The similarities between yoga and tai chi

Many people think that yoga is a foreign "soft stretch" and Tai Chi is a local "slow boxing technique" that cannot be beaten with eight poles. However, judging from more than ten years of compound practice experience and existing research conclusions in sports and human body science, both are essentially life practices that use body movements as the carrier and breathing as the link to ultimately achieve coordinated regulation of body, mind and soul. The core similarities are concentrated in the three dimensions of "breathing leading movements", "cultivating awareness in movement" and "directing to inner balance", and there are not as big differences as the outside world thinks.

When I first started practicing Ashtanga, I always felt that this kind of movement that followed a fixed sequence was completely different from the slow paddling Tai Chi done by the old man in the park. Until four years ago, I happened to learn from the successor of Chen Style Tai Chi for a year and a half. The moment I stood on the Hunyuan Pole for the first time, my lower back suddenly felt hot. The feeling was exactly the same as when I practiced yoga bandha and did Ujjayi breathing for 10 minutes. At that time, I felt that my previous prejudice was really too shallow.

Of course, there are many people who object to talking about the two together. Not only do senior practitioners from both sides occasionally quarrel, but academic circles also have different views. For example, scholars who study the history of religions will say that yoga originated from the Brahmanical practice system in ancient India. Its essence is to realize the "unity of Brahman and self" and is supported by a complete set of religious rituals. ； Tai Chi was born out of Taoist guidance and military martial arts. The core is "to enter Taoism through martial arts." The cultural core is completely incompatible, and forcing similarities is a forced collision. This is indeed true. If you trace the philosophical roots upward, the underlying logic of the two does not follow the same path. However, for the vast majority of ordinary enthusiasts who just want to improve their bodies and regulate their emotions through practice, the commonalities at the practical level are actually far greater than the differences.

I took Master Chen, who taught me Tai Chi, to take a yin yoga experience class before. When I first did the butterfly pose, he became happy and said that your requirements for opening the hips are no different from the "loose the hips and sink the hips" that I teach my disciples? I used to tell my apprentices, don’t press hard, it’s useless until you grin with teeth, just follow your breath and relax, your crotch will open on its own. Isn’t that what you said too? He sat for 45 minutes in that class. When he got up, he said it was more comfortable than standing for half an hour. In the past, he always thought that yoga was just about little girls stretching their legs, but it turned out there was something more.

Don't tell me, if you really practice it, you will find that the core commonality between the two is not actually movements at all, but the requirements for "thoughts". Yoga talks about "non-judgmental awareness", that is, when doing movements, don't always think about doing the splits to 180 degrees. Don't be anxious because you are stiff. Just feel the current physical state. ； It is said in Tai Chi, "Sacrificing oneself and obeying others, neither supporting nor throwing away." At first, I thought it was about not pushing hard against others when pushing hands. Later, when pushing hands, I always turned smoothly. Master Chen tapped my wrist and said, don't always think that the movements must be exactly the same as mine. Just follow the strength in your hands and don't compete with yourself. I suddenly realized at that time, isn’t this what is called “Zen in Movement” in yoga? The movement itself is not the purpose at all. It is to use movement to pull back your wandering thoughts, so that you don't always think about yesterday's work and tomorrow's appointment, but focus on the feeling of your body at the moment. This exercise is not about muscles, but concentration.

I once had a student who worked in Internet operations and was severely anxious. She was still checking work groups at three o'clock in the morning. The doctor asked her to either practice yoga or Tai Chi. She first came to my place for two yoga classes. She said she couldn't sit still and her mind was full of to-do lists. Later, she went to the park to practice Tai Chi with her uncle and aunt for three months, and then came back to me for a class. She was able to sit still and meditate for 10 minutes. She told me that she was always afraid of forgetting the movements when doing Tai Chi, and her mind had no time to think about work. As she was doing Tai Chi, she discovered that it felt so good not to think about things. Later, when she practiced yoga, she could calm down. For her, there is no difference between yoga and Tai Chi. They are just things that can make her stop and take a breath.

In fact, there is really no need to draw such a clear boundary between the two, and there is no need to argue about who is better and who was earlier. In the final analysis, they are all methods of getting along with one's own body passed down from our ancestors. If you like to stretch to music, then practice yoga, or like to row fists with others in the park, then do Tai Chi. As long as it can help you relax and find a sense of peace with your body, you are on the right track.