The Difference Between Yoga and Tai Chi

The core difference between yoga and Tai Chi is that their origin logic and ultimate direction are completely different - yoga originated from the Brahmin practice system in ancient India. The Sanskrit meaning of "yoga" is "yoke, connection". The original pursuit is the unity of individual consciousness and cosmic consciousness. Even though most fitness-oriented yoga on the market has stripped away its religious attributes, the core logic is still to explore the unity of body, emotion and consciousness inward.； Tai Chi was born out of the traditional Chinese martial arts system and is supported by the Taoist philosophy of yin and yang. Its original function is offensive and defensive martial arts. The health-preserving effect was originally an incidental gain during the martial arts training process. It was not until modern times that a specialized health-preserving school was derived. The core logic has always been to follow the natural laws of heaven and earth through the opening and closing of movements.

To be honest, I have been practicing both sports for almost six years, and I have seen too many beginners who confuse the two. The little girl who just came to the studio last week signed up for an Ashtanga yoga private lesson and a Chen-style Tai Chi experience class at the same time. She almost gave out an emo in the first two days: when practicing Atang, the teacher repeatedly emphasized tightening the core and activating the muscles. When standing on the Tai Chi Wuji pile, the Tai Chi master touched her back and it was as hard as a stone slab. He slapped her three times and it didn't loosen it. She was particularly aggrieved: "Didn't he say that the core should be tightened? ”

Don't tell me, this kind of cognitive bias is too common. Many people think that yoga is all about soft stretching and Tai Chi is all about slow circles, but this is not the case. There are many types of yoga alone. Ashtanga and flow yoga will make you sweat all over, and the strength requirements are higher than many aerobic ones. ； Yin yoga is to keep the movements still for three to five minutes and practice fascia relaxation. The same goes for Tai Chi. The old-fashioned old-style exercise combines hardness and softness along the way, as well as powerful movements. After doing it, you will feel more out of breath than running three kilometers. ； The Yang style is much more relaxing if it is simplified to 24 poses. Most of the people in the park practice this style. If we really want to talk about the difference in the logic of force exertion, the core is actually the different priorities of "tight" and "loose": whether it is a strength flow or a relaxation flow, most yoga requires activating the relevant muscles and correcting the joint positions first, and then doing stretching or strength training. What is important is "finding awareness under the premise of alignment."” ； Tai Chi is just the opposite. It requires that all the stiffness in the whole body be removed first, and then the whole body strength can be generated from the core of the waist and abdomen. The emphasis is on "loose but not loose, heavy but not stiff".

When I practice by myself, the most intuitive difference is in my breathing. When practicing downward dog pose, I am used to inhaling to lengthen my spine, and exhaling to slowly lower my heels. The breathing is to help me better sense the boundaries of my body. If any part is tight, I take a few more breaths to slowly loosen it, without having to force it with the movement. But it’s different when doing Tai Chi Cloud Hands. The opening and closing of the inhales and exhales are bound to the virtual and actual movements. Sometimes when practicing movements such as covering the hands and making fists, the rhythm of exhalation must match the speed of the force moving out. Otherwise, the force will be dissipated and the punch will be weak and weak.

There was a hotly debated topic on the Internet before: Which one is more harmful to the knees, yoga or Tai Chi? In fact, it really has nothing to do with the exercise itself, it all depends on whether the training method is correct. I have seen people who practiced yoga and pushed their knees hard to do warrior two, and their menisci were worn out in half a month. I have also seen people who practiced with a serious Iyengar teacher for three or four years, and their old waist protrusions were healed. ； The same is true for Tai Chi. In order to perform well, competitive routines require a low posture, and the knees often go beyond the toes. It is indeed easy to get injured after practicing for a long time. However, the traditional old posture requires "bending the knees not exceeding the toes, and sitting with the hips upright without twisting the hips." Standing correctly puts less pressure on the knees than walking. In terms of adaptability, both sports are quite friendly to novices. The premise is to find a reliable teacher and don’t practice blindly following online videos. No one will remind you if the movements are deformed.

Oh, by the way, there is another very interesting detail: Many yoga movements imitate animals and natural phenomena, such as cat-cow pose, tree pose, and mountain pose. The essence is to allow people to imitate the state of all things and perceive the connection between themselves and nature.； Tai Chi movements are mostly derived from offensive and defensive moves, even if they are simplified to 24 movements with no martial arts attributes. The names of the movements such as the wild horse parting its mane and the white crane spreading its wings all correspond to the logic of dismantling the opponent's offensive, but now most of them only retain their physical form.

I actually practice daily now. If I am in a hurry in the morning, I can do Sun Salutation A for 10 minutes. I will wake up from my sleepy state very quickly, my shoulders and neck will be relaxed, and I won’t feel sore after sitting at work all day.； If you stayed up until midnight working on a plan the day before and were agitated and unable to calm down, just find a place where no one is around to stand for 20 minutes and perform the 24 simplified poses. Your energy will become smoother and your heart will calm down.

In fact, for us ordinary enthusiasts, there is really no need to worry about which one is more advanced and which one is better. Understanding your own needs is more important than anything else. If you want to improve your rounded shoulders and hunchback and practice some core strength, just choose a reliable yoga studio and follow it. ； If you want to regulate qi and blood, improve sleep, or just like the feeling of traditional culture, it is also very good to find a serious Tai Chi master to follow the stance and boxing. They are all exercises that make people feel comfortable, but if we insist on ranking them, they end up falling behind.