In Tai Chi Chuan practice we move from our center. This is both a physical and a philosophical expression of Taoist philosophy.
Even from the beginning of our class, we embody our centers. In our Relaxed Standing Posture, we first feel a string running from our center down into the ground and then we feel that string running up through the center of our bodies and suspending us from the sky, standing in balance in the universe.
In our warm up exercises, we try to move from as close to the center of our bodies as we can. Our arm circles move from our shoulders, as close to the center of our bodies as that movement allows. Our hip turns and large circles move directly over our centers, our Dan Tien. Dan Tien is Chinese for Center, literally, the center of your body. It is located just below your navel.
We stand with our feet shoulder width apart, a firm foundation “holding us to our center”, just as the Tao Te Ching recommends beginning in Chapter 5 and with many references to the center throughout the 81 chapters.
As we move into our Tai Chi practice itself, the principle of being “rooted in our feet, released through our legs, controlled by our waists and expressed through our hands” according to legendary founder of Tai Chi, Chang San-Feng teaches that all moves emanate from our center, our Dan Tien. In making the Tai Chi moves we should always strive for Chang’s ‘Central Equilibrium’.
Our circular moves all rotate around the Central Equilibrium of our Dan Tien through circular movements arcing both when reaching and when returning. This has martial applications since a circular move has more power, more rooted energy from being connected to your entire body. It has health benefits because the gentleness of a circular action provides exercise while promoting safe movement within whatever limits may apply to your body. The Sun style is particularly centered as it relies on closed steps – moves end with our feet together. And since our hands and feet are coordinated, our hands also come together at our center.
Since Tai Chi is the physical manifestation of Taoist philosophy, the emphasis on our center has both intimate and vast philosophical applications as well. When we move from our center, we become more comfortable being in our own skin. We can enjoy the being that we are. It may start as a simple (well maybe not so simple) exercise, but just the sense of presence inside yourself helps your become comfortable being you again, helps your start to return to your original self. Chapter 11 of the Tao notes that ‘we join spokes together in a wheel, but it’s the center hole that makes the wagon move.’ When you move from your center, you move from your authentic self.
Significantly, your center is in your gut. It’s not in your head. Our brains are wonderful tools but they’re at one end of our being. They’re a tool with an important role to play but your brain is not your center. Our modern world puts great emphasis on our brain power and we accomplish much with our brains, but we also stray far away from our original nature when we let our brains run amuck without being tied to our center. This is ancient wisdom expressed in Chapter 32 of the Tao Te Ching: If powerful people could remain centered in the Tao, all things would be in harmony.
We need balance. We need to feel the center of ourselves, both physically and spiritually if we are to live our best and most authentic life. If we can live from our true, integrated – whole – center, then we can live in universal harmony.