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Tai Chi and Religion
I have been asked questions about whether the Tai Chi I teach is "secular". More specifically, I have also been asked if anything I teach will be in conflict with Christian teachings. Becasue religious teachings and interpretations of teachings can vary widely, I think the better question for those with concerns is: "Is practicing Tai Chi in conflict with my religious beliefs?" Below I provide information I hope might help answer that question.
Tai Chi is not a religion. It is a form of exercise/self-defense. It is a way of standing, moving, and breathing that promotes a relaxed, upright, and stable body. It is used by a wide variety of people in many countries for a wide variety of purposes and reasons.
The roots of Tai Chi are in ancient China approximately 3000-5000 years ago. Taoist philosophy was beginning to take shape at that time. Taoism is a philosophy focusing on living in harmony with the Tao (the natural way/flow of the universe). In more recent times, about the last 1000 years, Taoism has also been followed as a religion with temples, rituals, and deities, particularly in China and Taiwan.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) also had its roots at the time that Taoist philosophy was taking shape. TCM is a holistic system aiming to balance the body's vital energy (qi), yin and yang, and promote self-healing. It utilizes therapies like acupuncture, herbal medicine, cupping, and Tai Chi to treat the root cause of illnesses.
Although all three of these had roots at the same time, none of them required, embodied, or made demands on the other. However, it would be unreasonable to assume that one or the other might not have an influence on the other. A simple example is that all three believe that minimizing/releasing stress in the mind and body is important to good health and well-being.
While researching this topic, I came across an article that discusses Tai Chi and Christianity. It was written by Ken Gullette, a Tai Chi practitioner and teacher of over 40 years. Ken has a broad background of training including time under Tai Chi Grandmasters from China.
A portion of his article is included below. The full article can be found here.
Can a Christian Study Tai Chi?
Ken Gullette's Internal Fighting Arts
generalphilosophy Dec 15, 2009
A lot of misinformation has spread about Tai Chi. The art is a very effective way to ease stress, improve health, and develop self-defense skills. So why am I asked so often if Christians can study Tai Chi?
I need to let you know that I grew up in Southern, conservative, fundamentalist Christian churches. I was baptized.
I can also tell you very clearly that there is nothing religious about Tai Chi or any other martial art, including boxing, wrestling, fencing, karate, or taekwondo.
Americans are not always well-informed about other cultures, and sometimes they jump to conclusions about things they don't understand. My daughter had a yin-yang sticker on her notebook in junior high school, and a couple of girls accused her of being Satanic. There is nothing Satanic about the yin/yang symbol and absolutely nothing religious about Tai Chi. You can believe anything you want from a spiritual perspective and still enjoy Tai Chi.
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Let's look at it from different perspectives. Tai Chi is a martial art. As far as I know there is nothing in Christianity that prohibits the use of self-defense if you are attacked? I don't remember being taught anything like that in Sunday School. There was a lot of fighting in the Old Testament, as I recall. David was pretty good with weapons. He had to be, to slay Goliath.
Another tremendous benefit of Tai Chi is the relaxation that comes from using it as moving meditation. Is there something in Christianity that forbids its members from relaxing and calming themselves? Perhaps some believe instead of calming the mind you should turn it all over to Jesus. If that works for you that's fine. But there is nothing religious about relaxing, calming, meditating.
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--by Ken Gullette