
- Quality of guidance.
The starting place
We each begin our journey from a unique place. It is not uncommon for people to find Taiji and Qigong when they are facing major life transitions. Illness, job changes, changes in family status, any life change that wakes us up and invites us to pursue a more meaningful or healthy lifestyle can be the ignition for change.
When I came to Taiji and Qigong, I had recently left the corporate technology world. My body was exhibiting signs of chronic illnesses. I was searching for a life of greater meaning. One evening a good friend invited me to keep her company at a lecture: An Introduction to Qi Gong. I said yes, and that evening met Master Chen (Master Tseng, Yun Xiang, aka Wudang Chen) who would be my teacher for the next twenty years. Over several years I gradually transitioned my spiritual journey entirely to the Daoist practices, became a teacher, studied to be a priest, lived in China, studied energy healing, and more.
When we start to practice, beneficial effects immediately begin to show up. Sometimes they are as simple as just feeling good on the days following practice. Sometimes they are profound and life altering.
At first, we may not be able to directly sense the Qi flow in our body or be conscious of altered awareness. These require that we rebuild our energy reservoir first. Over time, with steady practice, our ability to directly sense and experience the mystical zone improves. The first time we feel Qi can be an aha moment. At last! We no longer have to take on faith that the Qi is there. The first glimpse may be brief. With continued practice our ability to sense our Qi develops and grows stronger.
Here are some questions you can ask yourself about your starting place:
- Is/was my body healthy or do/did my physical and energetic foundations need to be rebuilt?
- Are my spirit and body united? If so, to what degree? Have I suffered trauma that has caused me to abandon or loosely inhabit my body? Do I trust my body?
- Am I aware of how I breathe? Have I learned to regulate my breath? Can I slow my breath and harmonize it in sync with my physical movements?
- Have I cultivated stillness of mind? Can I stay focused and present for extended periods?
- Am I able to bring movement, awareness and breath into harmony?
Be gentle with yourself. Starting begins with accepting where you are today. It is important not to compete with either an earlier version of yourself or with others as you begin your journey. Simply accept where you are to reclaim the energy that is otherwise spent on anger, regret, jealousy, grief and obsession.
Goals
Whether you are a beginning or experienced Taiji and Qigong practitioner, your goals help define the degree and type of practice that you undertake. You may simply be curious to experience this thing you have heard about. Or perhaps you have decided that you want to feel better and improve your health. Maybe it is part of a wider adherence to Chinese health practices that your doctor or acupuncturist recommended. Maybe you are curious about internal alchemy. Maybe you are integrating all aspects of Daoist practice into your life to achieve immortality.
It is not uncommon to change your goal before you fulfill your original intent. I have heard several stories of people who set out on their journey to learn martial arts to exact revenge on people who had done them or their family harm. By the time they achieved a degree of skill in their field, the desire for revenge fell away.
I have had students who started their journey to improve their health, fell in love with the practice and integrated it into their spiritual journey. Others, like myself, approached Taiji and Qigong out of curiosity and found themselves ten years later studying to be Daoist priests.
What are your goals for your practice?
- Are you just curious to learn about Taiji and Qigong?
- Do you just want to achieve good health?
- Do you want to learn a form?
- Do you want to become the very best martial artist?
- Do you want to become immortal? (The ultimate goal in Daoist practice of returning to heaven.)
In the Daoist world, focus on your own cultivation is considered to be the highest virtue. Through that cultivation you improve the Qi Chang for all others in your sphere. So set your goal. Whatever your goal, it is your goal. You are the one experiencing your journey in your body.
Frequency of Practice
Students ask “How much should I practice?”
The answer depends on the goal and intent of your practice. Are you just curious and starting out? Are you trying to moderate a long term, chronic illness? Are you training to become an immortal?
When I began my practice, I did about 30 minutes of Qigong daily. When my teacher was in town, we would practice up to 6 hours a day for a couple of days. When I attended intensive workshops with him, we practiced from six in the morning until ten at night with breaks for meals for a week at a time. The intensity and duration of practice varied widely.
Progress can be slow and steady or happen in leaps and bounds. This is not something that we can will into being or force. Trying to force progress only blocks our progress. Our progress depends on our ability to release the ego, release dogmatism, release the need to progress, to find the stillness within the practice.
If you are curious and want to experience the benefits you may want to start with 20-30 minutes daily. If you are trying to moderate a chronic illness, you may want to increase to an hour or two daily. If you are training to become immortal, you will assuredly want to train more.
It is important to note that “The negative consequences of mispractice can burn you up inside and block the flow of life force within.”[1]
No matter what your goal, strive for balance and moderation. There is a risk of Qi deviations if our practice is obsessive or dis-harmonious. Listen to your body. Seek guidance from an experienced instructor or practitioner.
I recommend NOT mixing forms or even doing different forms back-to-back unless you’ve verified that they are harmonious. Each form guides Qi through the body in its own way and different forms may move the Qi in ways that don’t complement each other. If you’re not sure, wait two hours between forms. Always allow two hours between Qigong or Taiji and Yoga practice.
As you consider how much you want practice ask yourself:
- Are you a weekend warrior?
- Do you practice daily for 10 minutes? For 2 hours?
- Can you easily adopt a regular practice?
- Do you need external reinforcement to stay with a practice?
- Does the amount and quality of your practice support your goals?
Ultimately our Daoist practice is about being in harmony with the flow of the universe. This means we adapt. We don’t hold too rigidly to any set plan, if we have to change the plan we adapt, if we miss a day, rather than beating ourselves up, we accept that we are human and restart the practice the next day.
Arenas of Practice
To gain and sustain the mystical zone, the body, mind and spirit need to be in harmony. The physical practices of Taiji and Qigong take us part of the way there but by themselves won’t take us all the way. Just as improper physical practice can create Qi deviations and blockages, ignoring the cultivation of mind and spirit can block our progress in the body. In order to balance our progress, we can integrate more of the Daoist lifestyle and Xing (original nature) cultivation practices into our daily lives.
You may want to consider:
- Embracing healing sciences such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, therapeutic diet and bone setting.
- Adjusting your living and working environments according to Feng Shui principles to be more supportive and in alignment with the energetic qualities of physical and geographic surroundings
- Intentionally cultivating original nature through presence and mindfulness practices
- Harmonizing lifestyle habits such as diet, sleep patterns, exercise and meditation with the seasons
- Consciously choosing the kinds of media, information, music, and physical environment to which you expose yourself to support internal harmony and minimize Qi leakage
- Practicing meditation regularly to improve the quality of essence, energy and spirit.
As you think about the intent of your practice, ask yourself:
- Are you cultivating body, mind and spirit in tandem?
- Is your practice solely at the physical level?
- Does your practice include emotional healing work?
If you decide you want to broaden your practice, you can start by changing one or two things at a time. Maybe you decide to eat a healthier diet, or to add meditation to your daily practice. We create new habits by practicing the desired discipline daily for 21 days.
I find it easiest to integrate new habits one at a time. I make a commitment to do the practice for 28 days. The first few days I just figure out the best way to add it in or make the changes needed to make it simple. Then I do the practice. Especially on the days when I don’t feel like it.
Guidance
Taiji and Qigong teachers are becoming more accessible these days. Between online offerings and broader in-person access, most communities now offer Taiji and/or Qigong instruction. I recommend finding an instructor that you like and with whom you resonate. It’s easier to study with someone that you like. You want to make sure they also have good credentials. so do your homework. Find out who they studied with. These practices have lineages and good teachers honor their teachers.
The Taiji and Qigong world has a strong principle of respect for those who came before, who have been part of the line that preserved the teachings over the centuries or even millennia. In some generations the practices had to be hidden and the teachers risked their lives to preserve and pass on the teachings. When we practice an ancient form and step into the mystical zone, we harmonize with the lineage.
Don’t ignore chance. I met my teacher with no intention of looking for a teacher. So, if a good teacher shows up, perhaps you are ready.
Conclusion
While all of these factors affect your journey, to practice Taiji you just have to have breath in the body. Zhang Sanfeng is credited with giving instruction in the treatise entitled The Tree With No Root for how to practice even when the body is broken. No matter your starting place, you can improve the quality of your life by embracing Taiji or Qigong. With practice, you can experience the mystical zone of stillness in motion.
[1] Laozi, (transl. Eva Wong) Being Taoist: Wisdom for Living a Balanced Life, Chapter 10, Heightening Awareness, Shambhala Publications, ©2015, pg. 101