Internal Arts Overview:
The Path of Shen (spirit)–Yi(intent)–Chi(energy)–Li(power)
Training in the internal arts isn’t just about learning forms or memorizing movements — it’s about learning how to organize yourself from the inside out. Through this practice, we explore four key aspects of the human system: Shen (spirit or awareness), Yi (intent and will), Chi (breath and energy), and Li (power and movement). Each one develops a different part of you. Shen (spirit) helps you quiet your mind and regulate your emotions. Yi (intent) strengthens your focus, direction, and commitment. Chi connects breath, energy, and vitality. Li teaches you to express power with grace and precision. When these four work together, your whole system comes into balance — your nervous system regulates itself, your perception widens, and your actions become smoother and more natural. The benefits show up everywhere: you handle stress better, your focus sharpens, your body feels more coordinated, and you start to experience a deep sense of connection between your mind, energy, and movement. Along this journey you will use multiple Tai Chi Chuan forms, Shing Yi (mind form fist) and Pa Kua Chang (eight trigram palm) to develop these elements. This process takes time. That’s why these arts are taught gradually, over years of practice — each layer preparing you for the next.
Yang Style Tai Chi — Cultivating Shen (Awareness)
I associate Shen (spirit) with the human subconscious mind, but traditionally it is associated with the powerful emotional & spiritual roles of the Heart. I associate the hidden drives and moral guidance of the heart to the psychological role of the subconscious mind and so I connect them by similar functions.
Yang Style is where the journey begins.
Students slow down enough to feel—to listen to the body, to sense the breath, to calm the nervous system and become fully aware of the present moment.
Through smooth, continuous motion, they learn to regulate Shen (spirit): to move without judgment, to relax into groundedness, and to build trust in their own innate abilities.
At this stage:
- Shen (spirit) becomes calm and balanced.
- Yi (intent) remains quiet, learning to arise and flow naturally without distraction from judgement.
- The Chi (energy & breath) begins to harmonize through softness, rhythm, and attention. It follows the growing power of intent.
“Yang Style teaches us to listen with open awareness.”
Chen Style Tai Chi — Unifying Shen (spirit) and Yi (Intent)
The Yi (intent) has elements of both the subconscious and conscious mind. You can think of it as the trigger that begins an action.
Once awareness stabilizes, Chen Style introduces directed intent within that calm.
It weaves slow, coiling movement with sudden expressions of power (fajing), teaching that stillness and strength are phases of the same current. Yi (intent) and Fajing are expressions of internal commitment with conscious interruption.
At this stage:
- Yi (intent) awakens and begins to lead Chi consciously through the practice of fajing (internal power).
- Shen remains open as Yi learns to condense and release without breaking continuity.
- The nervous system experiences intensity without calmness—activation without losing regulation. This is accomplished by practicing the swift recovery of regulated Shen
“Chen Style teaches calm within power and power within calm.”
Xing Yi Quan — Refining Yi (Pure Commitment)
Having learned to direct energy fluidly, students now focus on purity of intent.
Xing Yi removes movement complexity so Yi (intent) can act without hesitation.
Each of the 5 Element Fists is a practice of commitment—once the movement begins, it carries through to completion with no second thought or conscious interference..
At this stage:
- Yi (intent) becomes refined and focused.
- Chi condenses and drives forward as one force, obeying Yi.
- Li (power) manifests as decisive, unbroken action guided by trust rather than control.
“Xing Yi transforms clear intent into unstoppable motion.”
Pa Kua Zhang — The Art of Integration and the Birth of a New Force
Pa Kua is the living thread throughout all stages, and the culmination of them all.
Its constant turning, coiling, and counter-rotating motions create internal antagonism — opposing vectors of motion, intention, and spiral that never collapse into conflict.
Instead, these opposites fuse into a third power — what you call the Pa Kua Force.
Throughout training:
- It keeps Shen (spirit) open and peripheral, cultivating 360-degree awareness.
- It keeps Yi (intent) flexible and pliable, able to redirect quickly without tension.
- It circulates Chi through continuous spirals, dissolving blocks before they harden. This is called “Chi flows to one hundred holes”—meaning everywhere at once.
- It keeps Li (power) supple and responsive—strength that can adapt.
“Pa Kua is the breath of the system—it frees what structure refines.”
“The Pa Kua Force is born when Yin and Yang stop resisting each other and start cooperating. It is power that arises from harmony within motion.”
The Integrated Path
The curriculum forms a complete developmental cycle:
| Stage | Primary Focus | Training Outcome |
| Yang Tai Chi | Shen | Calm perception, nervous-system regulation |
| Chen Tai Chi | Shen + Yi | Coordinated awareness and directed power |
| Xing Yi Quan | Yi | Decisive commitment and unity of mind-body |
| Pa Kua Zhang | Dynamic Shen–Yi–Chi–Li | Freedom, adaptability, and integration of all elements |
“Yang opens awareness.
Chen unites awareness and intent.
Xing Yi commits intent into power.
Pa Kua keeps the system alive—forever adapting, forever free.”
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