The Tai Chi Space: How To Move In Tai Chi And Qi Gong
A Pictorial Guide of the 42 fundamental internal principles by Paul Cavel
119 pages
120 original illustrations by Sophie Manham
E-book or paperback
Reviews and student feedback below
Publisher: Aeon Books
London, United Kingdom
Catalogue No: 40055
ISBN 13: 9781904658986
ISBN 10: 1904658989
Recommended by Tai Chi Master Bruce Frantzis
“Paul is a gifted teacher who is able to embody the arts and break them down into easy-to-follow steps. I have seen him help others build extraordinary energetic foundations in their bodies. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to learn or deepen the internal principles that give shape to tai chi and qigong forms”.
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Foreword by Dr. Michael Mettner
“Metaphors, images and symbols are the language of our subconscious minds. They help to convey meaning to our consciousness and hence store in the memory quite easily and naturally. If they are chosen well, they are able to penetrate the deeper layers of our consciousness and trigger the deeply imprinted wisdom of our body. The images Paul offers can shorten the process of transmitting information, enhance our learning and awaken our bodily intelligence.
This way of teaching requires a very deep level of understanding of the material and, indeed, of human nature itself. Paul obviously has both”.
Visual Tai Chi Lexicon
The Tai Chi Space is designed to teach the fundamentals that drive and underpin training at all levels and stages of development, not a form. The collection of principles included in the book, portrayed as illustrations and accompanied by brief explanations, are aimed at conveying how internal arts techniques function in ways that help you embed them and feel them come alive in your flesh.
Whether you are a complete beginner, an experienced stylist—or anywhere in-between—learning and training an internal art always requires attuning your mind to the modus operandi, content and quality of the art you are practising. In the longer term, you need a method for staying on track and preventing squandered effort, either by missing some of the essential principles in your practice or by trying to move on to more advanced techniques too quickly.
All of the material in this book is a part of fundamental training that should never be regarded as too elementary, nor not important enough to develop and revisit time and again, as internal arts training is intrinsically circular. Through the cycling, experienced tai chi stylists will find the holes in their understanding and skill set, root out their weaknesses and enable more advanced training to organically transpire.
Message from Paul Cavel
“I have encountered too many practitioners who have put in immense effort, some over many years, in great earnest, yet their forms cannot really be considered internal. Maybe they trained a weak system, did not have a teacher who could perform or communicate internal techniques that are virtually invisible to the untrained eye, or they did not spend enough time on component practices. Whatever the case, this situation is incredibly unfortunate, and, with my tai chi book, my aim is to show you how to develop quality and depth in the fundamentals, which not only unlock health and power-generating benefits, but also more advanced and extraordinary levels of practice”.
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What Tai Chi Players Are Saying
“For a very long time, I’ve looked for a book about the core principles of tai chi and qigong that I could recommend for students, in addition to our teacher Bruce Frantzis’ books. Paul has written that book. I’ve read it from cover to cover, and I heartily recommend it to anyone who studies tai chi or qigong. It’s the kind of book you can pick up, peruse one or two pages of easy-to-read text, and immediately go practice whatever you’ve learned in your tai chi or qigong form … and realize improvement”.
—Bill Ryan, Energy Arts Senior Instructor, USA
“The Tai Chi Space: How to Move in Tai Chi and Qigong” should prove to be quite valuable to my students. The 42 Principles takes one directly beyond the “dance” of forms to a succinct understanding of why we learn and practice the forms. An amazing blueprint to direct the mind’s quest for qi energy experience; an owner’s manual for the body. All related via simple metaphors imagery and symbols. An extraordinary achievement; thanks Paul”. —Jerry, certified WI-YMCA instructor
“Thank you. I am into the book now and very much enjoying it. Paul clearly knows exactly what he is talking about. I’m very glad I bought the book”. —Peter B
“Congratulations on this marvel of a book with valuable lessons for all tai chi and qigong students”. —Joan G
“Your book is great”! —Mo, France
“I am enjoying the book, it is so clear and, like poetry, its “simplicity and clarity” is very nice”. —Runa G, Sweden
“I forgot to mention how much value I’m getting from his book, which I’m reading in small segments and will, I’m sure, reread often”. —Holly
“The focus on the C7 anchor and extension of the elbows from the spine worked a treat! I spent the main part of the practice in Yang run-throughs just feeling that connection, then applied it to Brush Knee as you suggested. The three point focus connected my frame so the points moved together and gave relative positions in space from which to move, with the anchor as ‘origin’; opening me up. It changed Brush Knee for me completely. I only describe this to let you know how wonderfully user-friendly your text is. By separating the Principles into 42 specific chunks means we’re not trying to ‘juggle’ and then your direction to apply this one element to a single tai chi move again refines practice. If we don’t know how or what to separate; we can’t combine. This book is excellent and I believe will be able to be used through a lifetime of tai chi”. —Susan D, UK
“I recently had a chance to read through some of “The Tai Chi Space” and it pulled me in immediately! I am a serious bookworm and your style and presentation is totally spot on. I really like the “Visual Lexicon” part”. —Katy, HI, USA
“I have just begun exploring Qi Gong and am very impressed with your book. It was delivered this week and I have found it very informative. Because I am so impressed with this book, I am signing up for your training program The Five Keys to Taoist Energy Arts”. —John N, TX, USA
“[The] new book is just fantastic. It has a way to skillfully convey powerfull ideas with simple illustrations and it is very inspiring for my daily practices”. —Olivier A, Spain
“A most welcome addition to my library. I have found this to be an aid to my understanding”. —John C, Canada
“Thank you for your book the Tai Chi Space. I am integrating your teachings into my practice”. —Andrew, G., San Francisco
“I also found your YouTube videos and have experienced “ah hah” moments that help me identify gaps and areas to work on. Especially with regard to alignment”.
“Thank you for writing The Tai Chi Space. I recommend this book to my Qigong practice groups and clients”. —Robert M, Minnesota, USA
“I would just like to write to thank you for the book The Tai Chi Space! I have found each of the tips to be incredibly helpful – not only do they give me certain things to focus on while practising the (Yang) form but, most importantly, each of the tips and accompanying illustrations are communicated in an easy-to-comprehend manner (certainly NOT a common trait of many taichi books!) – and yet similarly possessing so much depth that I imagine returning to it again and again over the coming years. A wonderful achievement”! —Damian L, Germany
“The Tai Chi Space is an absolutely amazing summary and can be used as everyday practice guide”. —Yana B, UK
“I read with interest your book, The Tai Chi Space: How to Move In Tai Chi and Qi Gong. As a tai chi player/teacher for the past 25+ years, I found the integration of tai chi principles and the articulation of your concepts interesting and food for thought”. —C Honda
“Tai chi, practiced for reducing stress, improving circulation of all bodily fluids, and boosting energy—essential elements of health—can best be achieved by incorporating internal principles. Only a few are taught because many instructors do not know them. Paul Cavel’s new book: The Tai Ch Space: How to Move in Tai Chi and Qigong, helps teachers understand what fundamentals they need to teach and how to help students incorporate them. The book also makes it possible for students to learn many key fundamentals on their own. The illustrations, both as aids and metaphor, anchor the steps to be taken. I especially loved the illustration of a person next to a tree, showing how both their roots meet and merge under the ground. The internal principles make tai chi and qigong come alive inside the practitioner’s body, mind, and spirit, leading to a vibrant sense of being”. —Diane Rapaport, Tai Chi Instructor, AZ, USA
“I want to offer my strong recommendation for an outstanding new book for Tai Chi and Qigong practitioners, The Tai Chi Space: How to Move in Tai and Qigong, by Paul Cavel. In The Tai Chi Space, Paul describes 42 principles, guiding the reader sequentially from what it takes to build solid foundation for a Tai Chi or Qigong practice to deeper internal practices to increase Qi flow, fluidity, and connection. Tai Chi and Qigong practitioners of all levels will find Tai Chi Space loaded with readily accessible material to advance and deepen your practice. Each principal is succinctly articulated (2 pages max) and accompanied by Sophie Manham’s helpful illustrations. Paul’s prose deftly combines education with entertainment, at once authoritative, lyrical, and straightforward”. — Chris Cinnamon, JD, MS, ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist
