T`ai Chi Ch`uan – Harmonizing Taoist Belief and Practice Harmonizing Taoist Belief and Practice

This book combines academic expertise and philosophical inquiry with the practical expression of Tai Chi. The authors combine eastern philosophy and the wisdom of Tai Chi as expressed through a Master. The result is a harmonious blend of Taoist philosophy and the everyday use of its principles through the Chinese art of Tai Chi Chan. The exploration of Taoism and Tai Chi begins by examining their origins and affiliations under the title of Beginnings. Subsequent chapters take up the themes of Harmony (expressing the duality and interrelation of yin and yang); The Way (which looks at the philosophy of the Tao and the path that leads to its practical expression through Tai Chi); Change (which examines the influence of the I Ching and the Eight Energies); Direction (an analysis of the Five Elements); and Energy (which explores alchemy and the vital energy of chi). The primary focus is on Movement and Stillness, which harmonizes the softness of movement with the stillness of the in