Blog
Welcome to Energy Arts Blogs where you can find valuable articles about the Taoist energy arts to support your learning and participate in our community.
As the foremost Western expert in Wu style tai chi and Yang style tai chi, holding direct lineages from China, Bruce Frantzis teaches six powerful qigong sets, as well as bagua zhang and hsing-i from the martial, health, and meditation perspectives.
Energy Arts Blogs bring practical advice on esoteric topics. From frozen diaphragms to Dune philosophy to martial arts masters, the Energy Arts Blogs page is as diverse as it is useful.
Recent Posts
Hsing-i Santi
At the very heart of the martial practice of hsing-i and its Five Elements is Santi,
or the “trinity posture.” Santi is done holding a static standing
posture, with your arms extended. In the classic schools of hsing-i, the
posture is held in Pi Chuan, which is the first of the Five Elements.
Hsing-i Chuan Martial Arts
Hsing-i Martial Art Qualities
Hsing-i’s basic qualities as a martial art include:
Digging Wells or Dabbling
I can speak from my experience about what the traditional approach is and the eclectic way I went about it, and the essential difference between an eclectic traditional approach and the approach of the dabbler, who just knows a bit of this and a bit of that. The first...
The Fastest Way to Build Chi and Martial Power
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What is Chi?
Chi (or qi, pronounced ‘chee’) is synonymous with breath in the Chinese Language. In combination with other words, however, chi can denote slightly different concepts. Qi gong, for instance, literally translates to, ‘breath-work’, but the scope of qi gong goes much deeper into developing the energy that animates the body.
Why Teach Tai Chi and Qigong?
How do you go from Tai Chi student to Tai Chi teacher? The transition from being a tai chi practitioner to a tai chi teacher or certified instructor can take lots of time and practice. Anything that has any depth usually does. Add to that the esoteric or spiritual...
Tai Chi and Traditional Chinese Medicine
Traditionally, Tai Chi and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) were connected and used in tandem in order to treat patients in China. From the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine you can say there are two levels of healing injury, illness and diseases. The...
A Meditation for the Springtime
Spring is the time of the year when all is awakening, new and fresh. Having just come out of the winter, you plant the seeds that will sustain you for the whole year. So springtime gives you the energy to do. The spring brings out the energy of the liver, which can...
Qigong Benefits
There are a multitude of benefits of qigong. Below is a list of some of the reasons why qigong is so effective as an exercise for our modern times. You can click on any of the following links to jump to a benefit lower on this page:
Qigong History
Qigong has a rich history in China. There
are five major branches of qigong in China:
How to Learn Tai Chi – Reaching Plateaus
Very often as you learn tai chi chuan or qigong, you may feel as though you have reached a plateau. When this experience happens there often is a sense that practice is boring. The same stuff keeps on happening. We all want to have tai chi practice breakthroughs...
Bagua & Tai Chi
Bagua and Tai Chi: Brother and Sister Arts
Bagua zhang and tai chi chuan are both rooted in Taoism, a Chinese
philosophical and spiritual tradition, and are designed to help develop and
balance your chi (qi) or life-force energy.
They are expressions through the
physical body of such Taoist concepts as yin-yang, balance and naturalness.
Although bagua zhang and tai chi chuan have important differences, they are wonderfully
complementary brother and sister practices.
Effortlessness and Taoist Meditation: Discovering the Joy Inside Yourself
Wholly understood, wu wei is not "non-action", but action that operates by simply following the natural course of universal energy as it manifests without strain or ego involvement. How Can One Act without the Deliberate Effort of Acting? Ultimately, wu wei boils down...
What to Expect in the Year of the Metal Rabbit
The Metal Rabbit in 2011 Happy Chinese New Year of the Metal Rabbit. Last year was the year of the Metal Tiger, and it was a very rough time for many. The Metal Tiger year is known to bring problems, wild swings and much excitement. This previous year also brought...
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