10. Tai Chi Chi Kung I
Tai Chi is said to have been originally developed around the year 1644 by Chen Wan-Ting, the head of the Chen family. In the nineteenth century, the Chen style was developed by the Yang family (Yang style) and then passed down in numerous variations to the present day.
Since the late sixties, Tai Chi began to attract the attention of the public in Germany as well. Since then it has spread continuously, so that today it is one of the most widely practised forms of health exercise.
Despite the multitude of styles and variations, the basic principles of all Tai Chi forms are essentially the same:
1. Concentrate mind and chi;
2. Relax in movement, feeling the fullness (yang) and emptiness (yin);
3. Keep the body rooted in the ground and the centre of gravity low;
4. Align the skeleton with the forces of heaven and earth;
5. Allow chi to circulate and move smoothly, fluidly and in perfect coordination.
Mantak Chia's school is about the Tai Chi form of the Thirteen Forms of Movement, called Tai Chi Chi Kung. The Thirteen Movement Forms are simple in structure, but contain the essence of Tai Chi. The form is so compact that it can be practised even in smaller rooms. It is performed in four cardinal directions: Guided by the left hand, the sequence begins in the direction of the north and then continues in a counterclockwise direction; afterwards, guided by the right hand, one returns in a clockwise direction. Because the left-handed and right-handed forms follow each other, this Tai Chi form can be repeated at will.