Hello, Teacher Yun. When I am feeling emotionally low—caught in deep self-blame, regret, and a sense of heaviness or blockage in the chest—is it still appropriate to practice Taichi or standing practice? How should we work with such an unbalanced state of body and mind? Thank you.
Answer (Yun Master)
This is a very important—and very real—question. Almost everyone who genuinely walks the path of cultivation and self-care will encounter this state at some point.
Rather than rushing to answer “Should I practice or not?”, let us first place this experience back into the Taichi context and understand what is actually happening.
1. How Is This State Understood in Taichi?
You describe experiencing:
emotional heaviness
self-blame and regret
a feeling of tightness or blockage in the chest
In Taichi, this is not unfamiliar at all.
It is not viewed simply as a “psychological” or “emotional” problem, but as a clear state of mind–body disharmony:
disturbed and unsettled heart-qi
qi that floats upward instead of gathering
qi that becomes stagnant instead of flowing
In simple terms:
the mind is over-exerting, qi is moving chaotically, and the body and mind lose their integrated coherence.
Common signs of this state include:
thoughts that loop and replay without stopping
shallow, constrained breathing
a body that feels weak yet restless
This is the natural outcome of excessive mental force and uncontrolled inner activity.
2. What Are Taichi and Standing Practice Really Training?
This point is crucial.
Many people instinctively think: “I’m not in a good state right now. I’ll practice when I feel better.”
But in fact, the truth is the opposite.
Taichi and standing practice exist precisely for moments like this.
They are not about:
perfecting external movements
training muscles or joints alone
fighting or suppressing emotions
Their core function is very simple:
to gather scattered heart-qi, to settle the mind, and to restore the body and mind as one integrated whole.
What Taichi ultimately cultivates is:
unified vitality
mind–body integrity
inner–outer harmony
So when the body and mind are already in a state of disturbance, this is not a reason not to practice—
it is exactly when practice is most needed.
3. The Most Valuable Time to Temper Taichi Skill
I often say:
Taichi is not practiced only when one feels good.
Practicing in a good state strengthens what is already stable. Practicing in a difficult state is where true skill is forged.
When you stand or move slowly while feeling heavy, blocked, or unsettled, you may notice:
inner voices do not immediately quiet down
emotions do not instantly improve
the body may feel uncomfortable at first
This is entirely normal.
Because for the first time, you are clearly seeing the activity of your own mind.
Gradually, you may discover:
much of the suffering comes from repeated mental replay
self-blame is fueled by escalating inner pressure
the sense of blockage is not caused by the outside world, but by inner gripping
This moment marks the beginning of genuine awareness.
4. One Essential Principle: Allowing
When practicing in such a state, do not rush to:
fix yourself
feel better
resolve the problem
The correct order is very simple:
settle down
see clearly
allow what is present to exist
You do not need to judge right or wrong. You do not need immediate answers. You do not need to understand everything at once.
Just remember one guiding phrase:
calm and balanced within
This does not mean fighting chaos with calmness. It means not adding further disturbance within imbalance.
Whether you are standing quietly or moving slowly, as long as you stop adding extra mental force, the body and mind naturally begin to regulate themselves.
5. What Taichi Truly Cultivates
Many people think Taichi is mainly about:
emotional relief
mental adjustment
physical relaxation
These are all true—but they are only surface effects.
At a deeper level, Taichi cultivates a fundamental capacity:
the ability to resolve disharmony.
Not through suppression. Not through avoidance. But through:
clear seeing
steady holding
gradual settling and gathering
When you repeatedly remain present through discomfort and instability, you will find:
the mind becomes less easily overwhelmed
emotions arise and pass more naturally
the body develops a growing sense of inner stability
This is the true essence of Taichi as cultivation and nourishment.
Conclusion | Do Not Wait Until You Feel Better to Practice
So, returning to your original question:
When you feel emotionally low, trapped in self-blame and regret, can you still practice Taichi or standing practice?
My answer is simple and firm:
Yes—and this is exactly the right time.
Do not seek quick results. Do not rush change. Just hold to one principle during practice:
calm and balanced within.
Over time, you will realize: the problems may still arise, but you now have the capacity to face them with steadiness.
Question
Hello, Teacher Yun.
When I am feeling emotionally low—caught in deep self-blame, regret, and a sense of heaviness or blockage in the chest—is it still appropriate to practice Taichi or standing practice?
How should we work with such an unbalanced state of body and mind?
Thank you.
Answer (Yun Master)
This is a very important—and very real—question.
Almost everyone who genuinely walks the path of cultivation and self-care will encounter this state at some point.
Rather than rushing to answer “Should I practice or not?”,
let us first place this experience back into the Taichi context and understand what is actually happening.
1. How Is This State Understood in Taichi?
You describe experiencing:
In Taichi, this is not unfamiliar at all.
It is not viewed simply as a “psychological” or “emotional” problem,
but as a clear state of mind–body disharmony:
In simple terms:
Common signs of this state include:
This is the natural outcome of excessive mental force and uncontrolled inner activity.
2. What Are Taichi and Standing Practice Really Training?
This point is crucial.
Many people instinctively think:
“I’m not in a good state right now. I’ll practice when I feel better.”
But in fact, the truth is the opposite.
Taichi and standing practice exist precisely for moments like this.
They are not about:
Their core function is very simple:
What Taichi ultimately cultivates is:
So when the body and mind are already in a state of disturbance,
this is not a reason not to practice—
3. The Most Valuable Time to Temper Taichi Skill
I often say:
Practicing in a good state strengthens what is already stable.
Practicing in a difficult state is where true skill is forged.
When you stand or move slowly while feeling heavy, blocked, or unsettled, you may notice:
This is entirely normal.
Because for the first time,
you are clearly seeing the activity of your own mind.
Gradually, you may discover:
This moment marks the beginning of genuine awareness.
4. One Essential Principle: Allowing
When practicing in such a state, do not rush to:
The correct order is very simple:
You do not need to judge right or wrong.
You do not need immediate answers.
You do not need to understand everything at once.
Just remember one guiding phrase:
This does not mean fighting chaos with calmness.
It means not adding further disturbance within imbalance.
Whether you are standing quietly or moving slowly,
as long as you stop adding extra mental force,
the body and mind naturally begin to regulate themselves.
5. What Taichi Truly Cultivates
Many people think Taichi is mainly about:
These are all true—but they are only surface effects.
At a deeper level, Taichi cultivates a fundamental capacity:
Not through suppression.
Not through avoidance.
But through:
When you repeatedly remain present through discomfort and instability,
you will find:
This is the true essence of Taichi as cultivation and nourishment.
Conclusion | Do Not Wait Until You Feel Better to Practice
So, returning to your original question:
When you feel emotionally low, trapped in self-blame and regret,
can you still practice Taichi or standing practice?
My answer is simple and firm:
Do not seek quick results.
Do not rush change.
Just hold to one principle during practice:
Over time, you will realize:
the problems may still arise,
but you now have the capacity to face them with steadiness.
This is the true work of Taichi.