Master Yang Songquan, a disciple of Chenjiagou, opened the department and preached in front of the Nine-Dragon Wall

On Sunday, October 29th, the temperature in Beijing dropped sharply. The new beginner class of Beijing Chenjiagou Tai Chi Training Center started as scheduled in front of the Nine-Dragon Wall.

Many new friends who have long admired Tai Chi braved the cold and came as promised to listen to a traditional Chinese Tai Chi class.

The ancient Nine-Dragon Wall and the ancient Tai Chi Chuan blend together. Under the earnest instruction of Master Yang Songquan, it seems as if time and space have interwoven, taking us back to the innocent days of ancient times to explore the mystery of why the people of ancient times lived through the ages of a hundred without decline.

Tai Chi Chuan is a large circular cycle, giving rise to a monumental work, which includes the Tao Te Ching, the I Ching, and the Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic. Only with the thoughts of the Tao Te Ching can one have high virtue, which is the foundation of self-cultivation. Only with the thought of the I Ching can one understand the eight extraordinary meridians and the movements of the microcosm within the body. Only with the ideas of the Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic can one understand the meridians and qi and blood in the body.

Master Yang Songquan started from the Huangdi Neijing and revealed the true meaning of the scriptures and treatises: to control the universe, grasp Yin and Yang, breathe in essence and energy, stand alone and guard the spirit, and be as one with one flesh and blood. The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic is a five-thousand-year-old Taoist scripture in China. It is the true understanding of the cultivation of true people and can only be interpreted by those who practice Taoism. If one only understands it from the cultural perspective, the difference will be as great as a mile.

The master then imparted to all the trainees the basic exercises of the Chen family’s old Tai Chi at the primary stage: the Eight Tai Chi methods.

The purpose of practicing Tai Chi is to return to one’s innate state. What is meant by “innate”? The innate stage is neither in the mother’s womb nor between the ages of one and three. Nourishing the entire body with the life gate is called the innate constitution. Nourishing the whole body with the heart and mind is called “postnatal care”.

How to nourish the whole body with the life gate? Through the eight methods of Tai Chi, distinguish the heart, brain and kidneys (life gate). Cultivating the mind and heart to be free is the true meaning of cultivating the heart. To move one’s waist and activate the vital gate, allowing true qi to enter and exit, is the true essence of self-cultivation.

Dao is the foundation of China’s thousand-year-old traditional culture and a lighthouse guiding people towards happiness and health.

In front of the Nine-Dragon Wall in winter, martial arts enthusiasts gather to learn martial arts and listen to their master’s teachings. Everyone was rubbing their hands together, learning enthusiastically and exchanging ideas with each other, having a great time. This enthusiasm for seeking truth and the truth has melted the cold of winter, truly a beautiful sight!

Despite the wind, frost and severe cold, practicing Tai Chi brings joy and freedom.