Jeaneane Fowler was formerly Head of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the University of Wales, Newport, and later an Honorary Research Fellow. Her publications include Hinduism: Beliefs and Practices (Choice Outstanding title, 1997); Humanism; World Religions: An introduction for students (editor); and Perspectives of Reality – An introduction to the philosophy of Hinduism.

Shifu Keith Ewers is a highly qualified Master of T’ai Chi Ch’uan, Pakua-chang and Fungshou Kung Fu, as well as being an established Tui-na Bodywork practitioner, and an Acupressure practitioner. He teaches and practises throughout Europe. He is President of the Lee Family Internal Arts Association and is Technical Director for the Bubbling Springs Association.

Preface and Acknowledgements

Introduction

1 Beginnings
What is Taoism?
The Chinese psyche
The roots of Taoism in ancient practices
The historical roots of Taoism
The age of the philosophers
Taoism in Imperial China
T’ai Chi Ch’üan/Taijiquan
Origins of T’ai Chi Ch’üan/Taijiquan in gymnastic exercises
Chang San-feng/Zhang Sanfeng
The origins of the styles T’ai Chi Ch’üan/Taijiquan today

2 Harmony
Yin and yang
The origins of yin and yang
Yin
Yang
The interplay of yin and yang
Creation
The wider applications of the yin and yang theory
Yin and yang and T’ai Chi Ch’üan/Taijiquan

3 The Way
Lao-tzu/Laozi and the Tao Te Ching/Daodejing
Chuang-tzu/Zhuangzi
Lieh-tzu/Liezi
Tao
Creation
Te/De
Wu-wei
The functioning of Tao in life

4 Change
The Book of Changes: the I Ching/Yijing
Historical development of the I Ching/Yijing
Reality as perpetual flux and change
The Pa-kua/Bagua or Eight Trigrams
The hexagrams
The I Ching/Yijing and T’ai Chi Ch’üan/Taijiquan
T’ai Chi Ch’üan/Taijiquan postures and the hexagrams of the I Ching/Yijing

5 Phases
Historical development of the Five Elements
The Five Elements as cosmological functions
The nature of the Elements
The theory of correspondences
Wider influences
The Five Elements and T’ai Chi Ch’üan/Taijiquan
Balancing the emotions through T’ai Chi Ch’üan/ Taijiquan
Martial arts

6 Energy
The origins of alchemical ideas
The Golden Elixir
The Taoist anatomy of the body
The Three Treasures
The Spirit Embryo
Harmony of body and mind
Respiration techniques
Gymnastic exercises
Returning to Tao Meditation
The firing process
The transmutation process
Energy in T’ai Chi Ch’üan/Taijiquan Alignment
Fire and Water energy schools
The microcosmic orbit or small heavenly circuit
The macrocosmic orbit or large heavenly circle
The Belt/Girdle Vessel
Breathing techniques
Energy circulation through the T’ai Chi Ch’üan/Taijiquan form
Becoming the Void

7 Movement in stillness
Movement in stillness in the martial arts
Movement in stillness for health
Movement in stillness for prolonging life
The Yang Style Simplified 24-Step T’ai Chi Ch’üan/Taijiquan Form

8 Unity
Ancestors
Deities
Immortals
The Eight Immortals (Pa-hsien/Baxian)
Sages
The goal of unity in T’ai Chi Ch’üan/Taijiquan Notes

Glossary
Further Reading Index

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