Similarities.... Yoga, Taiji & Qigong

Qi Magazine - Issue 31 (1997)

By Krishna Dervi Chaudheri

Today many people seeking an alternative, healthy way of life will choose to study yoga, taiji or Qigong. All of these offer exercise to the body, mind and spirit.

Yoga does not have a martial side as does taiji, and its adherents usually practice in a particular ashram, templore or school whereas taiji and Qigong are practiced on a much wider scale socially and publicly.

In a recent Qigong seminar the teacher's first words sere "You must train with a good attitude and heart." Having studied yoga for many years before taking up Qigong, I observed that the rest of the instruction regarding time, place and manner of practice read like a classical yoga course manual. The Bhagvad Ceia says, "Yoga is not for he who starves himself. It is not for he who sleeps too much, not for he who stays awake. By moderation in eating and in resting, by regulation in waking and by concordance in sleeping and walking, yoga destroys all pain and sorrow."

It can also be said of other martial arts and Qigong as well that discipline is needed in order to experience the full benefits of practice. In taiji, regular practice will make the forms more clear and improve health. In Qigong, regular practice will increase the flow of healthy energy (Qi) and help the joints become more loose and improve overall flexibility.

In all of these disciplines we are not only training the body but the mind. As our body becomes more healthy, our mind becomes more balanced. The more we practice, the more closely we are in harmony with the universe. High level masters who have learned to control their emotions and desires and who have achieved stillness within themselves can be said to be one with the universe. 

Throughout our practice, be it yoga, taiji or Qigong, we must learn to relax and keep our mind calm. Eva Wong in her book, Cultivating Stillness, says: "Sitting quietly and not moving is stillness. Craving is movement. If you are filled with desire and your senses are attached to objects, the heart is not still... If you are free from cravings, in stillness you will see the mystery within."

In one of the main classical yoga texts, The Yoga Sudra of Patanjali, it says: "Undoubtedly the mind is heedless and hard to control but it can be trained by constant practice and by freedom from desire. If man cannot control his mind he will find it difficult to attain this divine communion, but the self controlled man can attain it if he tries hard and directs his energy by the right means." Of course this is referring to the study of yoga. However, in other disciplines one begins to achieve balance of the mind through exercise and relaxation. The heart of many disciplines are the same, to train not only the body but the spirit. Through calming the fire of the body, the spirit in turn is calmed. 

The great Yogi of the century, B.K.S. Iyengar, says: "Asanas (different postures of yoga practice) have been evolved over the centuries so as to exercise energy, muscle, nerve and gland in the body. They secure a fine physique which is strong and elastic without muscles bound and they keep the body free from disease. They reduce fatigue and soothe the nerves but their real importance lies in the way they train and discipline the mind."

The same is true for taiji and Qigong. One trains the body, increasing suppleness and loosening the joints which also allows the Qi to flow freely from the body, ridding the body of illness and anxiety.

We can slow develop greater appreciation of all these disciplines by deepening our knowledge. In the same way that knowledge of the acupuncture points of the body greatly enhance Qigong practice, optimum physical benefits and mind relaxation are gained from combining posture and concentration on the physic centre of yoga. Yoga uses mind concentration to stimulate and channel the flow of energy through the Chakras. 

In movement we seek to balance our minds and bodies and through this balance we can then move to stillness... Be it through yoga, taiji or Qigong.

Tadasana - Mountain Pose - Yoga Wuji

Notes from B.K.S. Iyengar

Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar is considered one of the foremost yoga teachers in the world and has been practising and teaching yoga for more than 75 years. He has written many books on yoga practice and philosophy. In 2004, Iyengar was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine.

The body extends upwards, with the base as firm as a rock; the mind is steady and attentive. Tadasana teaches balance, centering and evenness and direction of extensions. These principles apply to all the postures. -B.K.S Iyengar

Tadasana is perhaps the most basic yoga pose. All yoga poses are called asana and the word tada translates from Sanskrit to mountain, thus this is the 'mountain posture'. As it is a very simple and restful pose it is usually one of the very first that must be mastered by a new student. It is the base for all the other asanas, particularly the standing ones.

  

Although the pose looks simple, and indeed is the most simple of the asanas, it still takes much practise and concentration to master all the different areas of the body and combine them into a strong yet relaxed posture. Placing the body correctly from the beginning is of utmost importance as this will help the pose to be balanced for its entirety.

The ideal when practising tadasana is that the ankles, knees, hips, shoulders and ears are exactly in a straight, vertical line. At first, this may take a surprising amount of concentration and effort. In order for your body to be lined up this way, its base, that is your feet, must be lined up. Think about the way people stand most of the time, they pretty much always lean one way or the other. Resting most of their weight on one leg, perhaps switching between the two, or standing with one leg placed more forward that the other. Even when sitting ones feet are hardly ever planted flat on the floor.

That is why this pose is so important and teaches many of the fundamental disciplines needed to carry out other standing poses successfully. Balance, alignment, concentration and awareness of the body are all focused on whilst practising tadasana. When one first begins to practise it is very important to take care when doing each of the following steps so that the end result is good. As one becomes more experienced the body will more naturally align its self, and many of the steps will become less conscious.

Once the body is correctly lined up and placed in this position, it is very important to focus on keeping it this way. Make sure that you are not leaning more weight onto one foot and that your arms are still hanging in line. Focus on taking long, deep breathes. Checking your alignment will make you aware of adjusting your body in a sensitive and subtle way. Your left and right and front and back should be exactly in line and parallel, even if one finger is bent and the other is not, this alignment is lost. Become aware of the line that runs between your legs, through the front and back of the body and to the crown of your head. This line should be vertical and once achieved you should take note of the balance and stability your body has in this position.

Try and make the mind still, do not let it wander, instead making it focus on the body, thus making it aware of the equilibrium gained. The position is normally held for about a minute, but at first you may wish to only stay in it for shorter amounts of time, and with practice you may extend it to any length you feel comfortable with. It is an excellent pose to start off with and once mastered will make all other poses more balanced and strong.

Settling into the posture brings repose. It follows precise placement of the limbs, correct extension and balance. There is peace and unity within. The mind fills every particle of the body, bringing harmony. This is Yoga.
 - B.K.S Iyengar