In an ancient courtyard in China at the Tai Hi Home, two masters of Tai Chi taught our group of 5 women the fluid artist movements of Tai Chi. Mandarin Journeys hosted this inspirational morning, while we watched in quiet respect of these two masterful masters of Tai Chi.
What are Masters of Tai Chi?
Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese martial art, descended from qigong, an ancient discipline rooted in traditional Chinese medicine. Tai chi consists of slow, rhythmic and meditative body movements. Originally designed for self-defense, the body movements of Tai chi enhance relaxation, inner calm, and peace, and the masters of Tai chi perform these movements so magically and smoothly that it looks easy.
But it’s not as easy as it looks to perfect these moves. Masters of Tai chi do not have black belts or obvious signs of their level of skill, but trust me you will be mesmerized when witnessing a performance by a master.
Two masters of Tai chi granted us a special performance in the ancient courtyard of TaiHu-Home, a culturally immersive hotel. The ancient courtyard provided an incredible backdrop while the masters serenaded us with a tai chi performance.
Cultural Immersion TaiHu-Home
Prior to the performance at Tai Hu Home, the Masters took time to teach us a few of the movements, which made us appreciate how difficult Tai chi is to master.
The cultural immersion is really a retreat from the world, wind down time, and part of my Mandarin Journeys experience in China, which included riding in a Vintage Motorcycle Sidecar through the streets of Shanghai.
The immersion experience at Tai Hu Home also included a pottery class, lessons in how to make dumplings, and tasting local Chinese delicacies.