Written by Julia Ruston As you may have heard, Kung Fu is one of the world’s oldest forms of martial arts. Throughout the years, Kung Fu has developed many different variations and styles of discipline so there is something out there for everyone! This 5000-year-old practice is so much more than just a sport as…
Written by Sean Callahan Calligraphy has been a central part of Chinese art for thousands of years. Emperors treasured it and those who wrote the most exceptional pieces were often rewarded with high-ranking positions and riches. However, despite the external pressure calligraphers must have felt, they had to stay centered and let their emotions flow through their…
Written by Maria If you live in a concrete jungle like London, New York or Hong Kong, you are certainly very familiar with stress, anxiety, and pollution that negatively impact the quality of your life. Your tight schedule makes you feel like everyday is the same as the day before. All this planning in advance…
Written by Maria Giglio We all know that modern Medicine is about blades and stitches, but to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM} blood is not the only thing that flows in our body. Healing is rather a matter of mind-body and Qi (氣). What is Qi? Qi is the vital energy flowing in the Universe and…
Written by Maria Giglio Are you a big fan of Disney movies? I am and will never feel too old to freshen up some Classic from time to time. Mulan is no exception. About 20 years ago, way before Kung Fu Panda, another Chinese warrior broke into the movie scene, Mulan. As for many other…
Written by Maria Giglio Why moving furniture gives you thrills? Ask the Universe. Feng Shui (风水, literally wind and water), the traditional Chinese geomancy, teaches how to set up our living space so to keep the Universal energy, Qi, in balance between its opposites Yin and Yang, and thus live better. Want to know how?…
Written by Gioia Zhang Translated by Yuqing Yang Qigong is one part of Chinese culture; Health Qigong is a traditional national sport that regulates one’s mind, body movements, and breathing. The Eight Silken movements are the most popular form of Health Qigong. Based largely on posture, there are Eight SilkenMovements which fall into two…
Written by Gioia Zhang Translated by Yuqing Yang Around two years ago, probably due to how unlucky my animal year is (just kidding haha) 1, the state of my mental and physical health started to go downhill. I therefore started paying more attention to self-care and gradually developed a great interest in traditional Chinese…
By Joshua Neuhaus One of the Chinese terms for self-cultivation is xiu-shen (修身) which means to strive to raise one’s own standard of virtue and morality. Another phrase for it is xiu-xin yang-xing (修心养性), it literally means rectifying one’s mind and nurturing one’s character. The term is used in ancient Chinese philosophy and if viewed…
By Joshua Neuhaus When talking about Chinese martial arts, there are many ways of categorizing them, and calling them internal or external is just another way to do so. One might, for example, ask if a martial art is from the north or the south, from the Wudang or the Shaolin temples, Buddhist or Daoist,…
By Joshua Neuhaus Sunzi is a scholar and a military commander of the warring states period in China. That puts him into the same period of scholarship that also Confucius and Laozi are said to have participated in. In “The Art of War” he compiled strategies that cover in considerable detail how to be victories…
Yamada Mumon during his time was a monk of Mahayana Buddhism. In a collection of his words, Zen and meditation are explained in an easily comprehensible way that resonates with the broader masses of people. “Yamada Mumon Roshi’s Words” gives us insights into the role that Zazen (Engl.: sitting Zen meditation) plays in everyday life.…
Chen The originator of Tai Chi (Pinyin Taijiquan), according to legend, is Zhang Sanfeng of the Wudang mountains. When witnessing the fight between a snake and a crane, he is said to have found the inspiration to create what has come to be called Tai Chi. Historically, however, the origin of Tai Chi can only…
Is Tai Chi really a martial art? Does what you learn really enable you to defend yourself? The short answer is yes, Tai Chi is a martial art. Progress in Tai Chi brings you crucial skills for self-defense. While Yang Chengfu more than a hundred years ago was teaching this martial art to selected soldiers…
The Secret of the Golden Flower,太乙金華宗旨- TàiyǐJīnhuáZōngzhǐ, translation by Richard Wilhelm, commentary by C.G Jung (first published 1931, constant re-prints) Highlight: One of the first works to explain Taoist concepts and Chinese meditation techniques to a Western audience, this book is a great read for those who would like to understand more about the philosophy…
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