Five Elements Taiji
Taiji is an internal art - a system of internally harmonising the body and mind. In the early stages of practice a greater level of sensitivity and awareness is revealed and developed.
Through partner work (pushing hands) - involving the processes of yielding, neutralizing and returning force - the ability to interact with others on all levels is enhanced, manifesting in daily life as cooperation, tolerance and empathy. Increased awareness, improved mental and physical health, and quality of life will be achieved through consistent practice.
Through the concentrated development of relaxed and aware body movement during the form and the five loosening exercises, and with effort and focus over time, both clarity of awareness and a deeper state of being can be achieved.
In attempting to master the Body, the Superficial Mind is arrested and the Deeper Self revealed.
A Brief History
Our Taiji practice is taught to us by Master Huang Xingxians personal student, Patrick Kelly.
We were both fortunate to meet and train with Dan Russell, who had studied martial arts and Taiji for over twenty five years before meeting Patrick Kelly in 1996. Dan generously introduced his students to Patrick, and we now have a solid core of senior students within the Northern School of Taiji Chuan who train regularly together and with Patrick. This community of practitioners in the North of England is truly priceless, as is the wider community of students from Europe, Australia and New Zealand, who are regularly given the opportunity to train together under Patrick's direct supervision.
Patrick Kelly began training Taiji in 1973, and from 1979 moved to Malaysia to study full time in Master Huang Xingxians School in Kuala Lumpur, becoming the only non Chinese ever to be accepted into Master Huangs internal school. He also studied under Sufi, Gnostic and Daoist Masters, including Abdullah Dougan, Master Ni and Mouni Maharaj. Patricks teaching is generous, allowing the benefit of his own study to be experienced directly by his students. He demonstrates unswerving dedication to his own internal development and Spiritual Path.
Patrick has developed and taught an incredibly precise and accurately analysed system of understanding the internal processes in Taiji.
He writes "Unknown to most people but now measurable by machines, when people move the muscles cycle through the states of contraction, relaxation, stretching and unstretching, these muscle states, along with the state of holding or no change, produce five different types of strength in the body. There are five corresponding Mind and Energy changes as well. These 5 states equate to the 5 Elements. These muscle changes are too fast and too subtle to be sensed or controlled from the superficial mind. Zheng Manjing (Cheng Man-Ching) said: 'If you want to know how to use Taiji, then you must know the five elements.' All good old masters of Taiji understand these five types of strength which can be generated within the body."
Patrick has produced a summary of training which covers the first 14 years or so of anticipated development for Taiji Practitioners, and has given us permission to reproduce part of it here:
Patrick Kelly : Taiji Five Element Training.
1. Clearly distinguish between superficial-mind and Deep-mind.
Superficial-mind is that part of consciousness which is dominated by brain activity. Superficial-mind works mainly through the 5 external senses and is not useful for internal training beyond the first few years.
The basic method to go past it is to 'close down the mind as if going to sleep'.
2. Clearly distinguish between 5 external senses and 5 internal senses.
The Deep-mind is woken and strengthened at its lowest or etheric level by concentrating on the 5 inner senses: joint-position, muscle-state, pain, pressure and temperature. They are the most natural and certain entry into the Deep-mind.
(5 outer senses - sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch - are connected to superficial-mind. Concentrating on them may just make superficial-mind stronger).
Pain and joint sensors along with the muscle states of contracting and relaxing are the least important as they are also partially accessed by the superficial-mind.
Pressure and temperature sensors along with the muscle states of stretching and un-stretching mainly activate the deepest levels of the brain and the etheric levels of the Deep-mind.
3. Clearly distinguish the 5 phases of the muscle cycle.
Of the 5 inner senses only muscle-state has corresponding motor nerves (pressure, joints, and temperature are regulated indirectly by changing muscle states).
Muscle cycle = 5 muscle phases: holding, contracting, relaxing, stretching and un-stretching.
Training conscious control of the muscle-cycles begins the development of 'Yi' (intention or will) within the Deep-mind. Seek to lengthen the stretching phase while increasing the pressure that comes from stretching. Use intention to direct the wave of elastic un-stretching.
(Professor Cheng emphasized Dingjin (sensing) - relax and listen for pressure. Master Huang emphasized Yi (intention) - listen to and regulate the muscle cycles. Most balanced is to do both, along with awareness of the heat field of the body.)
4. Clearly understand 3 levels of the deep mind (then 4th and beyond).
Deep Mind Sphere = Large Dantien = Upper + Middle + Lower Dantiens.
Within the Deep Mind Sphere the individual person exists as their Deep-mind.
Deep-mind = 5 Aggregates (Buddhist) = Deep Mind Intelligence + Deep Essence (Celestial, Astral & Etheric) + Body.
(Deep Mind Intelligence is point of contact with Spirit. Deep Essence exists within Lower-energies - Celestial, Astral & Etheric. Body, including the brain, neither existing before conception nor after death, may or may not be considered as part of the Deep Mind).
5. Extend the Training of the Deep-mind beyond the body and Etheric level.
From long years (10 to 14 years) of listening to the internal sensations while practicing Taiji, the Mind becomes stable on the Etheric level. Remember Master Huang said: "14 years to learn the basics; after that it is easy".
Next, after practicing Taiji, while resting quietly with the muscle cycles inactive and the pressure mostly un-changing, concentrate on tingling (pain sensors), fullness (pressure sensors) and warmth (temperature sensors). This will quickly re-enter the Etheric energy level of the Deep-mind, based in the lower Dantien.
Go deeper and by concentrating on light, warmth and pure awareness, center the Mind on the sphere of energy that surrounds the body. This will be a mixture of the lower-energies (etheric, astral and celestial). Don't imagine that this is more than the earliest contact with the shallowest part of the Deep-mind, or further progress will be blocked.
Train consciousness within this level by sinking gently deeper into this state while intensifying the sense of warmth, light and pure awareness.
Train intelligence within this level by seeking to understand the deep workings of yourself, of people you have contact with and of the inner and outer worlds. All things that assist your inner development can be seen as 'good' and all which goes against it as 'bad'. True understanding should cause deep gratitude to arise in response to all the good and acceptance in response to the bad.
Train intention within this level by sending the light to those you wish to help and by clearly resolving to replace major negative aspects of yourself with positive ones.
The influence of the Deep-mind Intelligence will grow as the effort to change your inner nature refines the lower energies. Abdullah said: "It takes at least 21 years (typically closer to 30) to crystallize the energies of the Deep-mind and enter the 4th energy level". This is the lesser enlightenment which the Buddha spoke of as being sufficient to escape the rounds of lives and deaths.
Then further development will be managed almost effortlessly, from the inside out, according to the person's degree of balance and the will of their own Spirit (fate). At this stage meditation is no longer necessary as the deep state will be present (more actively or more passively according to circumstances) at all times in normal life.
Patrick Kelly