Dear all,

I just moved to a new place where I have the opportunity of practicing Tai Chi (Chen style) and (Ashtanga) Yoga, but since I'm a 100% newbie about this stuff, I'd like to ask if you you know...

- The methods are obviously different, but are they after the same results?

- Why would you recommend practicing one or the other (if any) ?

Any other comment is also appreciated!

Thanks a lot!

Andy

Try both and go with what works for you. Both techniques have their various utilities and applications. I find tai chi is more progressive in terms of the ongoing development of insight and calm but I have more long term experience with it and use variously forms of hatha yoga more prescriptively as opposed to having undertaken it as a pathway for development so I don't really know what it's inherent potentials or limitations might be. Tai chi, with good guidance and instruction, can be employed as a very comprehensive system for naturally cultivating the progressive and incremental development of both insight and tranquility but this is subject to the presence or absence of any given limitations of understanding within both the teachers and students involved.

I would say they both aim for more-or-less the same thing: purification of the energy body. But tai chi places real emphasis o grounding, while Yoga can be a very super-powered blow-your-brains-out-ecstasy regardless-of-the-consequences practice. You will really want the groundedness that tai chi offers even if you decide to do yoga as your main practice.

My recommendation from my short personal experience: do tai chi. Yoga you can do later when you know tai chi

Thank you both for your answers!



Bruno, what do you mean by "know tai chi" ?

Thank you!

Hmm, I guess I meant when you know the tai chi form very well, to the point that its grounding effect on the energy body is clear and reproducible at any time (by doing the form). Then, if you were to learn yoga, you always have a backup practice even if the yoga thing got out of hand.

Thanks Bruno :-)

I will probably do tai chi and chi gung. I have found some very nice sources for tai chi and chigung online.

I will keep you informed if anything interesting happens!

Cheers,
Andy

Heya again!

Do you know at what point/practice does insight practices start in tai chi/chi gung/taoism ?


I've read around a little, and they say that in chi gung you "get insights" but then who knows if we are talking the same language. Also, apparently the "water method" by Bruce Frantzis is similar to vipassana, but I havent read much about it. Any thoughts?

Thank you!
Andy

I might be mistakened but I believe that in taoism this happens when they start working inside the spine with kun & li methods.

I have done Ashtanga Yoga for 2 years. Personally I don't think any other practice can beat it interns of giving you a slim and flexible body!