T Ai Chi According To The I Ching

Provides a step-by-step photographic guide to each posture in the Before Heaven T'ai Chi form and illustrates the 64 postures of the After Heaven T'ai Chi form. Also includes discussion of the universal principals of the pratice of T'ai Chi and the philosophy of the I Ching.

• 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.

This book, first published in 1974, explains the connections between T’ai Chi Ch’uan and I Ching and shows that they are the keys by which the theoretical philosophy of Taoism can be converted to a practical way of knowledge. This careful and helpful guide is designed for all those who want to know and follow a Chinese way to health of body and depth of mind.

Tai Chi Changes is the long-awaited followup to Stuart Alve Olson's T'ai Chi According to the I Ching: Embodying the Principals of the Book of Changes. That book focuses on the 16-posture Yi Tai Chi form which is part of the 64-posture form taught in this work.These 16- and 64-posture arrangements are Yang Style Taijiquan forms based on the workings of the Book of Changes. The 16-posture sequence relates to patterns of movement according to the Eight Trigrams, while the 64-posture form relates to a unique organization of the 64 Hexagrams. Stuart collectively refers to this style of Taijiquan as Yi Tai Chi (Tai Chi Changes), with the 16-posture form's full title being the Before Heaven Yi Tai Chi Form and the 64-posture form as the After Heaven Yi Tai Chi Form.Along with the descriptions for each count (or part) of a posture, the book includes photos showing the hand and arm positions as well as foot diagrams that provide a top-down view of the specific Taijiquan stance, the direction the body faces at the end of each count (in the highlighted trigram image), and which foot is carrying the weight (indicated by a white dot in the foot icons). Seeing the diagrams along with the photos of Stuart Olson are extremely helpful, not only for learning each posture but also to have as a quick reference guide for any particular section of the form. The posture photos and diagrams add to the instructions by showing stances and arm positions without having to constantly repeat such details in the text. At the end of each posture is a comprehensive chart diagramming every count in the After Heaven Yi Tai Chi Form. Just from the posture photos, foot and stance diagrams, and the posture summary charts, a great deal of detailed information is available for long-term study and mastery of Yi Tai Chi.Serving as the foundational work and source book of the entire Yi Tai Chi system-which Valley Spirit Arts teaches through online courses, workshops, and private lessons-Tai Chi Changes is as much for beginners as it is for the more advanced students of Taijiquan. All readers will acquire a great deal of information.

Tai Chi Chuan is one of the oldest school of Chinese Martial Arts, as it is also one of the most popular exercise around over all the world. Tai Chi Chuan can be practiced by people of all ages. By the practice of slow and soft movements of Tai Chi Chuan you can get a mental peace and a top physical condition. The word Tai Chi comes originally from one of the oldest books in Chinese literature: I-Ching or the "Book of Changes". The concept of this philosophy dates from more or less 3,000 B.C.; according to I-Ching, Tai Chi gives origin to two basic concepts: Yin and Yang; Yin represents softness, weakness, the feminine, Earth, Moon, Night, sadness the negative and all the dark side of matter, Yang represent hardness, strength, masculine, heaven, day, Sun, happiness the positive and the bright side of matter

This comprehensive introduction to Tai Chi includes a discussion of all the main Tai Chi styles and explains the difference between the various lineages.