Tai chi chuan is an art that embraces the whole person, both mind and body, and from the very first lesson a great deal of time is spent on what the student should be thinking about. Indeed, correct and efficient use of the mind is the key to reaching the highest levels of the art.
In contrast, many other martial systems encourage their practitioners to reverse the evolutionary process, to strive to gain the strength of a tiger, the suppleness of a snake, or the claws of an eagle. The one factor, however, that distinguishes human kind from the animals, his mind, is often either totally ignored or left to the very top levels of training, thus forcing the student to pass through all the stages of evolution to become what he already is.
Tai chi chuan's emphasis on relaxation starts first and foremost with the mind. If the mind is not relaxed, then the body certainly cannot be. Chinese teachers often talk about the importance of 'Yi Nian', mental training, but one immediate problem that may occur here, unless the teacher is specific about his instructions, is that the student might mistake mental training for physical training. An example might be when the practitioner is told to lower his hips. This could be a command to execute a simple physical action, or it could be a piece of advice aimed at mental training. By imagining or thinking the hips lower, the hip joints actually open up more efficiently than if you just physically attempt to lower your stance.
In the very first movements of the solo form the beginner is given a set of complex instructions which amount to visualisations. He is told to imagine that: his head is suspended from above; a line goes through the centre of his body and down into the ground; and his feet are rooted into the floor. He is also advised to sink his mind into the Dantian. As the form progresses, he is further instructed to imagine that he is swimming on dry land. He should move his energy like silk being reeled from a cocoon and should make his whole body feel like a needle in cotton.
The use of the subconscious
As more and more is discovered about the seemingly limitless power of the subconscious, scientists are exploring ways in which this power can be tapped. One such field of research is in the area of autosuggestion and self-hypnosis which may be used for anything from the control of habits, such as smoking, to the retrieval of information which the conscious mind thought to be lost.
Most methods for putting people in touch with the subconscious involve the subjects going into a reverie and then programming themselves with simple memorised statements. The process is practiced repeatedly until the desired effect is achieved. Does this sound like a familiar process? Isn't this the process the tai chi chuan practitioner goes through when he does the form? The calm, relaxed, non-focused mental state is a prerequisite for fruitful form practice, and then, as the student moves through the form, he is constantly giving himself instructions and visualisations. Concerning imagined 'ideal' states, or they might be connected with achieving a specific effect, such as sinking the Qi to the Dantian or concentrating on rooting through the Yongquan point in the sole of the foot. Whatever the information being programmed in, the student is advised never to neglect his practice of the form.
If, then, tai chi chuan is to be considered a method of programming the subconscious, it is vitally important that the practitioner not only puts in the correct information, but also ensures he is in the requisite state before he begins. For this reason, a short meditation period before a student commences the form will facilitate his ability to relax and to make progress in his study.
When the form is regarded as a programming of the subconscious it becomes apparent how students can improve in areas such as pushing hands and fighting, merely through solo practice. Of course, other factors are at work such as the form's emphasis on precise movement according to the laws of physics and the inherent strengths and weaknesses of the physical body. When all is said and done, however, with a positive mental attitude and the constant expectation of achieving the results he desires (whether activated through self-confidence or trust in his teacher), a student will definitely reach his goal.
Motivation
No consideration of the role of the mind in the tai chi chuan training process would be complete without a more detailed examination of a point briefly touched upon above: factors which motivate the student to achieve his desired goal.
At first the beginner looks to his teacher as the ultimate source of knowledge and expertise, and very often has little confidence in his own ability. Through the gradual process of learning the movements of the form, gaining confidence in his ability to imitate the teacher, and then to absorb and replicate the 'feelings' the teacher is describing, the student slowly comes to realise that really he is teaching himself. Of course, the teacher knows all along that his function is to guide, and that after the initial process of teaching someone how to learn his role lies in accompanying the student along the way. Occasionally he might need to rescue the student when he has strayed off into the undergrowth, or to show him a shortcut or to point out dangers on the road ahead.
With his growing self-confidence, the student can then take the skills he is learning in tai chi chuan and apply them to other areas of his life. Students of the art often regard tai chi chuan as one of, if not the, most significant aspects of their life.
A further important facet of the mental attitude engendered by long and consistent practice of tai chi chuan is that it is inherently healthy. It does not glorify conflict or require that one should tackle problems in an aggressive head-on fashion. Instead, it follows the Daoist principles of redirecting attacks, looking for ways to move around obstacles while gently wearing them down, and of trying to work with a potential antagonist instead of against him.
Such a mindset does not provoke conflict, but equips the tai chi chuan practitioner with the tools he needs to cope with problems as they arise and to ensure that he maintains a state of mental balance and, ultimately, mental health.