Space Sessions: Dr. Matthew Brewer (Part Two)

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.

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?

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.

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