The Taichi and Qigong Podcast

In the East Asian Internal Arts, the concept of Center appears to play a particularly important role, both in the physical development of these practices and in the way they subsequently unfold on a more spiritual level. Both Mind and Body seem to require a specific relationship with concepts such as Center and Equilibrium. Nothing quite similar appears to occur in Western traditions. Let’s delve into this question and explore how the search for Center relates to our Identity—and ultimately to the quest for a shared Consciousness.

Dear all, as I'm leaving Miami for new adventures (in London), some students asked me to provide guidance in order for them to be independent with their Tai Chi and Qigong basic practice . I am thus envisaging building an online platform of 10/15 videos, each one ranging from 10 to 30 minutes , where I would guide on the following topics: - Standing Practice; - Song Gong (loosening exercises); - Introduction to Qigong; - Proprioception and Sensitivity; - Introduction to Tai Chi; - Settling Breathing Exercise The platform would cost 150$ (I don't do stuff like 149$, because I want the student to be fully aware of the financial cost of their endeavours ). More info to: miamitaichi@gmail.com

The System Historically, hundreds of martial systems have developed in China, such as Taijiquan, Xingyi, Bagua, and Wing Chun, just to name a few of the most famous and widespread ones in the West. At the same time, Qigong and meditation schools have also formed through systems. But what is a System? In this episode, we try to clear things up.

Discipline vs. Obsession: Finding True Balance in the Internal Arts In this episode, we explore the delicate balance between dedication and obsession in the practice of Tai Chi, Qigong, and meditation. Starting from the relationship between body and spirituality in Eastern disciplines, the discussion examines how intensive training can shift from being a tool for growth into a mental prison. Through personal examples and observations of masters and practitioners, a key message emerges: true spiritual practice is not measured by the number of hours spent training, but by the ability to integrate discipline with rest, authentic relationships, and lived experience. It is an invitation to let go of the paranoia of “never being enough” and to rediscover that being a practitioner matters more than how much one practices. Topics covered: intensity vs. balance; the danger of the paranoid personality; the importance of emptiness and rest; martial practice vs. spiritual growth; finding one’s own personal path.

We usually practice Tai Chi, Qigong or Meditation in order to gain something: more "Qi", more martial prowess, more understanding. But everything that is a kind of "gaining", is in some way reinforcing your Self, bringing dangers and vanity. But, if we look at our Self how it is in reality, meaning a ring in a wider chain, we start to look at our practice from a different perspective, that is indeed really pivotal for a practice to be a "Spiritual" one.

Ancient masters and practitioners have produced a huge amount of texts, defined as "classics", on the practice of Taijiquan as well as other Internal Arts. We often hear that words are meaningless for practice, and books have no role in building a correct method. That's simply not true, and disregarding the classics can severely impede the chances of success. Here is why. Brennan Translation for an English translation of Taiji Classics

In the realm of practice, your thoughts—both their content and the way you process them—are never neutral. They either move you closer to reality or pull you away from it. Here’s why.

As "The Taichi & Qigong Podcast" has reached 1000 followers on Spotify and Apple Podcasts combined, we are happy to announce the creation of a new podcast, " My Meditation Podcast ", accessible for free on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. There you will find already collected previous episodes related to meditation, previously recorded on "The Taichi & Qigong Podcast", as well as future episodes that will be recorded on the topic in the future. Enjoy! My Meditation Podcast links: Spotify Apple Podcasts

Mental clarity and moral quality are two of the traditional fruits that a correct practice should bring. While politics as a toxic topic is often wisely sidelined in Tai Chi, Qigong and Meditation communities, this does not mean that a good practitioner should also be "dumb 'n numb" when it comes to political views, assuming that he/she has interest in the topic, and thus has spent time and energies to gather correct informations and propel analytical tools, none of which, as a seasoned practitioner should know, comes for free. It has always been like this since ancient times, for we have been given the poetical picture of the sage as an isolated old man in the woods, while very often the creators of these arts were the very elite of their societies.

The Taichi, Qigong or Meditation class needs to be a hassle-free experience. But for who?

Upon the existence or not existence of the Self.

How much should we traini? What should we train? Can we only train at the training center? Is a 3 hours Meditation per se better than a 1 hour Meditation session? Is Standing Practice needed or not? And most importantly, where should the knee stay in a good Taichi Form?

In this episode of "The Taichi & Qigong Podcast," we explore the journey of becoming a Tai Chi teacher and delve into the often-overlooked political aspects of this ancient practice. We'll discuss how practitioners can navigate these political aspects while maintaining the integrity of their practice and fostering an open-minded approach to learning across different styles and lineages.

Asian traditions follows, without exceptions, the Three Body Problem path, which is, taming the Body to access the Energy in order to see the nature of the Mind. Some of the most modern meditation methods fails to see this correlation, developing de-stressing practices that are not, and should not be deemed as, traditional meditation practices.

We receive from the past wonderful traditions, and the reason this happens is that folks dedicated huge resources to these practices, to make space for the, and to dedicate time. Time is exactly what we discuss today, the need to find it, the need to add a little to be of stress at the beginning, to be repaid tomorrow.

In the previous episodes we went through the Dan Tian , Center of Mass, joints arrangement, muscles/tendons/ligaments and elastic force expression. All of this can be produce by your internal practice. In this episode we see how Pushing Hands ( Tui Shou ) and Fajing developed in very peculiar practices of the Taijiquan tradition. And remember, big guys will always have the lead when it comes to pushing or being pushed. Let them have it, and mind your own development.

In this third episode on the relationship between muscles, force and Internal Arts, we clarify the path that brings from Dantian through relaxation to Dantian through force, and we also clarify a bunch of other issues.

In this episode, second of three dedicated to the use of "force" in the internal arts, we discuss about how the center of mass is supposed to be settled inside the body, in the lower Dan Tian area, in order to generate elastic force by the process of transforming the way joints, tendons and ligaments are used. A process that is at the basis of Taichi, Qi Gong and Meditation.

Nobody has ever been able to approach any Chinese energetic art (say Taichi or Qigong) without encountering the concept of "Dan Tian" (丹田), or "Elixir Field". We will see how the Elixir was intended to give immortality (in lieu of the awakening in the buddhist theories), of the shape, size and location of the Dan Tian widely varies in different centuries or schools, and how it is related to the physical nature of Homo Sapiens .

When we think about Taichi, we usually link it to the Taichi Form: the slow, relaxed, continuous sequence of arcane movements. But at the end, what's the Taichi Form all about? Is it a form of therapy and self-healing? Is it a tool to develop a powerful martial prowess? None of the above, as we argue in this chat.