Tai Chi for Stress

Living Mental Quietness

Sun Lu-Tang, a great tai chi master and creator of Sun style tai chi, said that the highest level of tai chi is when it merges with the Dao-the way of life. When one is in harmony within oneself and with nature, he or she reaches the highest level of tai chi.

To reach that higher level of tai chi, one must understand the mental stage called jing. Jing is a Chinese word meaning "quiet." Tai chi text often gives words somewhat different meanings. In tai chi, jing roughly means mental quietness or serenity, a mental phase in which one is not bombarded by various thoughts (mental chatting). Jing refers to being mentally focused, to awareness of the self and the surroundings. Jing puts one in a much more effective mental stage for martial art purposes-maintaining self-centeredness while still being fully aware of the surroundings.

Tai chi is not a confrontational martial art. It doesn't advocate a blow for a blow or the quicker and stronger wins the day. Tai chi's fighting strategy is based on a jing mind which enables one to "listen" to an incoming force, yielding to it, and absorbing this force while maintain one's centre. Only after the incoming force is understood and weakened can one determine the best way to re-direct and then add one's own force to gain total control.

The jing stage is an essential part of tai chi training. Only after training can one get to the jing level within seconds. Switching that rapidly to a mental stage can be compared to a short circuit. Utilizing this technique can help us cope better with stressful situations. Life is full of challenges and crisis. We can deal with them more effectively with a "jing mind." I remember one of my patients, a student, telling me that she would make the most obvious mistakes at stressful times such as in final examinations. She'd misread the questions or answer the wrong questions or miss out answering the compulsory questions, something that she'd never have done if she'd been able to calm down. Along the same lines, a friend described how stressed he'd been prior to a job interview. He couldn't sleep the night before, and during the interview, he looked tired and couldn't perform up to his normal capacity. We can all find numerous occasions to use the "jing mind."

Jing training is practical for martial art purposes because there's nothing more stressful than a life or death fight, and a jing mind gives one significant advantage. But nowadays, more important than physical fighting is fighting sickness and maintaining good health. The jing stage can serve health improvement just as effectively as martial art purposes. Studies have shown that stress contributes significantly to almost all chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart conditions, arthritis and back pain. And studies have also shown that relaxation improves these conditions. Using the jing stage in daily living will enable us to relax and and improve our focus.

How to cultivate the jing stage

The most effective way to cultivate your jing is to practice tai chi. Execute your tai chi movements correctly. Make your moves slow and even in speed without stopping. Move as though the air is dense, pushing gently against it. Maintaining focus on your body, cleanse your mind, be aware of weight transfer, body alignment, and keeping your joints loosened (gently expand your joints from within). Initially, it might take time to reach a certain mental stage of quietness, but once you get there, you'll be able to reach the same stage easily each time you practice.

At that point, you can move on to a deeper stage of jing.

I will describe a method that may help your tai chi practice. You can use it during your normal daily activities, but not driving or doing similar tasks that could cause danger. Imagine you're in a rain forest. Be aware of the fresh cool air and the birds. Soon you'll become quiet from within and you'll be able to focus on your body and mind. Starting with your posture, maintain an upright but supple posture, loosen your joints, gently tuck in your chin, and focus on the dan tian (an area about three finger breadths below the belly button).

Cleanse your mind; focus on slow and gentle breathing. If you can, use the abdominal breathing method. Or as an alternative, try the following dan tian breathing method:
Concentrate on the lower abdomen (below the belly button) and the pelvic muscle. When you breathe out, gently contract the pelvic muscle and the lower abdomen. Try to keep the area above the belly button still. The idea is to do contractions so gently that you're not aware of moving, that you do them by simply thinking about them. Another technique is to imagine that you're bringing your pelvic floor just half an inch closer to your belly button, then breathe in and gently allow your muscles to relax, maintaining 10 percent of the contractions.

The secret is regular practice. The more you practice the more enjoyable the stage of Jing becomes. You may never reach the highest level of tai chi, but by carefully following the directions on the road to get there, you'll find the scenery beautiful and discover that your life will be enhanced and enriched.