Softness and Hardness

Nothing in the world is more soft and weak than water
But for attacking the hard and strong
Nothing can surpass it.
And therefore nothing can take its place.
That the weak can overcome the strong
And the soft can overcome the hard
Is well known to the world
Yet no one can carry it out...
--- Lao Tze

Great Britain to adopt Tai Chi for curing Heart Disease?

Tai Chi masters and doctors from Asian countries have stated all along that practicing Tai Chi diligently will improve or heal cardiovascular disease. In response to a recent study published in the American Journal of Medicine, which supports this claim with patients showing better movements and reduced BNP levels, a measure of heart failure, the British Heart Foundation said that the UK could adopt Tai Chi as a treatment in the future.

Tai Chi in Daily Life

Wolfe Lowenthal, a student of Professor Cheng Man-Ching and author of two books on Tai Chi, once told me about a real life application of the Tai Chi principle. About ten years ago, Wolfe bought a new house in the MA area. Since it was his first major investment for a long time, he was overwelmed by the process of house hunting, price negotiation, mortgage application, and the settlement of the house, which involved much frustration and tons of legal paperwork. He realized that even a long time Tai Chi expert like himself could be affected by the stress of daily life, but he also realized that his training in Tai Chi would be of great help to this situation. He said, “I need to sit back and practice my (Tai Chi) Kung Fu to counter the stresses building up.

Professor Cheng always said that the goal of learning Tai Chi is to learn the Tao and that we must live the Tai Chi way even when we are walking, sitting, living, and lying down. The question comes down to this: how many of us can actually remember to sit back and relax, like Wolfe Lowenthal did, when a problem arises?