What Does Song Mean in Tai Chi?

Improving your Tai Chi is like climbing a mountain.  The four “directions” to help you reach the summit are jing, song, chen, and huo. In this article “song” will be our focus for reaching the summit. 

Song is frequently defined as relaxation.  However, in Chinese, it means “loosening and stretching out” the joints from within. To get to song: visualize and loosen the upper limbs, elbows, wrists, fingers by gently stretching them open. Stretch your spine by lengthening vertically. Hips and knee joints gently stretch outwards.  Opening in this fashion removes tension and results in controlled relaxation, improved flexibility, and flow of qi.

Song is not the “limp, collapsed, let-go feeling you get from flopping on to the couch after a long day.” In Tai Chi, even when you have achieved song, you continue to be “energized and alert.” Louis Swaim, in his translator’s introduction to “Mastering Yang Style Taijiquan”, warns that we should not confuse song with total relaxation.  Song is “the partial contraction of the musculature, which allows one to maintain equilibrium and upright posture.” Imagine being “suspended” from the crown of the head.

“Feng Song” or loosening of the body by relaxing the joints is one of the most important skills of a beginning Tai Chi student. Mr. Jun uses both “Feng” and “Fang”.  He feels it is the “first, most basic skill in taijiquan(sic).” The five skills (more discussion on the others in future articles) are the foundation to learning and training. These skills are learned slowly. Regular practice leads to more progress. Mr. Jun states that the body should be like a “solid piece of rubber, strong but not stiff.”

According to Mr. Jun, feng/fang translates to remaining under control, while song translates to “put something down, away from you.” Song is about moving all the joints without stiffness. He states that most adults and children are more stiff than they realize. Stiffness is hard to recognize but the effects are easy to see. A loose joint is “free to rotate or turn without hindrance or resistance.” Unless a joint can rotate freely, skill in taijiquan(sic) will suffer. Mr. Jun states that “Many people get the basic idea in their mind but do not practice enough to realise(sic) it in their body.”

When an instructor looks at a student and says “relax” and the student thinks “I am.” Taoist thinking means releasing “tension on a mental, emotional, and physical level.” Tension zaps our clarity of thought, feeling of calm, and energy. When our bodies truly are in a state of “song”, we don’t feel sleepy but “truly right”. Once we understand and learn how to achieve song, we not only do it through the practice of Tai Chi, but we can conjure it up throughout the day.  

Our first step is concentrating on our breathing and letting our lungs and abdomen fill with air. Being aware of our breath moving in and out will begin the process. We separate the upper and lower body and loosen the lower back while elongating the spine. Scott recommends sinking “one inch lower as you pull up the top of your head.”

Have we worked on song in our classes? If not, let’s do it. Try to be conscious of song before and during our session. And you may not realize it, but we are working on it at the end of our classes during our cool down, when we tense and then relax.  If done consciously, we have achieved song! 

Does Tai Chi Help Reduce Stress?

Our world is a stressful place. We are constantly being bombarded with “news”. We also have access to many types of social media. We can watch as people die, get hurt, towns get destroyed, and a myriad of tragedies in our country or around the globe. Then there is family stress, work stress, stress from illnesses, financial stress, and on and on. Did I mention how loud the world is today? Another cause of stress in the body. Many of us live in a “state of constant urgency” and never relax. Is it any wonder we have stress? Or we can call it “tension”. No matter what we call it, stress damages the body, mind and spirit.

Stress can lead to headaches, stomach problems, fatigue, heart attack, cancer, and the list goes on and on. How can we deal with stress in a positive way? According to James Anderson, in the September 12, 2008 Reliawire, Tai Chi is “recognized and accepted around the world as a great exercise program and therapy by even the “traditional medical community as an effective means of reducing stress by calming the mind and conditioning the body including greater balance and increased flexibility.” Tai Chi has both immediate and residual effects on the mind and body.

 Mayo Clinic recognizes the benefits of Tai Chi. In the September 26, 2018 issue of the Healthy Lifestyle – Stress Management, the staff writers call Tai Chi “A gentle way to fight stress.” The slow, flowing, gentle movements promote serenity. Even though you can learn it on your own, Mayo suggests having an instructor in order to avoid injury through improper techniques. They assert that greater benefits are achieved over the long term.

 In Open Door Integrative Wellness (February 9, 2016) Carla Kimball declares that we are “stressed because we live in our heads.” Stress speeds up our heart rate, our breathing, and our thoughts; all related to the fight or flight reaction. Tai Chi allows us to respond with awareness and not simply react. It allows us to make conscious choices about how to respond. We learn to stay “soft” when faced with strong emotions, fear, adversity, or anxieties.

 “Stress lodges in the body in different places” according to Taoist educator, Bruce Frantzis (founder of Energy Arts). He states that chronic stress has become epidemic. Rather than targeting a particular part of the body, internal martial arts (such as Tai Chi) target the entire body through the flow of the movements. According to Mr. Frantzis “Not many Western exercise programs can claim such systemic results.”

 Alternative Medicine Zone, January 1, 2009, states that Tai Chi exercises “bring your body and mind together to reduce stress.” During a stressful period, breathing speeds up which causes more stress as you are deprived of oxygen. Tai Chi slows and deepens breathing. Focus on body movement and breathing results in calmness and relaxation. 

 According to D. Chenchen Wang, Director of the Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine, Tufts Medical Center, “Tai Chi appears to be associated with improvements in psychological well-being, including reduced stress, anxiety, depression and mood disturbance, and increased self-esteem.”  Dr. Wang conducted a series of 17 randomized trials pooled with the results of 40 studies comparing Tai Chi with aerobic exercise. The researchers found that Tai Chi was more effective and that the longer you practiced, the greater the benefits.

 Is Tai Chi just for old people?  Not according to The Telegraph, a newspaper in Great Britain. Tai Chi is being taught in primary schools to help children overcome exam stress.  Children feel pressure from schools and their parents. Paul White, an instructor, generally teaches children from four to eleven. The Britain Department of Education launched a two-year research project teaching children about “mindfulness, breathing exercises and relaxation techniques.” There were numerous responses to this article. Quite a few responses outside of Britain thought it would be a great addition to our school programs.  Why not?

 Wouldn’t our family members, friends, neighbors, co-workers benefit as well? Why don’t you bring one or more with you the next time you come to class.

What is Taoism and How Does it Relate to Tai Chi?

Although you can find tons of information on the internet, some of Taoism’s (also known as Daoism) concepts are obscure and hard to understand.  I will try to simplify and condense it as best I can. Consider this the Cliff’s Notes version. Taoists never let personal desires or emotions rule their actions. However, to get a true understanding of Taoism (not my purpose here) you might need to become a student of a Taoist Master as many of the practices are passed by word-of-mouth and not documented.

 Taoism is a philosophy (some also consider it a religion - I will not speak to that) which began in approximately 500 to 300 BCE (Before the Christian Era). Tao means “path” or “way” which can also be interpreted as the road, channel, etc. Taoism relates to harmony, unity, complementary forces (Yin and Yang) and also emphasizes naturalness, simplicity, lack of selfishness, and often “detachment from desires.” It has also been called the “flow of the universe” with the goal of having your “will in harmony with the natural universe.”

 Some believe that Tai Chi is rooted in Taoism. Others that the “Taoist philosophy is the guiding principle behind T’ai Chi” and that Tai Chi was created by observing Nature in action. Are Tai Chi movements an “attempt to mirror her ways?”  Let’s consider that. Slow, flowing movements certainly look effortless, as does water moving in a stream. Water can, however, wear down riverbanks, rocks, and stones over time. This is a good example of Yin and Yang – soft and hard.  Soft can often overcome hard by slow and consistent effort, with little to no obvious force. 

 Tai Chi draws upon the Taoist principles of yielding, softness, slowness, balance, and rootedness in its movements in both the health and martial applications. The names of many movements depict the principles and the appreciation of Nature. Taoists were interested in astronomy and astrology and many of the posture’s names represent these interests. You will find most of these names in the Chen or Yang Family forms and less so in SUN.

 Taoism always seeks harmony and believes that everything is made of energy. What we consider “qi”. They believe that the energy needs to move constantly and that blocked qi causes illness. Tai Chi moves and unblocks the qi and moves it around the body. The result being better health, both internal and external.

 There is actually a form called Taoist Tai Chi taught by the International Taoist Tai Chi Society. This is a modified Yang form developed by Moy Lin-shin (a Taoist monk) in Ontario, Canada. Moy incorporated other internal arts as well to increase the health benefits of the form. The belief is that “people are innately good but that the nature of society causes people to become self-centered and to acquire bad habits.”  The aim is to eliminate those weaknesses using the Taoist Tai Chi set consisting of 108 movements plus exercises called “the jongs”.

 If you are seriously interested in learning more about Taoism, the principles and beliefs can be found in the “Tao Te Ching”, which is considered the most influential and ritualistic Taoist text. There are many versions. The original author was believed to be Lao Tzu (also spelled Laozi) a 6th century BCE sage. However, some scholars debate this. Some parts are thought to be older and some more recent. Either way, throughout the years and reincarnations of the book, many authors have also incorporated their ideas and beliefs. It is an interesting read.

 If you would rather read a lighter book about Taoism, there is an entertaining book called The Tao of Pooh, written in 1982 by Benjamin Hoff.  This is one of my favorite books, a so-called “Taoism for Westerners” using an amusing, delightful story to introduce the principles of Taoism. Most bookstores and libraries probably have a copy.  Otherwise, check EBay or Amazon.

 “The surest way to become Tense, Awkward, and Confused is to develop a mind that tries too hard - one that thinks too much.”
― Benjamin Hoff, The Tao of Pooh

How Can Tai Chi Help Back Pain Sufferers?

Ouch, my aching back! 

How many times have you said that in the past? Do you think back pain and age are related?  Although, it is typical to have your first “attack” between the age of 30 and 50, low back pain does become more common as we age.

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 80 percent of adults will experience low back pain during their lifetime. Low back pain frequently leads to lost work days, and is the most common job-related disability. A sedentary lifestyle can be a major contributor, however, there are many possible causes and risk factors for low back pain, just as there are multitudes of treatments, both conventional and non-conventional.

A 2011 study investigated the effect of Dr. Lam’s Tai Chi for Back Pain Program in 160 subjects between the age of 16 and 70 with a diagnosis of “persistent nonspecific low back pain.”  Half of the subjects underwent eighteen 40-minute group sessions of Tai Chi, while the other half continued their current treatment. After 10 weeks, 75% of the Tai Chi participants showed significant improvement in their pain and disability.

In a June 2017 article, Teresa Carr reported a Consumer Reports survey sent to 3562 individuals with back pain found people working with yoga or Tai Chi instructors, massage therapists, chiropractors or physical therapists felt they received greater pain relief compared to those seen by doctors. In addition, the American College of Physicians issued new guidelines for back pain in February 2017, stating that “nondrug measures” should be the first line of defense.

Ms. Carr cautions that you should be sure your Tai Chi and/or Yoga instructor is certified, and advises individuals to seek out gentle classes, rather than the more strenuous ones. According to Linda Huang, director of the American Tai Chi and Qigong Association in Herndon, Virginia, you need to practice and learn the movements and breathing in order to truly benefit from your practice. 

In the November 2018 Consumer Reports article “Natural Cures Your A-Z Guide”, Hallie Levine states that research suggests that Tai Chi “cuts the risk of falls in older adults, helps with chronic pain, and may ease symptoms of dementia, depression, osteoarthritis and Parkinson’s disease.”  She also recommends attending classes to learn to position your body correctly.  As we all know, Tai Chi increases flexibility and strengthens low back muscles. 

So, there you have it!  And don’t forget what Ms. Huang said about practice.  Learning the sequence and the movements are not enough to get the full benefit.  It’s just the beginning.  Regular practice is the key

What is the Dantian?

Tai Chi instructors may talk about qi, dantian, song, jing, et al, but do we have an understanding of what they mean? Let’s talk about the dantian.  

Regardless of how it’s spelled (dan tien or dan t’ian or dantian or tan t’ien), dantian can be translated in several ways, including, but not limited to:

• elixir field

• sea of qi

• storage area for qi

• red field

• energy center

• even “Alchemical Cauldron”

There is a great deal of information in literature about the middle (chest area) and upper (between the eyebrows) dantian, but let’s focus on the lower dantian, which is the one we talk about in class. According to most sources, the lower dantian is located in the lower abdomen, 3 finger widths (though some say 2-3 thumb widths) below the navel, and 2-3 thumb widths inward. As long as you know it is somewhere around the navel, let’s not get too technical.

The lower dantian has been described as “like the root of the tree of life” because it is considered the foundation of breathing, body awareness and rooted standing.  Moving from and placing awareness on the dantian results in movement that is fluid and effortless, with more strength and power. Also known as our “physical center” or center of gravity and balance, the lower dantian is an important focal point for meditation, qigong and Tai Chi, as well as in Chinese medicine. Students are often instructed to center their minds on the dantian to help control their thoughts and emotions.

While the lower dantian is believed to be the center of energy storage, it also serves as the connection to the rest of the body, and is otherwise known as the core. The core is an important part of the body in many cultures, medicinal practices, and sports and athletics, both Asian and Western.

There is a major difference between mindlessly moving your hands and feet, and doing Tai Chi. When doing Tai Chi, our feet keep us rooted to the floor (earth), the physical motion in generated in the dantian and expressed by the hands, resulting in smooth, purposeful movements. Regular practice and focusing on the essential principles will help you achieve this.

Your reward: A sense of relaxation and peace as you move smoothly through the postures; affectionately known as “getting in the zone.”

So What's All the Fuss About Fall Prevention?

What’s all this fuss about fall prevention you ask. Well, even when we are younger, falls can be painful and disastrous. But as we get older, falls can lead to disaster, physical and financial. According to research, an older adult falls every second of every day. Only one in four fall victims will report a fall to their doctor, and yet falls are still the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries. Like it or not, we fall more as we age. And once you fall that first time, the fear of falling increases your risk of falling, due to reduced mobility and decreased physical fitness. Scary, huh?

In a 16 week fall prevention study published in the August 2007 issue of the Journal of American Geriatric Society, 702 people were recruited to participate in weekly Tai Chi practice. Of these participants, 80% followed the Tai Chi for Arthritis Program (TCA). The study concluded that Tai Chi significantly reduced the number of falls, as well as reduced the risk of falls by approximately 70%. After examining more than 20 studies, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), in February of 2013, declared the Tai Chi for Arthritis Program an effective method of falls prevention. 

Stretching and strengthening your body through exercise can be beneficial. However, the October 2018 issue of JAMA Internal Medicine presented the results of a study conducted on 670 older adults (70+) who had a history of previous falls, impaired mobility, or both in the previous year. One group did Tai Chi for 60 minutes twice a week, while a second group did balance, aerobics, strength training and/or flexibility exercises. A third group only did stretching exercises. All groups “exercised” for 24 weeks. At the conclusion of the study, the Tai Chi group decreased their fall risk by 58% over the stretching group, and 31% over the balance, aerobics, strength training and flexibility group. In addition, the study concluded that if a member of the Tai Chi group fell, they were less likely to be injured. 

Why does it work? Correct and mindful weight transfer will improve balance and thus reduce the risk of falling. This is why we always put weight on one leg, bend the knee and touch down with the heel (not entire foot), then place the entire foot on the ground as we transfer the weight forward. When moving backward, we touch down with the ball of the foot before transferring the weight to that foot. Adhering to the principle of proper posture strengthens the muscles and decreases wear and tear on your joints, ligaments, and muscles. It also makes you more aware of your body, increases ability to breathe slowly and efficiently (which improves relaxation) and the enhances awareness and alertness. 

So, why are you still sitting at your computer?

Which Tai Chi Form is Best for Me

My first answer would be:  the one you will practice consistently.  However, let’s discuss the five major families.  Whether you choose to practice Chen, Yang, Sun, Wu, or Hao, you will still benefit in increased health, better balance and internal and external energy, as well as stress reduction.   The essential principles are pretty much the same from family to family.  However, each style has a different way of moving the feet.  The hand shapes are different as well (some open, some closed, etc.) 

Chen (around 17th century) is the oldest form and later styles derived many of their movements from the Chen style (or family).  The stance is low and movements alternate between slow and graceful and quick and forceful.   It is a fairly athletic form, emphasizing spiral force and requiring good coordination.

 Yang (mid1800’s) is the most widely practiced style.  The movements are more expansive and exaggerated but still slow, gentle, and graceful.   It is a fairly adaptable style for most physical conditions. 

 Wu (early 1800s) postures lean forward and backward.  Movements are slow but emphasis is on redirecting the incoming force. The stances are more compact than Yang and hand movements are interesting and lovely to watch.

 Sun (mid to late 1800’s) postures are different from the other styles and the hand movements are flowing and circular.   Steps are agile and often include a “follow step”.  The stance is higher and movements are compact and fairly easy to learn.

 Hao (early 1800’s) is the least popular style.  Movements emphasize internal force and correct positioning.  It has a strong focus on controlling the qi, is well rounded, and is not a beginners form. 

 Tai Chi is practiced in every corner of the world and there are many forms and modifications.   If you are a beginner or have physical limitations, it is important to choose carefully.  Keep in mind that there is no “perfect” form.   You may choose one and stick with it or you may experiment to find the one that feels “right” for you.   No matter which form you choose, enjoy the journey.  And remember, it takes regular practice to reap the many physical and psychological benefits that Tai Chi has to offer.  Repetition, repetition, repetition………………

Can Tai Chi Actually Increase Cognitive Abilities

I often tease in class that I am going to get a t-shirt that says “Tai Chi Increases Your Cognitive Abilities”.  Recent studies are exploring just that.  Does Tai Chi improve cognition and mental health?  Helen Lavretsky, a professor of Psychiatry at the University of California in Los Angeles has conducted many studies and believes you “can’t go wrong with Tai Chi or any of the mind-body activities because they help reduce stress and build resilience”.  

As people age, they frequently stop being active and depression often sets in.   Tai Chi is a gentle exercise that can be done by people of all ages and most physical conditions.

According to “A Sharper Mind: Tai Chi Can Improve Function” an article in Harvard Health Publishing’s Healthbeat, recent research has shown that as we age, the brain maintains the ability to grow new cells and connections and even increase in size.  According to Harvard Medical School studies, various forms of exercise “including Tai Chi” can help. 

 According to a twenty-study meta-analysis of Tai Chi conducted at Harvard, Tai Chi appears to improve executive function (defined as the ability to multitask, manage time and make decisions) in people without any cognitive decline.  In addition, in those already exhibiting mild cognitive impairment, Tai Chi appears to slow progression to dementia.   In fact, Tai Chi improved cognitive function in these individuals more than any other type of cognitive training exercise. 

 I’d better remember to get that t-shirt printed!

What is World Tai Chi & Qigong (Chi Kung) Day?

Perhaps you’ve heard of it, have participated in it, or have never even heard of it.  World Tai Chi & Qigong Day (WTCQD) is a global event taking place on the last Saturday in April at 10 a.m. (local time) in over 80 nations. 

 WTCQD has been officially recognized and or supported by numerous US governors, senates, consulates, embassies, government ministries and bodies throughout the world.  Events are held throughout the world including the United Nations Building and the Nobel Peace Center.   Exhibitions and “teach-ins” are open and free to the public. 

 This year, WTCQD falls on April 27 in the United States.  The purpose is to educate millions of people in the world about the many healing and health benefits of Tai Chi and Qigong.  It brings people together for the same purpose while also educating them about the extensive medical research on Tai Chi and Qigong.

 If you missed it this year, be sure to mark your calendars (and watch this website) for more information about WTCQD 2020.