More Tai Chi Heresy - Why the form shouldn’t start and end with Wuji

Most Tai Chi forms start and end with a state called wuji, which can also be expressed through a particular stance of the same name. This stance is a somatic representation and tool to invoke the primordial energy of the universe. The form then goes on to move between yin and yang postures thus splitting the energy into dualistic components. Wuji’s Western equivalent term is akasha, and the equivalent of yin and yang is magnetic and electric. Magnetic and electric is a very practical explanation to introduce to students (even those who want to stay within the Chinese cosmology) because this is the way the techniques actually feel, like liquid electricity and magnetism. It is worth mentioning that these Chinese/Western equivalents aren’t exact equivalents, the reason being that they have their own egregore, their own cultural and historical baggage that can make them feel subtly different.

So why not start and end with the wuji state. Well you should start with it, splitting it out into its dual components mentioned above by the action of the form. But akasha is a tricky substance in that when working with it, it is thick and omnipresent and can feel a little oppressive if you let the pressure build too much. There are ways to learn to bask in it rather than feel oppressed by it, but it is an advanced skill to work with it. That is why it is fine to start your form with it because you immediately split it down, but if you are to end your form with it then that energy is left hanging. So it’s no surprise that many Tai Chi practitioners can get totally out of whack and become far too yin.

It must be said that this is in part semantics. Not everybody goes deep in the energy side of the practice, and their interpretation of starting from and returning to wuji is just a state of stillness and quietude before they commence the form and on completion. But this contains a risk that they will inadvertently be drawing down akasha, and may end up in that cohort of people who don’t reap the benefits of Tai Chi and end up giving up because it just doesn’t feel nutritious to them.

And this all leads to something of an epiphany. Traditionally speaking if you are looking to ascend through the energetic hierarchy you would go bottom to top. Whether your model is layers of an aura, rising up thorough the chakras as in the vedic approach, the hermetic approach of physical-astral-mental-akasha-divine light, or one of many others; it is effectively a linear model and you have to pass through wuji/akasha with its tricky characteristics mentioned above, before you transmute that into the non-dual, the unknowable. So why then when you draw down akasha and split it into its dual components or even further into its elemental components does it become lighter and brighter as you would expect from ascension rather than heavier as you would expect from more earthly energies? Well as stated in many different ways by many different traditions - god is within you. In a practical sense, your physical/physical adjacent bodies are actually the last stop on a shortcut to the end goal.

As with many of these epiphanies from training the result is a realisation that you were where you needed to be at the start, but it took the meandering path and hundreds or thousands of hours of practice to realise that. If you have made it to this point then you will see that we have taken one for the team, making it possible for you to have all the shortcuts and simplifications to have a fun, safe and highly progressive journey through your training as a result of our wrong turns and dead ends. Check out our store or get in touch to look at the many training options. And don’t forget to ask us about our essential hack to really get the wuji stance working fast, as well as how to end your form in a way that will leave you full of vigour to move on with your day.