If Tai Gong were a musical form, it would probably be likened to jazz: two ancient types of exercise blending into one harmonious form. The form begins with standing Taoist meditation and quickly goes into movements from the Tai Chi form, Qi Gong exercises, and healing sounds. For this reason, Tai Gong is a complete form that includes everything.
Because Tai Chi and Qi Gong are equally beneficial, Tai Gong was created to fit into the busy schedule of people's everyday lives. While Tai Chi provides stretching and balance in motion, Qigong provides slow, deep breathing. The final glue in the Tai Gong form is the healing sounds that send healing vibrations through the entire body.
Those who practice Tai Gong over a long period of time will able to pick and choose movements when they practice—depending on how much time they have and how they feel—much like a jazz musician improvising.
Tai Gong can be thought of as the Fountain of Youth, a dynamic synthesis of two very powerful and ancient forms of exercise combined into one fluid form. The form, which has three chapters like the Tai Chi long form, helps develop upward spiral movements and Hing Gong, or 'light work.'' This allows the practitioner to feel lighter and move more lightly, bringing our internal organs up from the downward pull of gravity and lightening our spirit.
Through practicing Tai Gong on a regular basis, one will experience increased overall energy, internal strength, strong legs, resistance to sickness and—most of all—peace of mind and happiness.
So now let us get Chi'd up!
Tai Chi is an ancient form of exercise, about 2,000 years old that at one point had over 108 separate movements. Described as "meditation in motion," Tai chi consists of a series of movements in a slow and graceful manner.
Qi Gong is an ancient Chinese system of postures, exercises, breathing techniques, and meditations. It is designed to improve and enhance the body's qi. According to traditional Chinese philosophy, qi is the fundamental life energy responsible for health and vitality and generates healing and energy.
The Healing Sounds are one of the common forms of Qi Gong, and involve the coordination of movement and breathing patterns with specific sounds. Each sound corresponds to a particular organ and these vibrations in turn message that organ.
