Tai Chi Chuan and the Code of Life: Revealing the Deeper Mysteries of China's Ancient Art for Health and Harmony Book

Introduction i Jung, Wilhelm, and the I Ching ii The I Ching and Life in Harmony v Feng Shui and the Balance of Nature vii Science, DNA, and Tai Chi xi The Role of Change in the Universal Life Force xvi The Dark and Light Sides of Tai Chi Chuan xix Chapter 1 The Philosophy of Taoism from a Western Perspective 1 Chinese Thought and History 1 Alchemy and Opposition 7 The Number and Name of Creation 9 Tending the Waters of the Unconscious 15 Chapter 2 The History of Tai Chi Chuan 17 The Four Styles of Tai Chi Chuan 17 An Ancient Way of War 18 The Tai Chi Hermit 20 The Spiral Dance of Chen Wang Ting 23 Tai Chi Goes Underground 25 Yang the Shadow Boxer 26 The Yang Family Style 28 What the History of Tai Chi Tells Us 30 Chapter 3 The Eight Pa Qua Trigrams 31 Chinese Archetype: Chien-Heaven 35 Chinese Archetype: Kun-The Receptive 46 Chinese Archetype: Kan-The Abysmal 56 Chinese Archetype: Li-The Clinging 65 Chinese Archetype: Tui-The Joyous 75 Chinese Archetype: Chen-The Arousing 85 Chinese Archetype: Ken-Keeping Still 94 Chinese Archetype: Sun-The Gentle 102 Conclusion of the Pa Qua and Their Relationships 113 Chapter 4 The Five Elements-Wu Hsing 119 The Relationship with the Tai Chi Form, Movement, and Internal Organ Balance 119 The Psychology of the Wu Hsing 121 The Four Elements in Greek Thought 125 From Paracelsus to Quantum Physics 129 Applications in Tai Chi 131 Fire Element 133 Earth Element 135 Metal Element 144 Water Element 145 Wood Element 146 Conclusion 147 Chapter 5 The Science of the Inner Breath-Chi Kung 149 Sexuality, Reproduction, and the Maintenance of Healthy Chi 159 Forms of Chi Kung 161 Chi Kung 1 Reverse Breathing 164 Chi Kung 2 MicrocosmicOrbit 167 Chi Kung 3 Macrocosmic Breathing 169 Chi Kung 4 Ball Breathing 169 Chi Kung 5 Condensing Breath 171 Chi Kung 6 Heaven and Earth Breathing 172 Chi Kung 7 Meridian Breathing 173 Chi Kung 8 Five Element Internal Organ Breathing 174 Chi Kung 9 Eight Trigram Breathing 180 Chi Kung 10 Variations for Healing 184 Conclusion 185 Bibliography 187 Index 189 List of Figures Fig. 1 The 13 Postures of Tai Chi Chuan xii Fig. 2 I Ching xiii Fig. 3 Comparing Amino Acid Arginine to I Ching Hexagram 51 xiv Fig. 4 The Grand Terminus-Tai Chi Tu 5 Fig. 5 The Ho Tu or Yellow River Map 12 Fig. 6 Schematic diagram of Thinking/Intuitive Psyche 14 Fig. 7 Map of China 19 Fig. 8 Martial posture Li-Split 32 Fig. 9 Pa Qua-The Pre-Birth Arrangement 34 Fig. 10 Hexagram 1-Chien and Amino Acid Lysine 35 Fig. 11 Martial posture Peng-Ward Off 38 Fig. 12 The Dumo Meridian and the Microcosmic Orbit 39 Fig. 13 The Renmo Meridian and the Microcosmic Orbit 40 Fig. 14 Ball Breathing and Flow of Chi (front) 41 Fig. 15 Ball Breathing and Flow of Chi (back) 42