Tai Chi Vs. Taoism

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Tai Chi versus Taoism
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Institutional Affiliation Tai Chi versus Taoism When discussing the difference between Taoism and Tai Chi, one should highlight the first notion due to its spiritual primacy. Taoism, according to Smith (2007), wraps around the key notion of Tao, which has three meanings – one of the path of final actuality, of the world and humans (pp. 97-97). Further, Taoism has three fields of existence. There are philosophical, religious and additional, meditative, Taoist practices (Smith, 2007, pp. 98-103). The key notion of the philosophical school of Tao, according to Smith (2007), is wu wei, which explains a human should not be effortless, but stop his excessive actions and start living without the loss of efforts (pp. 106-107); the practitioners of the mentioned beliefs find the closest comparison with water (p. 108). Skillful followers, as Smith (2007) states are restrained, not bellicose (p.111), does not possess a heavy …show more content…

Moreover, it is, according to Smith (2007) a meditative form of Taoism, which evolved itself into the martial art of using chi through dancing, meditation, exercises and philosophy of yin and yang (p. 100). Frantzis (n.d.) argues Tai Chi is a philosophical term, which belongs to Taoism and means the changing state of indivisible yin and yang substances, while Tai Chi itself position its meaning as the craft of using chi for health and internal energy (p. 6). This school of chi practice follows eight principles, which regulate the energy of the body (Frantzis, n.d., p. 11) which a certain practitioner uses to exercise the movements of the martial art of Tai Chi. Therefore, Tai Chi is a fighting and spiritual practice, which evolved from Taoism and does not stand in opposition to the latter one. While Taoism focuses mainly on the right treatment of life, both self and the surrounding world, Tai Chi follows the notion of chi, or energy, for health and defense

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