The difference and connection between yoga and Tai Chi

The two are essentially physical and mental training methods that belong to two completely different cultural systems in China and India. The core commonality is that they both pursue the synergy of "body, breath and mind" and both have a tendency to evolve from traditional practice/martial arts systems to mass fitness. The core differences are reflected in the three dimensions of cultural roots, movement logic, and training goals. Most of the commercial versions currently available to the public are greatly different from the traditional prototypes. The so-called "Tai Chi is Chinese yoga" is highly controversial among different schools.

I have been practicing Hatha Yoga for five years. Last year, I was attracted by Master Chen who practiced Tai Chi in the park. I followed him for half a year to learn the old style of Chen style Tai Chi. I have a deeper sense of the difference between the two than when I looked up the information. Last time I brought a yoga mat to do downward dog pose and press my heels in the corner of the park. Master Chen came over and looked at me for three minutes and said, "What you're doing is just the opposite of what we're doing. We're pulling in, but you're pulling out."

This sentence really highlights the most intuitive logical difference in movements: the core of yoga postures is "extension". Whether it is forward bending, back bending or twisting, the essence is to constantly test the limits of joints and muscles within a safe range. The emphasis is on the openness of the body. The first step for many novices to practice yoga is to open the hips and shoulders. It is common to grimace in pain. But the core of Tai Chi's movements is "relaxation and sinking". All movements require "bringing the chest, pulling up the back, sinking the shoulders and elbows", which is to relax the tense muscles instead of stretching them outward. When I first started doing Yunshou, I always subconsciously raised my shoulders. Master Chen patted me on the back many times and said, "Your shoulders are so stiff that you feel like you are fighting with someone. Only when you relax can the anger sink into your stomach." Nowadays, some innovative schools of yoga add the focus shift of Tai Chi, euphemistically called "Oriental fusion fitness method." I have also attended it once, and the experience is indeed fresh. However, many people in the traditional Tai Chi circle sneer at this adaptation, saying that the core of Tai Chi is "leading the breath with the mind, and moving the body with the breath." Just copying the shape of the movements is not the case at all. And many teachers in the yoga circle feel that this kind of fusion is to ignore the essentials and lose the original recovery logic of yoga postures. To be honest, that class was really funny. The teacher asked us to do three sets of cat-cow poses and then directly turn to the cloud hand. Most of the students did it. The teacher laughed for a long time and couldn't shout out the next command. It was more like a check-in project for Internet celebrities. It really didn't touch the essence of both sides.

In order to understand the underlying difference between the two, I deliberately read the traditional books on both sides. Yoga was originally a practice system of Brahmanism in ancient India. The postures we often talk about now are only the third of the "eight limbs" of yoga. There are also precepts and precepts. The moral requirements of practice are followed by the practice steps of breath control, Prayana, Samajara, meditation, and Samadhi. The ultimate goal of traditional yoga is to achieve the "unity of Brahman and self", which is completely different from the "slimming yoga" and "stress-reducing yoga" that everyone often sees now. Tai Chi was originally a practical boxing method created by Chen Wangting in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, combining Qi Jiaquan and Taoist Daoyin. Even the later derived Yang Style and Wu Style, which are more gentle styles, have clear offensive and defensive meanings for each movement. The "single whip" is used to lock the opponent's wrist by taking advantage of the situation. Traditional Tai Chi practice emphasizes "refining essence to transform qi, practicing qi to transform spirit". It is also bound to China's local Taoist culture. It is completely different from the simplified fitness version of the 24 postures practiced by uncles and aunts in the park.

It’s interesting to say that when I first started standing on the Tai Chi Wuji Pole, I always stood unsteadily and swayed. Then I suddenly thought of the requirements of Yoga Mountain Pose: the core is slightly contracted, the arches of the feet are raised, and the weight is evenly distributed on the ten toes of both feet. After such adjustments, I actually stood for 10 minutes without shaking. Master Chen also praised me for my high understanding. I am embarrassed to say that this is the foundation for practicing yoga. In fact, the two have a lot in common. The most important thing is that they both require breathing and movements to be at the same frequency. When doing forward bends in yoga, you need to exhale, and when doing back bends, you need to inhale. The explosive power puts less pressure on joints than running and weightlifting. Nowadays, many rehabilitation departments will combine the passive stretching of yoga with the center of gravity training of Tai Chi to perform rehabilitation training on knee joints and lumbar vertebrae for middle-aged and elderly people. The effect is better than single training. I used to have a junior sister who practiced yoga with me. She had an old knee injury. She always swayed during the Warrior Three poses and could not stand for less than 10 seconds. She followed me for three months and practiced Tai Chi's cloud hands and stances. Her core stability improved. Now she can stand firmly for one minute in Warrior Three. She even thinks it's amazing.

Nowadays, many people on the Internet say that "Tai Chi is Chinese yoga." This statement is very controversial. Those who support it believe that both are slow-motion physical and mental training, which can reduce stress and keep fit. There is no need to make such a clear distinction; those who oppose it are mostly the inheritors of traditional Tai Chi. , I feel that the core of Tai Chi is the awareness of offense and defense. Even if the 24 postures of Tai Chi are simplified, each movement has a practical logic. Most yoga postures are evolved from imitating animals and sacrificial movements, and have no offensive and defensive attributes at all. Comparing them together is disrespectful to Tai Chi. I think that if you just want to move your shoulders and neck and reduce stress, then there is really not much difference between the two for you. Just find one that you can stick to. If you want to learn more, it is not too late to dig into the culture and logic behind it.

My current habit is to wake up in the morning and do a 20-minute routine to open up my body and let my breath flow. At night, I practice yin yoga for 15 minutes before going to bed to stretch my shoulders, back and legs that have been stiff during the day. Doing the two together is much more comfortable than practicing alone. To put it bluntly, whether it is yoga or Tai Chi, they are just tools in essence. They can help you make your body comfortable and your emotions stable. That is enough. There is no need to argue about who is higher and who is lower.