Trinity Qigong & Tai Chi

Tai Chi, always practice!

Los maestros de Taijiquan tienen una frase que desconcierta a todo principiante:

"Primero, deshazte de la fuerza del propio yo."

¿Deshacerme de mi fuerza? ¿No es la fuerza lo que me hace competente? ¿No necesito tensión para sostenerme?

El maestro sonríe y dice: "Más tenso, más débil. Más suelto, más fuerte."

Y uno no entiende nada. Hasta que lo prueba.

Observa a alguien que empieza Taijiquan. Sus hombros están muy arriba, tensos. Sus manos tiemblan. Su mandíbula apretada. Está poniendo todo su esfuerzo en parecer relajado, y paradójicamente, cada músculo grita.

Eso es lo que llamamos "fuerza bruta" (Li). No es solo fuerza física. Es la acumulación de tensiones innecesarias. Es el cuerpo diciendo: "Tengo miedo de caer, de fallar, de no ser suficiente". La rigidez muscular es, casi siempre, rigidez emocional disfrazada.

Cuando un practicante experimentado logra soltar los hombros, algo cambia. Su brazo ya no pesa. Su movimiento se vuelve impredecible. Si lo tocas, no encuentras resistencia, pero tampoco vacío. Está allí, presente, pero sin rigidez.

La energía que antes se quemaba en tensiones inútiles, ahora fluye completa hacia donde se necesita. El brazo suelto es más rápido, más sensible, más potente. Al soltar el control, ganó verdadero poder.

La mente también se tensa. No solo el cuerpo almacena fuerza bruta. La mente también.

Aferrarnos a una idea, a una posición, a tener la razón. Forzar que las cosas salgan como queremos. Controlar cada variable. Eso es "Li mental". Y produce el mismo efecto: rigidez, agotamiento, fragilidad.

El Taijiquan nos invita a soltar también ahí. A confiar. A permitir que las cosas fluyan sin forzarlas. A actuar desde la presencia, no desde el control.

Resulta que la verdadera fuerza no está en cuánto puedes apretar, sino en cuánto puedes soltar. Cuanto más sueltas la tensión innecesaria, más espacio hay para que la energía auténtica (Jin) emerja.

Deshacerte de la fuerza del yo no es volverte débil. Es dejar de estorbarte a ti mismo.

Pregúntate: ¿Qué tensión emocional o mental estoy sosteniendo que ya no necesito?

You can do the shape — and still miss the practice.
This is why alignment matters.
Not because yoga is about looking correct.
But because every small action asks the mind to participate.

In Utkatasana, you are not simply bending the knees and lifting the arms.
You are learning to observe:
Where is the weight in the feet?
Are the knees collapsing or receiving direction?
Is the spine extending, or is the chest sinking?
Are the arms reaching upward with awareness, or just stretching for the sake of stretching?

Without attention, the body moves.
With attention, the body begins to learn.

This is the difference between exercise and yoga.
One repeats movement.
The other refines intelligence through movement.

The foot presses.
The thigh responds.
The spine lengthens.
The breath observes.
The mind enters.

Then the pose is no longer just a shape.
It becomes a study.

💬 Which small action changed the way you understand a pose?
Share below — your reflection may help another student see their practice differently.

The annual 2026 Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival will be held on Saturday, 20 June 2026, along the beautiful River Cam in Cambridge.

As one of the most popular and influential Chinese cultural and sporting events in the UK, the Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival attracts dragon boat teams, cultural organisations, and visitors from Cambridge, across the UK, and from China every year. The event features exciting dragon boat races, cultural performances, food markets, and community celebrations, drawing wide attention from both the public and the media.

The festival has also become a wonderful occasion for overseas Chinese communities, Health Qigong practitioners, Tai Chi enthusiasts, and friends from all backgrounds to gather together in friendship and celebration.

This year, the UK Heilongjiang Association, the UK Dragon Business Club, and the Health Qigong Federation UK (HQFUK) will jointly organise a series of cultural and sports activities during the festival. We will continue promoting traditional Chinese Health Qigong culture, strengthening friendship and cultural exchange within the local community.

In addition, the UK Dragon Business Club will introduce traditional Northern Chinese specialities, including homemade dumplings and potstickers, allowing everyone to enjoy authentic Chinese flavours while celebrating together.

Event Programme

1. 10:00am – 11:00am

Gather along the River Cam to attend and watch the opening ceremony of the Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival, and visit the festival fair, cultural stalls, and food market.

2. 11:00am – 12:00pm

Health Qigong Federation UK will organise a group Health Qigong and Tai Chi gathering on the riverside lawn, featuring a collective demonstration of Ba Duan Jin (Eight Brocades), together with interactive practice and guidance for participants and visitors.

3. From 12:00pm

Enjoy various cultural, artistic, and sporting performances taking place throughout the Dragon Boat Festival.

4. 1:00pm

All Heilongjiang Association members, Health Qigong practitioners, and friends are invited to gather at the UK Dragon Business Club stand to enjoy traditional Northeastern Chinese dumplings and potstickers, reconnect with friends, and share fellowship and cultural exchange.

5. 2:00pm

Stage performance of Health Qigong Ba Duan Jin (approximately 6 minutes).

Participants joining the performance and demonstrations are kindly requested to wear their Health Qigong practice uniforms.

6. After the Festival Closing Ceremony

A traditional Chinese dinner gathering will be held to celebrate the success of the 2026 Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival together.

Dinner attendance is optional and based on prior registration.
Meals will be shared on an A

Important but overlooked

Busy back to back one hour Qigong and Tai Chi classes this evening. Working through Dao Yin twelve step routine. Everyone is working well and progressing nicely 🙏

IL CORPO COME UN ARCO

«In che cosa consiste l’emissione di forza?
È come scoccare una freccia.
Far scoccare la freccia dipende dalla forza di lancio dell’arco e della corda.
La forza dell’arco e della corda è morbida, flessibile e vitale...»
(Cheng Man Ching)

In una visione meccanicistica del corpo umano potremmo dire, in maniera elementare, che ogni movimento viene prodotto attraverso lo spostamento dei segmenti ossei i quali, come leve ancorate a dei fulcri (le articolazioni), vengono alzati, abbassati, ruotati, traslati proprio grazie al lavoro svolto da determinati muscoli che si contraggono (m. agonisti), mentre altri muscoli si rilasciano (m. antagonisti), ed altri ancora che coadiuvano o stabilizzano a vario titolo il movimento (m. sinergici).
Potremmo quindi dire che è la “contrazione” a legare funzionalmente muscoli ed ossa nel corso di un qualsiasi movimento; ne consegue che il picco di forza coincide col momento di maggior tensione dei muscoli agonisti.

Nelle arti marziali interne si raccomanda però ai praticanti di rilasciare il più possibile le tensioni (quelle improduttive e/o parassitarie). Non si coltiva l’ipertrofia o l’incremento del tono muscolare fine a se stesso, ma si cerca di ottimizzare la funzione tonica, capace di equilibrare ed adattare armoniosamente il tono muscolare (eutonia) e la distensione elastica dei tessuti connettivi.
Ci si potrebbe pertanto chiedere: ma in queste discipline, allora, la tensione muscolare non è presente?
Sì, essa è presente, anche perché è impossibile mantenere i corretti allineamenti posturali o produrre qualunque gesto, anche il più piccolo, se i muscoli restano del tutto inerti.
Esiste quindi un particolare uso della tensione, indispensabile al mantenimento della “corretta struttura”.

Utilizzando il corpo come un arco, ne consegue che il picco di forza non coincide con la massima tensione, bensì col momento in cui la tensione accumulata viene liberata (senza per altro compromettere la struttura corporea e la sua stabilità).
In pratica: l'arciere (l'intenzione mentale) tende al massimo la corda (le fasce muscolo-connetivali), per poi liberare la forza elastica dell'arco nel momento in cui scocca la freccia.

In questo meccanismo, non semplice da padroneggiare, – fosse solo perché non trova alcun utilizzo nelle attività fisiche comuni e nello sport* – ricopre un ruolo imprescindibile la percezione del corpo come “tenso-struttura”, il suo allineamento verticale, la gestione volontaria delle tensioni muscolari (che vengono modulate e rilasciate “a comando”, in mondo analogo ma del tutto opposto alla gestione delle contrazioni volontarie), la manipolazione delle forze esterne (la forza di gravità, l’attrito, la reazione vincolare, la forza esercitata dall’avversario).
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*fatta forse eccezione per specialità atletiche come il "salto in alto", in cui viene utilizzata una forza, quella pliometrica, che presenta alcune analogie con quella sopra descritta.

The Principles of Song (鬆, Sōng) and Chen (沉, Chén) in Tai Chi Chuan（太極拳）
1. The Core Principle: Song (鬆, Sōng) – Structured Relaxation（結構性放鬆）

Song (鬆, Sōng) is the foundation and the highest attainment of Tai Chi Chuan (太極拳, Tài jí quán).
It is not mere muscular relaxation but a state of structured relaxation（結構性放鬆, jiégòu xìng fàngsōng）: loosened connective tissues, unblocked Qi and blood circulation, and a calm, unobstructed mind.

The ideal state is known as True Song
Zhēn Sōng（真鬆） — an organic, integrated relaxation expressed through:

Song Rou（松柔, Sōng róu）: Softness and pliancy

Song Huo（松活, Sōng huó）: Liveliness and responsiveness

Song Jing（松靜, Sōng jìng）: Internal calmness and quietude

True Song stands in complete contrast to:

Song San（松散, Sōng sàn） — slackness, collapse, and loss of structural integrity.

The biggest obstacle to achieving Song is the “intention to seek Song” (求鬆之意, qiú sōng zhī yì):
the more one tries to relax, the tenser one becomes.

Therefore, the prerequisites are:

Mental Stillness（心靜, Xīn jìng）

Non-Action（無為, Wú wéi）

— allowing relaxation to emerge naturally.

Song must arise simultaneously in two dimensions:

Internal Song（內鬆, Nèi sōng）: relaxing intention and mental tension

External Song（外鬆, Wài sōng）: releasing physical tension

The unity of inner and outer Song provides the foundational condition for all Tai Chi techniques.

2. The Inevitable Result: Chen (沉, Chén) – Stable, Agile Sinking（穩而不滯的下沉, Wěn ér bù zhì de xià chén）

Chen（沉, Chén） refers to sinking the Qi and stabilizing the center of gravity.
It is the natural outcome of correct Song practice.

The two are inseparable, known as:

👉 Song Chen Xiang Ji（松沉相濟, Sōng chén xiāng jì）
— Song and Chen mutually support and complement each other.

This relationship appears clearly through common errors:

Song without Chen → Floating
Piao Fu（飄浮, Piāo fú）:
Body becomes light but rootless, easily disrupted.

Chen without Song → Stiffness
Jiang Ying（僵硬, Jiāng yìng）:
Heavy and stable but rigid, lacking liveliness.

A classic misunderstanding is confusing Chen（沉） with Zhong（重）:

Zhong（重, Zhòng）:
Tangible heaviness, sluggishness → leads to
Double Weighting（雙重, Shuāng zhòng）

Chen（沉, Chén）:
Intangible sinking, lively and agile → achieved through
Partial Sinking（偏沉, Piān chén）

In essence:

👉 Chen provides stability; Song provides agility.
Only through their integration can true Tai Chi Jin（太極勁, Tài jí jìn） be produced.

3. The Training Process: The Five Levels of Song Gong (松功, Sōng gōng)

Song Gong（松功） develops progressively from external to internal, coarse to refined, traditionally divided into five stages:

1) Song Kai（松開, Sōng kāi） – Opening and Loosening the Joints

Emphasis on:

Four Major Joints（四大關節, sì dà guānjié）
shoulders (肩, Jiān), hips (胯, Kuà)

Eight Minor Joints（八小關節, bā xiǎo guānjié）
elbows (肘, Zhǒu), wrists (腕, Wàn), knees (膝, Xī), ankles (踝, Huái)

When these are opened, Qi and blood can:

“Flow through every segment”
Jie Jie Guan Chuan（節節貫串, Jié jié guàn chuàn）

— linking the entire body as one unit.

2) Song Rou（松柔, Sōng róu） – Developing Softness

Achieved through:

Song of Intention（心意鬆, Xīn yì sōng）

Song Yuan（松圓, Sōng yuán）: relaxed, circular movements

Spiral force（螺旋, Luó xuán）

This stage cultivates elastic softness:

“Extreme Softness generates Extreme Hardness”
Ji Rou Sheng Ji Gang（極柔生極剛, Jí róu shēng jí gāng）

3) Song Chen（松沉, Sōng chén） – Sinking Qi and Stabilizing the Center

Achieving:

“Light above, heavy below”
Shang Qing Xia Zhong（上輕下重, Shàng qīng xià zhòng）

“Qi sinks to the Dantian”
Qi Chen Dan Tian（氣沉丹田, Qì chén dān tián）

The lower body becomes rooted and stable,
while the upper body remains agile and responsive.

4) Song Dan（松彈, Sōng tán） – Elastic Rebound Force

Generates elastic Jin capable of:

“Touch and release”
Yi Chu Ji Fa（一觸即發, Yī chù jí fā）

This is a lively, adaptive force —
Intelligent Jin（靈性勁, Líng xìng jìn）

5) Song Peng（松掤, Sōng péng） – Highest Level of Peng Jin

The seamless integration of:

Song Rou（松柔）

Song Chen（松沉）

Peng Jin（掤勁, Pēng jìn） — expansive, omnidirectional support

This creates:

“Support in Eight Directions”
Ba Mian Zhi Cheng（八面支撐, Bā miàn zhī chēng）

— stable without rigidity, agile without slackness.

4. Core Training Principles（核心訓練原則, Hé xīn xùn liàn yuán zé）
1) The Three Immovabilities（三不動, Sān bù dòng）

Intent does not move
Yi Bu Dong（意不動, Yì bù dòng）
No forcing movement through crude intention.

Body does not move
Shen Bu Dong（身不動, Shēn bù dòng）
Avoid involuntary swaying, bracing, or tension.

Mind does not move
Xin Bu Dong（心不動, Xīn bù dòng）
Avoid mental agitation.

Movement originates from the transformation of:

Empty–Full（虛實, Xū shí）

Shifting the center of gravity

while maintaining an upright central axis
(中正, Zhōng zhèng).

2) Tai Chi Footwork（太極腳, Tài jí jiǎo） – The Root Lies in the Feet

“All power is issued from the feet.”
Li Cong Jiao Qi（力從腳起, Lì cōng jiǎo qǐ）

Achieve:

👉 Double Lightness（雙輕, Shuāng qīng）
— both feet free of tension and obstruction
(Not Double Empty, but Double Not-Heavy).

This enhances rooting, neutralization, balance, and issuing power.

3) Skill Comes From the Form（拳裡出功, Quán lǐ chū gōng）

True skill is forged through correct form practice: Pan Jia Zi（盤架子, Pán jià zi）

Push-Hands（推手, Tuī shǒu） is merely the testing ground;
the essence lies in form training.

Form practice builds:

- correct structure

- harmonized movement

- proper Jin pathways

Only then can push-hands skills emerge naturally.