The Difference Between Yoga and Tai Chi

The underlying practice logic of the two is completely opposite - yoga is "from body to mind", first awakening body awareness through postures, and then gradually converging inward to reach a state of tranquility.； Tai Chi is "moving by the mind". First establish the habit of being guided by the mind, and then polish it through movements to achieve internal and external harmony. This is the most essential difference that I, as an ordinary enthusiast who has practiced both projects for five years, experienced many pitfalls and changed three or four teachers, finally understood.

I first came into contact with yoga in a studio under an office building. In the first hatha yoga class, the teacher didn’t explain anything. First, we took off our shoes and stood barefoot on the mat, moved our feet back and forth, and felt the contact between the toes, soles, and heels of every inch of skin and the mat. During the downward dog pose later, my hamstrings were so tight that I gritted my teeth and tried to push my heels down. The teacher came over and pressed my waist gently and said, "Don't compete with yourself, soreness is just soreness. Look at the soreness, don't fight it." It was then that I realized that all yoga poses are essentially "tools", and their purpose is to help you find body sensations that are usually ignored. The ultimate goal is inward awareness. Even if your split can only open to 30 degrees, as long as you can feel the stretch of the body, it is more useful than forcing it to 180 degrees.

Later, I had some problems with my waist, and a friend recommended me to learn from Master Chen, who teaches Chen-style Tai Chi in the community. In the first class, I thought I would learn how to part the mane of a wild horse and spread the wings of a white crane, but I ended up standing on the Hunyuan pile for a full 40 minutes. My legs were shaking when I stood, and I wanted to secretly loosen my knees. The master tapped my knees with a small stick and said, "Don't think about whether the movement is correct. First, imagine that there is a thread hanging above your head, the back of your neck is against the collar, your shoulders are sinking to the ground, and your breath is sinking into your lower abdomen. Thinking about this will stop you from shaking." It was only later that I realized that when getting started with Tai Chi, you must first practice "Yi", and then your movements should be stretched and standardized. If there is no thought to guide you, it is just broadcast gymnastics that imitates the appearance, and has nothing to do with Tai Chi.

Many people regard cultural roots as the biggest difference between the two. They say that yoga originated from the ancient Indian practice system, while Tai Chi was born out of the traditional Chinese Taoist health concept. This is true, but it is not entirely true. Now you go to a fitness studio in a shopping mall to take flow yoga or hot yoga. You will be sweating after a class. The teacher shouts "tighten your core and press down" throughout the whole process. It is essentially aerobics with some stretching. Practitioners of traditional hatha yoga do not recognize this as "yoga" at all, and feel that they have completely lost the core of seeking inwardness. ； On the other hand, the Tai Chi exercises performed by the uncles and aunts in the park are accompanied by dynamic music and the movements are uniform. The inheritors of traditional Tai Chi also feel that this is a national fitness program and has nothing to do with Tai Chi, which "uses the mind to guide Qi and uses Qi to transform force". So put aside those adaptations that are trying to sell things like sheep over others, and only by looking at the most traditional core content can you feel the real difference between the two.

As far as my own feelings are concerned, the state after practicing the two sports is completely different. Last week I worked on a project for three days. I went to a one-hour yin yoga class on the weekend. The whole process involved stretching and static postures. The teacher occasionally came over to adjust my posture. After the class, I was as soft as cotton that had been exposed to the sun for an afternoon. My mind was empty. All the needs, bugs, and deadlines in my head seemed to be left on the yoga mat. I felt light when I went out and blew in the wind. But if you do three sets of Tai Chi in a row, your state will be completely different. The soles of your feet are very stable, and it feels like you can dig into the roots when you step on the ground. Your mind is not empty, it is heavy. All the chaotic thoughts before have returned to their places, and you can walk more steadily than usual.

Of course, this does not mean that there is no intersection between the two. I know a teacher who has practiced traditional yoga for more than 20 years, and has been learning Yang Style Tai Chi for the past few years. She said that when you reach an advanced level, the two are actually connected. What you ultimately seek is "the unity of body and mind", but the entry path is different. One opens the door from the body, and the other opens the door from the mind. In the end, it is the same room.

A while ago, I took my mother to a trial class. She had bad knees. After practicing yoga for half an hour, she complained that her knees hurt when she stretched. Later, I followed an aunt in the community to do Tai Chi for half a month. She said that her knees were much more comfortable and she had no trouble going up and down stairs. In fact, for us ordinary enthusiasts, there is no need to worry about which one is more profound and which one is more useful. If you like to feel relaxed after stretching, go to practice yoga. If you like to feel solid after standing on the pile, go to Tai Chi. The one that suits you is the best.