subject: The Mental Training in Tai Chi Chuan [print this page] The Mental Training in Tai Chi Chuan The Mental Training in Tai Chi Chuan
Tai chi chuan as a martial art is unique in that right from the first lesson the novice student is taught to use his mind as well as his body.
Visualizations
Although the beginner finds that the majority of his attention is focused on training the body, he is also presented with 'visualizations' and images which are essential if he is truly to grasp the essence of the art. For example, an image the student is asked to use is that of swimming in the air. This helps to give him the feeling of working against a gentle but sustained resistance when doing the form, and of actually learning how to feel the effects of gravity on human movement - a natural prerequisite of which is total relaxation.
Through using imagery the student is stimulated into making improvement in the right direction. This emphasis on the use of both mind and body makes tai chi chuan not only a complete art but also an interesting and continually exciting discipline.
Mental intent
One further aspect of mental training in tai chi chuan is the use of 'Yi', which is best translated as 'mental intent'. According to the classics, 'where the intent goes, the Qi follows'. Thus it is of vital importance that the practitioner uses the mind to move the body. For this same reason the student needs to know the martial applications of the movements, because only by doing so will he know where his intent should be focused, and where the intent is focused is where the internal energy flows to. So, if your purpose in learning the art is to improve your health, the model of the body presented by Chinese medicine should be followed whereby Qi flow and its disruption are factors affecting the state of the bodies health. It is obviously essential that your mind should know exactly what your body is supposed to be doing and why.
This mental state is developed through constant practice of the form. The beginner is taught to practice continually until the movements become second-nature, while the mind simultaneously relaxes and concentrates on all the visualizations it has to use. The process is very much like learning to drive a car, where the beginner has to focus all his attention on physical and mental skills. As he becomes more competent and confident, he can perform simultaneously a quite complex number of tasks while having a conversation or listening to the radio. In fact, this relaxed mental and physical state which is so characteristic of form practice is exactly the state most conducive to fast reflexive response. The conscious mind is restricted from interfering with the reflexes by the relaxed state, while the relaxed body prevents the restraint imposed on fast reflexes by tight, constricted muscles.
The importance of having a relaxed mind is constantly stressed, and it becomes doubly important when fighting, because without it tai chi chuan becomes simply a poorly-trained simulacrum of an external art. This mental attitude may only effectively be developed through constant repetition of the form. A by-product of the training then becomes a more relaxed attitude towards life as a whole, together with an increased ability to cope with a wide range of crisis experiences.
By constantly training himself to place his mind in the Dantian, the practitioner gains the ability to make himself more rooted and to give the impression of actually being physically heavier. Of course, what he is doing through this process is becoming acutely aware of the center of gravity, which also corresponds to the heaviest part of the body. By being aware of the way the waist is used during practice, he can ensure that all movements have the weight of the whole body behind them. At the same time the student is learning how to co-ordinate mind and body.
Moving away from the specifics of form practice to a more general examination of the art of tai chi chuan as a whole, it can be seen that the structured range of activities, the emphasis on use of both body and mind, and the opportunities provided for non-competitive and constructive social interaction all combine to create a system which develops a healthy, balanced mental outlook.
The mind in pushing hands
It is, however, in the practice of pushing hands that the practitioner becomes most aware of the importance of the mind, for without intelligent and discerning use of mental skills developed through form practice true pushing hands' skill cannot easily be acquired. As has been mentioned earlier, while the form teaches a student how to relax in a comparatively comfortable situation, pushing hands provides him with the opportunity to learn how to relax under pressure.
The first aspect of the importance of the mind in pushing hands which the student learns is that one must be continually aware. The state of the mind is expressed through the body, and even the most momentary lapse in concentration will result in the practitioner becoming vulnerable. As mentioned earlier, by thinking of the Dantian, the body seems to become heavier, because concentration is focused on the center of gravity. The pushing hands practitioner soon finds that both his defensive and offensive capabilities are greatly improved by this simple visualization, as it tends to cause all the movement of the body to originate from the waist, and reduces the emphasis on the arms and hands.
There is a saying in Cheng Man Ching tai chi chuan that in the art 'there are no hands'; what this means in practical terms is that all movement comes from the waist. The reason is that if the student attempts to use the strength of the arms, the motivating power tends to come from the shoulders. This tension in the shoulders prevents following the tai chi chuan principle that 'the power is rooted in the feet, controlled by the waist, and expressed through the fingers'. When practicing the solo form, the student is told to imagine that all of the joints of the body are opened up to facilitate the process.
The mind is also used extensively to develop the 'root'. By imagining that the feet are rooted in the ground, the practitioner gradually gains the ability to relax his body so that it becomes a conduit for the opponent's force. Through careful body-positioning, the force is directed down through the feet into the ground. The practitioner then uses the force of the ground, again by skilful manipulation of body mechanics, to strike the opponent. In the classics the process is described as 'borrowing the strength of the earth and the Qi of the heavens'. In this way, physical size becomes relatively unimportant, as the practitioner is always striving to 'use' the ground.
Use of the mind is also important at another level in the practice of pushing hands. Once the basic physical skills have been mastered, the student is forced to analyze the strategies and tactics needed to deal with specific individuals. So, if, for example, your opponent is taller and stronger than you, your response will be different than if he were smaller and weaker.
This necessity for thoughtful practice if you are to be successful against a wide range of opponents promotes a mental flexibility which students often find of benefit in all areas of their life.
