Tai Chi Chuan As Meditation

William C. Phillips

In order to understand Tai Chi Chuan as meditation, it is first necessary to have a

working definition of meditation. This obtained, we can see how Tai Chi Chuan
fits that definition and exactly what it is about Tai Chi Chuan that is meditation.
The definition of meditation that I use is the following: Meditation is the process of
conscious, controlled focus of the mind which may take place when the thinking
processes, both in pictures and in words, have been stopped.
In our examination of Tai Chi Chuan as meditation, it is necessary to introduce
and define one additional term: satipatthana (progressive attrition) exercise. The
purpose of a satipatthana exercise is to quiet the mind-- to get it to stop output-but keep it busy with inputs until it develops a habit of becoming quiet ( refraining
from all thought ) during the exercise. When this has been achieved, the mind is
ready to begin to meditate.
Meditation breaks down into two varieties, which, to use terminology which will
be readily understood by Tai Chi Chuan practitioners, may be termed yin and
yang meditation.
Yin meditation is the clearing of the mind of all thought, both pictures and words,
and the holding of that mind in a focused and alert state.
Yang meditation is the concentrated focusing of the mind on something. The
"something" can have almost infinite variety. Common subjects of this type of
meditation are: mantras, chakras, colors, shapes, prayers, and affirmations.
Having defined what meditation is, I think it is important to reaffirm what
meditation is not. Contrary to persistent and popular misconception, meditation is
not a trance state, a sleep state, nor a state of nothingness. Meditators, if
successful, are always alert, relaxed, and in control of their minds.
Correlating these concepts with our practice of Tai Chi Chuan, several points
become apparent:
1. The serious student of Tai Chi Chuan is practicing a satipatthana, whether that
student is aware of it or not.
2. Tai-chi Chuan, as a satipatthana, can be an extremely complete discipline. In
addition to body movement, the student may also be aware of the tan tien, the
breath, the straightness of the spine, the texture of air that one is moving
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through, the flow of the chi throughout the body and the root, to name a few of
the more obvious subjects of attention.
3. When a reasonable ability at the skill involved in Tai Chi Chuan as satipatthana
has been attained, there will be two results:
a. The mind will monitor all the things mentioned with a small part of its attention.
b. During the process of attaining that ability, the mind will have developed the
habit of becoming quiet during the practice of Tai Chi Chuan.
4. The ability to do yin meditation during the practice of Tai Chi Chuan will result.
I find Tai Chi Chuan to be an extremely valuable tool in the practice of meditation
because within one form, one exercise, one discipline, you have both a potent yin
meditation and a complex satipatthana. The shift from. satipatthana to meditation
is completely internal, with no shift in outward physical activity. Because of this
the process can flow progressively from one to the other as mastery develops.
Up to this point, I have explained how and why Tai Chi Chuan is a valuable
meditative practice. However, the consideration of Tai Chi Chuan as meditation is
by no means unique to me.
In the early 1970's my Tai Chi Chuan master, Cheng Man-Ch'ing, was asked if he
meditated. His answer was that he did Tai Chi Chuan. When pressed if he did
seated meditation, he answered that he did not. He stated that Tai Chi Chuan
was all the meditation that he ever needed. While I never again heard Professor
Cheng mention meditation as such, he would occasionally tell us to keep our
minds empty of thought during our practice of Tai Chi Chuan. To keep one's mind
empty, you will recall, is by definition, yin meditation.
By way of conclusion, let me say that I am fully cognizant of the fact that many
people practice Tai Chi Chuan form exclusively for health or as a prelude to Push
Hands or self defense. As many of the people do not make any particular effort to
keep their minds empty during their practice of Tai Chi Chuan, for them Tai Chi
Chuan is probably not meditation.
I am not, therefore, trying to say that Tai Chi Chuan must be, or even should be,
a meditation for everyone. I have merely tried to show how and why Tai Chi
Chuan is meditation, and as such, can be of value in one's mental and spiritual
as well as one's physical discipline.