What is the difference between yoga and Tai Chi

Yoga is about finding stability through stretching, while Tai Chi is about relaxing and sinking the roots.

When I was giving an experience class last week, I met a young girl who had just graduated. She had never been exposed to this kind of slow exercise before. When she was practicing downward dog pose, I put her sit bones and gently pushed upwards, reminding her to step her heels on the ground. The entire back chain was like a tendon being pulled at both ends. Stop when you feel soreness. Don't force it. Once the muscles and bones relax, you will naturally find a sense of balance that can be sustained without exerting force. Later, out of curiosity, she tried the Tai Chi pose, and her arms became tight as soon as she raised her hands. I pressed down on the tips of her elbows, and asked her to send the strength from her shoulders along her forearms to her fingertips, and then down her thighs to the soles of her feet. It was like standing in warm water, and all the tight places were softened by the water, making them loose. The soles of her feet still felt like they were growing on the ground and could not sway.

There is such a difference. In the final analysis, the cultural roots of the two sides are far apart. Yoga originated from the ancient Indian practice system. It was first used by practitioners to control the body and break through worldly restrictions. Although the fitness yoga commonly practiced by the public today has weakened the spiritual part, the core still revolves around the alignment of the body and the flow of energy. It pays attention to the alignment of every muscle and every joint, and twists the body into the most stretched and reasonable position. Tai Chi is completely derived from Chinese Taoist culture and traditional martial arts. Even the simplified 24 postures practiced by the uncles and aunts in the park, each move also has the logic of offense and defense. For example, looking at the slow Yun Shou, a turn of the waist and a move of the hands are actually taking the force of pushing the opponent to his feet. If you really reach out to push someone who has practiced Tai Chi for half a year, it will be difficult to push the person, but you will easily lose your balance.

I have seen some of the quarrels on the Internet. Some people say that both are slow movements and there is no difference. Others have created a fusion class of Tai Chi and yoga. The opinions in the circle are also divided. Many old boxers who have been doing Tai Chi all their lives think that this is nonsense and destroys the strength of Tai Chi. There are also many young yoga instructors who think that this kind of fusion is particularly friendly to novices. They first use yoga's shoulder and hip opening movements to open up stiff joints, and then practice Tai Chi so that they will not find problems due to body jams. There are still people arguing about which one hurts the knees more. In fact, it is not a question of exercise. In yoga, you have to bend your legs for concave poses, and in Tai Chi, you have to twist your knees over your toes. Any exercise can hurt your knees, and it has nothing to do with the sport itself.

I don’t deliberately distinguish between the two. I practice Sun Salutations for 10 minutes in the morning when I am in a hurry. I stretch my body and sit all day at work and my shoulders are not sore. In the evening, after dinner, I do half a set of 24 poses in the community. The irritability accumulated during the day sinks to my feet and I fall asleep much faster. To put it bluntly, no matter what you practice, the one that suits you is the best.