With all the senses – Fascia and body perception
By Ilse Priesching
Connective tissue, which is highly important for the functionality of the body, has only recently received its deserved attention in the West. Its significance has been recognised above all by therapists working with manual methods. In this article by Ilse Priesching, she chiefly examines the central role of fascia in body perception and thus in overall coordination. She indicates how the various receptors in fascial tissue can be approached and activated, and how corresponding insights can be used for Qigong and Taijiquan practice.

Enabling movement by relaxing and sinking
The Taiji Ball exercise as a silk-reeling exercise of the Yang style according to Huang Xingxian
By Epi van de Pol
»Silk-reeling exercises« are to be found in various Taiji and Qigong traditions. After the silk-reeling exercises of Chen style Taijiquan according to Chen Xiaowang were presented in the previous issue, this time Epi van de Pol describes the Taiji Ball exercise which has been transmitted in similar fashion in Yang style according to Huang Xingxian. Here the focus is on letting the external body movements arise from a continual process of sinking, which in turn requires deep relaxation and permeability.

»Research is a movement that never ends«
Interview with Ömer Humbaraci
The martial art Taijiquan was developed several centuries ago as a complex system involving theory and practice; over time various branches of this art have developed. Today it is difficult to decode the original teachings. For decades, Ömer Humbaraci has put the focus of his training on researching in detail how the movement principles of Taijiquan actually take effect. In this interview with Thomas Carlsen he explains how he, together with a few other enthusiasts, has conducted an in-depth study of the classical texts, especially of the Taijiquan Jing, in combination with constant questioning and practical testing. This has enabled him to interpret essential text passages so as to achieve measurable benefits in practice.

Conscientiously striving for an optimum posture
By Cornelia Richter
An unhindered ow of Qi is the precondition for self-healing of the body, for health and for a positive ›anima‹. The »24 Requirements for Body Posture« describe what aspects must be considered to allow a free ow of Qi. Cornelia Richter presents the most important of these requirements with regard to the back, the chin, the feet, the shoulders and arms, and she provides tips for realising these in one’s own practice and in everyday life.

Familiarising oneself with the ›foreign‹ – On the foreign and the familiar in relation to Taijiquan and Qigong
By Dietlind Zimmermann
As practitioners of Chinese movement arts we are, one might say, adept at familiarising ourselves with ›foreign‹ things. There are many possibilities for dealing with the curiosity and uncertainty that foreign, or unfamiliar, elements can evoke in us. Dietlind Zimmermann sketches a continuum, ranging from those who wish to hold rigidly to their traditions through to those who automatically believe that anything exotic is better than their own culture. She shows that traditions do not represent strictly defined, immutable qualities but instead evolve in the dynamic process of transmission from one person to another. And that it is, especially, the energy-related aspects of our arts that give us access to the elements that connect us all.