CM 819 - Taiji I Practicum

Credit(s): 1.50

Tàijíquán 太極拳 is an exercise used to cultivate the unification of yīn 陰 and yáng 陽 within the self. This course covers the concepts and movements of various styles of Tàijíquán, in particular the Yang, Chen and Sun styles. It introduces the student to the concept of zhuāng gōng 樁功, the foundational ”posting” meditation exercise practiced by the Zhēn rén 真人 (often called the ”immortals”) mentioned in the Huangdi Neijing Suwen 黃帝內經素問. Zhuāng gōng 樁功 includes moving, standing, sitting and laying postures in which the student begins to find motion within stillness and stillness within motion 靜中有動，動中有靜. It offers an opportunity for the student to engage with the concept of wúwéi 無為 or ”effortlessness.”

This class also touches on the Tàijí Nèigōng 太極內功, or the Internal Art and the concepts of jīng-qì-shén 精氣神 (the three treasures) as well as pí-jìn-gù 皮筋骨 (skin, tendons and bone). This instruction gives students the framework needed to continue cultivating a balance between yin and yang in themselves for the rest of their lives. Students work towards an embodied understanding of the macrocosm-microcosm that can promote the harmony between the mind and body that is necessary for achieving the level of the Shàng gōng 上⼯ or superior physician that is espoused in the Neijing. Prerequisite(s): These courses are to be taken in the ordered sequence of CM819, CM829 and CM839.