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| Matthew Brewer practicing Tai Chi Photo: Daoist Internal Arts |
Continuing from last week's post : Matthew Brewer is a teacher of Neigung, a traditional
Chinese energy practice which pre-dates and informs Tai Chi. Join us in this second part of our discussion about the importance of creating space inside our physical bodies.
RAS – So your teaching is really a
way to open up internal spaces…
MB- Basically it’s for
anybody who has a body. The thing about it is that we’re in gravity all the
time. Gravity is constantly trying to close you down. Close all your spaces..
RAS- Compression?
MB – Nods. So for
example the ‘Standing’ exercise, you’re
maintaining the spaces.
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| Daoist symbol - Yin & Yang * |
RAS.
Is that
similar to stretching?
MB – No. Stretching
is all about tissue and tissue is important in that if it’s tight, you can’t
release the joint. So you need to release the tissues, lengthen the tissues in order
to make the space. But it’s not eventually muscles that make the space…. it’s
the energy of the joint that makes the space. (My emphasis)
RAS- So how did you
get interested in this field of work? I know you’ve been practicing for more
than 20 years. Was it something to do with sports?
MB –It was a combination, partly for health - I was a swimmer and I was looking for a
replacement for swimming. as I don’t
like swimming over here. Too cold. And
partly for the philosophy. Tai Chi is a philosophy in practice, if you like. Or
practice in philosophy. A physical practice
of philosophy.
RAS – Did you go to
China to study?
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| Bruce K.Frantzis with Grandmaster Liu Hong Jie. |
MB – No my teacher
is American*
(Bruce Frantzis). But I’ve trained with Chinese teachers as
well.
RAS - This whole
idea of creating and using space in the body is fascinating to me as I don’t
normally think of literal internal space. But as you say gravity compresses and
takes our spaces away. It has opened my eyes.
MB- The basic difference between a baby’s body
and an old person’s body is that one is all space. The baby’s body is very
open. If you lay the baby on a table you’ll see the whole body lengthen as the
spine relaxes, There’s no tension. In
comparison, when the old person is on the table, if they can even get onto the
table, you’ll see the body tight and stuck. The spine doesn’t melt into the
table It’s stuck in its various regions.
RAS- And this is
because of compression and no space in the body. So opening this space really
is the key.
MB- Yes. Another way
to looking at it is through blood circulation…
RAS – ???
MB – Things
circulate well, all the blood, lymph, all the liquids in the body, because
there’s enough space. Circulation system is blood, so you’ve got your arteries
and your veins… if you take pressure off those, get everything aligned and open
the body up, it will just flow as it’s meant to. If you’re bent and things are
closed down, you’ve got too much pressure in certain places, it’s like stepping
on a hose pipe. You’ve got water running through the hose pipe but step on it
and it affects the whole flow. Not just that one place. The whole system gets
affected. Anyplace that’s closed will affect your whole blood flow and your lymph
flow.
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| Antique Chinese medical illustration photo: Wikipedia |
RAS – Okay, so space is crucial.
MB – Yes, crucial.
RAS – So what would
you suggest for people who don’t know anything about it, what would be a good
entry point?
MB- Fundamentals is
always the way in. Learn how to stand. Get the body aligned. That’s going to
begin to help the body open up. And then single movements like the ‘Cloud
Hands’ practice that we do. Choose a movement that’s the easiest to get all
your alignments working….and the easiest way to learn alignment - stand. Next, to then apply it to movement, one repeating movement that allows you to
train all these things. It’s complete enough to learn how to do it, but its not
as elaborate as Tai Chi Form, where you have to remember a hundred different
movements.
RAS– I think that’s
the image most people think of when you mention Tai Chi. They think it’s like
some kind of karate-in-slo-mo……never think about this aspect - that it’s an
internal health enhancing exercise.
MB – Yes, Neigung
means 'Internal Practice'.
RAS- Is Neigung the predecessor to Tai Chi?
MB – Yes, much
older. Tai Chi is a combination of Neigung and martial arts. You put the two
together so you then have a martial art that’s powered from the inside rather
than with just external tension strength.
RAS – I see, and
how old is Neigung? How far does it go back?
MB- The written
record goes back at least to…500BC. But even with those writings it’s clear
that it was already well established by then. It’s a good three thousand years
old.
RAS – On that note,
I’d better let you get back to teaching class! Thank you for sharing your wealth
of knowledge about Neigung. And for showing us how important internal space is,
to living a vibrant and healthy life.
For more information please see Matthew's website
here for more details.
*Yin & Yang symbol courtesy of longwhitecloudqigong
