principles Archives - Internal Tai Chi Chuan of NY

Zen and Tai Chi Chuan: How They Relate for Well-Being

Zen and Tai Chi Chuan: How They Relate for Well-Being

Two areas of study and practice that I find very important for me are Tai Chi Chuan and Zen. For those with an interest in either topic, I will share what I have found is the connection between these two important practices.

Zen, a form of Buddhism, consists not only of mindfulness, but also has guidelines on ethics and behavior. The word “ethics” relates to honesty and reliability in relationships as shown in words and actions, and a livelihood that helps others or at least does not do harm. The word “behavior” relates to offering kindness, compassion, and patience to self and others.

On the other hand, in Tai Chi Chuan practice there are few teachers who will directly bring up those matters of ethics and behavior. Instead, there is much focus on mindfulness and movement.

So, mindfulness is central to Tai Chi Chuan practice, just as it is in Zen practice. But what about the parts missing in Tai Chi Chuan study and practice, that is, explicit considerations of ethics and behavior? After many decades practicing both Zen and Tai Chi Chuan, I can offer this observation: Tai Chi Chuan practice leads to a greater sensitivity of the whole person. That sensitivity is a sensitivity towards others and towards oneself.

Just to be clear, this is not the sensitivity that leads to a person feeling insulted or threatened due to negative actions of other people; it is the sensitivity that allows us to perceive directly the inherent importance of self and others. My own practice has required overcoming significant obstacles in my own mind. Gradually, with practice and attentiveness, and with wonderful teachers as well as the truths of the universe as a teacher, I learned the great lessons, and continue to learn.

We can only be fully helpful to others to the same extent that our awareness is clear and sensitive, moment by moment. Buddha said, in an overview of what Zen / Buddhism is devoted to, “Do as much good as possible, avoid doing harm, and purify your mind.”

The first two phrases are what we would expect from a religion or spiritual teaching, but the third phrase referring to purifying the mind is crucial as well. As the mind becomes more pure, sensitivity increases. This is not moralistic purity, but purity that expands perceptiveness and empathy by removing barriers to clear functioning of the mind.

In Tai Chi Chuan, practice increases sensitivity toward oneself. And by being sensitive to oneself there is a natural connection to sensitivity toward others. Because we are all connected, we cannot treat ourselves differently from others, in an absolute sense.

Sensitivity to others means we feel connection with others, which relates to empathy, kindness, compassion, and patience. On the other hand, if we with the best intention focus only on doing good actions without purifying the mind and developing sensitivity, we will miss many important opportunities to do good and we may unintentionally do harm.

Both Zen / Buddhism and Tai Chi Chuan involve turning the light of awareness inwards. When we turn the light of awareness inward, we purify the mind, and as a result our good intentions and our words and actions work together, to positive effect.

In Tai Chi Chuan, the introspective practice following a fixed external framework (the various forms) as well as various two-person practices, increase sensitivity to self and others. When we have sensitivity, we have empathy, kindness, compassion, and patience. With that mind, we will naturally follow the ethics and attitude that is spelled out more explicitly in Zen / Buddhism.

When we open our doors of perception to the profound and beautiful nature of each human being, Tai Chi Chuan and Zen take on their fullest, most important value. Friendliness, helpfulness, patience, and all other virtues of human nature arise from this purified mind, guided by our efforts.

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Brain, Toes, and Fingers: Clues About How They Connect

Baby holding feet, curling toes and fingers

Brain, Toes, and Fingers: Clues About How They Connect

Highlights [bolding below is by editor here]

There are systematic but distinct patterns of confusion between fingers and toes.
Idiosyncrasies in patterns of tactile confusion are shared between fingers and toes.
Tactile confusions likely arise from high-level representations of the body.
Shared confusions may be a result of a common representation of fingers and toes.

Note by editor: important for us as Tai Chi Chuan practitioners is that there are innate connections between toes and fingers. The article is also studying pathology (“confusion”) between toes and fingers, but for us, the natural brain connection of toes and fingers is information that is more essential, and points to a fundamental of Tai Chi Chuan practice for most effective movement integrating brain and body.

Abstract

There are many similarities and differences between the human hands and feet. On a psychological level, there is some evidence from clinical disorders and studies of tactile localisation in healthy adults for deep functional connections between the hands and feet.

One form these connections may take is in common high-level mental representations of the hands and feet. Previous studies have shown that there are systematic, but distinct patterns of confusion found between both the fingers and toes. Further, there are clear individual differences between people in the exact patterns of mislocalisations.

Here, we investigated whether these idiosyncratic differences in tactile localisation are shared between the fingers and toes, which may indicate a shared high-level representation. We obtained confusion matrices showing the pattern of mislocalisation on the hairy skin surfaces of both the fingers and toes.

Using a decoding approach, we show that idiosyncratic differences in individuals’ pattern of confusions are shared across the fingers and toes, despite different overall patterns of confusions. These results suggest that there is a common representation of the fingers and toes.

Three Core Principles of Tai Chi Chuan, for an Endless Path of Growth

Practicing Tai Chi Chuan peacefully on the beach

Three Core Principles of Tai Chi Chuan, for an Endless Path of Growth

When practicing Tai Chi Chuan, it can be important to step back at times and revisit: why am I practicing this? and what attitude or understanding will allow me to accomplish the purposes or goals for which I practice Tai Chi Chuan?

As an answer for these questions, I am going to outline three core principles of Tai Chi Chuan. I offer these after 45 years of Tai Chi Chuan practice and teaching, and other meditative and active practices followed for a similar length of time. These core principles, while based on my experience, gain the most value when you the reader can make them your reality (maybe you are already doing so!), rather than only reading the concepts.

The good news is that we arrive at the destination with each step on the path, meaning that even a beginner can create benefits for themselves as they start to concentrate on the essence of Tai Chi Chuan. In a sense, we are always at the beginning moment of our next journey.

So, here are fundamental principles that describe three essential aspects of Tai Chi Chuan practice:

Action originates in the brain, and expresses in the toes and fingers. Every other part of the body stays loose and free in order to fully support the brain’s determination as expressed in our toes’ connection to the Earth and our fingers’ extension through the air. The whole foot supports the action of the toes, and the whole hand supports the action of the fingers.
Fulfilling function of body / brain requires both a deep release, and an awake energizing. With only release, we cannot accomplish our goals and may experience depression. With only energizing, we cannot enjoy the goals we accomplish and may experience anxiety.
The language of the brain is fundamentally frictionless and spacious. When we drop the conflicting mind and its associated tensions, the language of the brain can be perceived by others and by oneself, and we can accomplish and enjoy more with less stress.

I will be writing more about each of these three principles, to clarify how they are part of everyday life for all of us.

With practice, we are on an endless path of growth. May we all share in and enjoy the benefits of this practice.