T'ai Chi According To The I Ching: Embodying The Principles Of The Book Of Changes

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• Reveals the close relationship between the eight basic postures of T'ai Chi and the hexagrams of the I Ching.• As handed down in the teachings of the Yellow Emperor and Chang San-Feng. • Explains the physical and spiritual benefits that result from the practice of the Before Heaven T'ai Chi form.• An essential reference book for any serious student of T'ai Chi and the I Ching. T'ai Chi is a physical expression of Taoist thought--a philosophy in motion. The relationship between the I Ching, Taoist philosophy, and T'ai Chi is well established in many of the classical texts and teachings handed down by the Yellow Emperor and Chang San-Feng, yet it has essentially remained a mystery in the West. Stuart Alve Olson, a longtime student of renowned T'ai Chi Ch'uan Master T. T. Liang, shows how the hexagrams of the I Ching relate to the eight basic postures of T'ai Chi, and how together they comprise the orderly sequence of the postures in the Before Heaven T'ai Chi form. The practice of this form initiates a process of internal alchemy that allows for the stimulation and accumulation of chi through the major energy systems of the body. Physically, this process restores youthful flexibility. Spiritually, it frees the mind to roam the sublime Tao. Because the Before Heaven sequence of postures is the foundation of all T'ai Chi forms, this book provides valuable advice for all practitioners, regardless of the style they practice or the depth of their experience. An essential reference book for any serious student of Taoism, T'ai Chi According to the I Ching is an invaluable guide to how even the most esoteric aspects of Chinese philosophy are firmly rooted in a physical practice.

Paperback: 192 pages

Publisher: Inner Traditions; Original ed. edition (September 15, 2001)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0892819448

ISBN-13: 978-0892819447

Product Dimensions: 8 x 0.7 x 10 inches

Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #629,589 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #83 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > New Age & Spirituality > Divination > I Ching #336 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Exercise & Fitness > Tai Chi & Qi Gong #478 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Philosophy > Eastern > Taoism

Very detailed discussion of tai chi concepts, linking the techniques explicitly to the 8 trigrams, the five activities and five elements. The book is chock full of diagrams and illustrations that show these relationships, which makes it good as a reference, as you'll find few other books that lay it all out like this one does. Also discussions and presentations of the pre-heaven 16-movement form for both yin and yang parts, and the 64 move post-heaven form, the 8 hands, and the 8 stances as well. There's a huge amount of detail here also, which is bound to make it a little intimidating to some people, but overall a very detailed book although perhaps more than most people will want to wade through to gain an understanding of these concepts, since most tai chi practitioners are probably more interested in practical applications rather than an advanced knowledge of taoist theory. But at least some knowledge of that is necessary to become a truly advanced practitioner, and this book serves very well in that regard.By the way, a little history here and also by way of comparing tai chi with kung fu. Tai chi was developed in the vicinity of the Wu Dan mountain, and is one of the three internal arts, along with Hsing I and Ba Gua. According to the history, tai chi was developed when a master (can't recall his name right now) back in the 13th took the Twelve Canons of Chinese Boxing, a famous martial arts book, added the great Da Mo's internal principles and modified the postures, and created the first tai chi movements. In the beginning there were only a half a dozen movements, but these were later expanded.Although tai chi is known as a soft, internal art, it's not correct that it can't be hard. Tai chi is both hard and soft, but the balance between the two is different.

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