The T’ai Chi Golden Ruler is a
unique form of qigong. It is a system of Taoist Yoga, or energy exercises, which
employs a special tool-the “chih”, or ruler. The T’ai Chi Golden Ruler has
seven “internal” basic exercises and eight advanced exercises. The exercises
are performed in repetition with the ruler held between the palms on a meridian
point called the pericardium point. Each exercise specially coordinates
movement, breath, mental, and visual focus along the energy meridians of the
body, cultivating the body’s energy or chi. The T’ai Chi Golden Ruler aligns
and empowers major energy reservoirs, or “dantians”, and energy meridians of
the body. This Chinese energy philosophy somewhat parallels the human
sympathetic nervous and cerebral-spinal systems. The human body has three
dantian energy reservoirs. The lower dantian is located one to two inches below
the navel. The second is located in the chest area close to the sternum, and the
third dantian is located in the head area. The practitioner must always take
care in aligning his/her movements with these energy centers. Constant practice
of these exercises imparts good health and longevity by cultivating chi, and
balancing it throughout the body. The ruler is typically made of light porous
wood and comes in many shapes, depending on which ruler system is being
practiced. Like all martial arts there are several different versions of the
ruler exercises existing today.
Sometime during the Sung Dynasty
the T’ai Chi Golden Ruler exercises were born. The true story of the ruler’s
inception, like so many other oriental things, is shrouded in mists of legend
and folklore. Legend however, holds that the ruler was invented by a famous
Taoist Chen Hsi-I. Chen Hsi-I was a friend and retainer to the first emperor of
the Sung Dynasty, and taught many styles of martial arts to the royal family.
The T’ai Chi Golden Ruler was then transmitted down through the ages and
disseminated by the Sung emperor’s descendents. Although the T’ai Chi Golden
Ruler and T’ai Chi Chuan share a similar name, they have different origins and
histories of transmission. Due to the widespread exchange and crossover between
various martial arts, several T’ai Chi masters also teach the exercises of the
T’ai Chi Golden Ruler.
The daily practice of the ruler exercises promotes health and strength. Like T’ai Chi-Chuan the T’ai Chi Golden Ruler develops balance, harmony and integration in all human processes. The T’ai Chi Ruler exercises accomplish this by working through the central nervous system and thereby effectively exercising the entire physiology, not just a few muscle groups and the cardiovascular system. Some of the immediate benefits are improved posture, circulation, metabolism, neuromuscular functioning, and the strengthening of the immune system.
There are several health benefits to the T’ai Chi Golden Ruler, and these can be easily accessible by practicing the following principles:
1. The body is in a state of complete relaxation.
2. All movements are circular and spiraling.
3. All movement is controlled by the turning of the waist.
4. The spine is held straight and erect.
5. The eyes are constantly focused on the ruler.
6. Breathing is coordinated with all movements.
7. Breathing occurs at a rate of two breaths per minute.
Each exercise focuses, channels, balances and distributes chi along specific pathways and energy centers. This cultivation begins with exercise #1, encouraging chi movement along a “grand circulation”-moving up the back and down the anterior body, extending from head to toe-on both lateral sides of the body. Then this grand circulation of chi is concentrated on one side of the body and then the other by exercise #2. With exercise #3, the focus of chi mobilization is placed on the pathway from the waist through the torso and the arms. Exercise #4 emphasizes generation of chi through the internal organs, through vigorous work of the legs. Then exercise #5 shifts the focus of chi cultivation to the energy center of the body. Then with exercise #6, chi movement is activated from head to toe again, but in a reverse circulation of exercise #1. Finally, the chi of the highest energy center is balanced by exercise #7.
7 BASIC EXERCISES 8 ADVANCED EXERCISES