What is the difference between yoga and tai chi

The core difference between yoga and Tai Chi is that the origin background and the underlying logic of exercise are completely different - the former originated from the Brahmin cultural system of ancient India and was originally a body control training serving spiritual practice, while the latter was born out of the traditional Chinese martial arts system, with offensive and defensive attributes and the health logic of Taoism and Chinese medicine at its roots.

A while ago, I took Uncle Chen, who has been practicing Chen-style Tai Chi for ten years, to experience a yin yoga class. After class, he rubbed his crotch and scratched his head, saying, "It's all about stretching the tendons, so why is it completely different from the clear energy I have after standing upright?" ”In fact, it is a matter of underlying logic. The core of yoga postures is "stretch-maintain". Whether it is the dynamic series of flow yoga or the long-term maintenance of yin yoga, the essence is to gradually break through the activity thresholds of muscles and joints within a safe range and pursue precise control of every part of the body. Advanced exercises are often combined with breathing meditation to complete inward observation. There are a lot of controversies in the circle now. Some people think that modern fitness-oriented yoga has long been stripped of its original religious attributes and is just ordinary flexibility + core training. Others insist that the breathing method and meditation logic of yoga always bear the imprint of the original culture and cannot be completely equated with ordinary fitness.

On the other hand, the Tai Chi that we often come into contact with, even the simplified 24 postures that adults and aunts often do in the park, the force of raising and lowering the hands is "retracting and sinking", and there is rarely a sense of exerting force to stretch outward. The movement logic of Tai Chi emphasizes the alternation of tightness and tension. The force starts from the heels and passes along the waist and hips to the shoulders and hands. There is an implicit design of offense and defense behind every slow movement. Take the most common "wild horse parting mane" as an example. It looks like slowly raising the arms and turning the waist, but in fact it is a move that blocks the opponent's attack and then uses the opponent's strength to send the person away. Even for those who practice purely for health preservation, the posture requirements of lowering the shoulders, lowering the elbows, holding the chest and straightening the back coincide with the logic of dredging the meridians and guiding the downward flow of qi and blood in traditional Chinese medicine, and are naturally different from the sense of stretching pursued by yoga. There are a lot of debates now. Some people think that changing Tai Chi into a health exercise without attack and defense has lost its core. Others think that ordinary bodybuilders do not need to learn attack and defense, as long as it can achieve the effect of exercise. There are many supporters on both sides.

I have many friends who practice both. If I sit for a long time and have stiff shoulders and neck, and if I want to improve my rounded shoulders and hunchback, practicing Hatha Yoga will give quick results. My colleague used to have a serious chest problem, and his shoulders opened up after practicing for three months.； If your hands and feet are usually cold, your energy and blood are weak, or your knees are bad and you can’t run or jump, Tai Chi Zhanzhuang plus slow kicking routine is particularly suitable. My mother used to wear two layers of gloves when going out in the winter. After standing in Zhanzhuang for eight months, now she doesn’t need to wear thick gloves when riding an electric bike in late autumn. In fact, both sports have developed to this day and have evolved into many simplified versions suitable for ordinary bodybuilders. There is no distinction between high and low. Just choose the one that is comfortable for you. If you really want to go deeper into the practice, you must first understand the underlying logic of the two. Otherwise, you will easily suffer sports injuries if you practice blindly.