“Moving, be like water, Still, be like a mirror.” Chuang-tzu, also known as "Master Zhuan", was a major interpreter of Tao (=Daoism) who lived from 369 to 286 BCE.
"...The Taoist's
Heart-and-Mind
Is a Bright Mirror
It reflects
But does not absorb
It is Still Water,
Calm without a ripple." Liu Yiming (1734-1821)
"… the perfected breathe all the way to their heels, unlike ordinary folk who breathe only as far as their throats.” Chuang-tzu
"Without stirring abroad, One can know the whole world;
Without looking out of the window One can see the way of heaven.
The further one goes The less one knows." Lao-Tzu
"Relaxation is at the heart of the practice of Tai Chi and Qigong.
It's not learning a myriad of techniques but releasing the blocks in the body that one is capable of developing rooting and opening up to the flow of the Qi.
Thus, in Taoism, the philosophy that underlies our practice, is not striving to be better, but letting go of desires, ambitions and tensions, that we reach harmony with the Tao and our true nature is revealed to us.
If you were really relaxed, what would you do? who would you be?" Carol Yamasaki
“There is no mystique to Tai Chi Chuan. What is difficult is the perseverance. It took me ten years to discover my chi, but thirty years to learn how to use it.
Once you see the benefit, you won’t want to stop.”- Ma Yueliang