I received a question from a friend on Shen Yi Qi. He wanted to know if it was a matter of bringing outer movement back to the Qi in the dantian.
I would start off by saying perhaps this would be what other Tai Chi styles do. Perhaps. I don’t know. What I do know is that in our Yang style we do not do any dantian thingy whether rotating the dantian or thinking of the dantian.
Our style does not work this way. It is a lot more innovative the way our Yang style is put together. In fact, it would need another book on commentary just to explain what Grandmaster Wei has written in his book “Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan’s True Essence” on our 22 form. Below is the book I am referring to :-
At the base is the intent (Yi). Everything starts with it. In life it is the same. Imagine that your mind can no longer function but your body still functions as normal. Overall, can you function?
No, right?
If body is not working properly but the mind is there you can still carry on. Stephen Hawkins is one example. In fact, he wrote that because he can't move his mind can then roam further than his body can possibly do so.
Otherwise, how could he write all that stuff about space. Or Einstein with his thought experiment on a concept that could not be proven at the time of writing but eventually some were proven including the most recent findings on gravitational waves.
So Yi is like the software of the body. The Yi mobilizes the body reacts like software telling the hardware what to do. When the Yi moves then the Qi follows.
Example, if you hold out your hand would you feel anything? But if you think of your fingers stretching out towards the wall without actually moving the fingers you will soon feel your hand particularly the Lao Gong point becoming hotter.
Scientists have proven that it is possible to improve one's physical performance by training mentally. Kyudo is an example of training mentally to shoot the arrow before the beginner is actually allowed to shoot an actual arrow. The combination of Yi and Qi allows the beginner to feel what his own body is doing. This is why I would rather use the term Qualia than Qi. Qualia is defined as ".....a quality or property as perceived or experienced by a person".
So when the Yi leads the Qi follows. When done this way the Qi can easily move through the 9 points of the body that we call the 9-Crooked Pearls. The 9-Crooked Pearls concept reminds me of tensegrity because the 9-Crooked Pearls have implications on the sphere structure and 5-Bows that we use for power generation.
The use of Yi not only activates Qi but it also triggers Shen. Some people think of Shen as something spiritual or mystical. To us Shen is another type of qualia except this feeling also relates to the outside of our body. Shen is the key to the use of emptiness to dissipate a strong pressure when in contact. If no contact then one can just turn body or move out of the way.
This is why we say in Tai Chi to learn the art through the techniques and the techniques through the art. This means that one should learn how to use the techniques as well and not just focus on learning how to fajing.
So Shen Yi Qi should properly be written as Yi Qi Shen except it rhymes horribly. Shen Yi Qi is easy to say due to its intonation. Shen Yi Qi is inside and outside the body at the same time. We don't bring it back to the dantian. Why?
It is like driving. You have to think of the vehicles moving around you if you want to avoid a fender bender even as you are thinking of how you are turning the wheel, the gear, the accelerator and the clutch if you are driving a car with manual gears. The engine is like the dantian of the car. Do you think of the car engine when you drive?
I guess this is a question that does not need to be answered unless you do not drive.