Our Methods: Taoist Water Method

Bruce Frantzis writes in his book, Relaxing Into Your Being, (North Atlantic Press, 2001), that:

"There are two main methods of Chinese Taoist meditation: the fire and water approaches. The fire method emphasizes force and pushing forward. It has the characteristics of flame, ever leaping forward to consume more fuel. The water method, on the other hand, believes in effort without force, in relaxation, in letting go. It displays the characteristics of water: softness and flow.

The water practices are based on a philosophical perspective that is relevant to everyday life: Whatever you do must feel comfortable. You learn to exert full effort without strained force. In order to do that, you must refine a certain edge in the mind. To employ all of your effort and yet not use force, not contravene the actual limits of the body, the mind, and the spirit, is the gentle way of Lao Tse."

At Brookline Tai Chi we attempt to present the arts we teach in a manner consistent with the Taoist Water Method practices, also known as "the gentle way of Lao Tse".

Lao Tse, whose name is often spelled as Lao Tzu, was the author of the famous Taoist text, the Tao Te Ching, which was written some 2,500 years ago.

The embodiment in everyday life of the Water Method approach is what we call the 70 percent principle.