The ancient Chinese art of tai chi, or taijiquan, is now quite well-known. It slow, graceful movements are readily recoginizable. Yet other than this, what it is and what it does are not so well-known.

This book brings together the stories of a number of people who practise Taoist Tai Chi taijiquan and other Taoist Tai Chi internal arts of health. They talk about their reasons for taking up the practice of these arts and about the benefits they have gained from them. These benefits are not only physical but also spiritual and social.

These arts of health are thus not just a set of moves or exercise techniques. They are an activity of the International Taoist Tai Chi Society located in more than 25 countries around the world. This community is the context in which those benefits are nurtured and experienced.

Ranging in across a wide variety of people from Australia, Europe, Canada and the US, from the yongish to older, and from those who are healthy to those who are not but who are trying to recover their health, this book is an inspiring collection of stories about the experience of practising these arts and being a member of the International taoist Tai Chi Society in their home country, or a participant in one of its health recovery programs.

Based largely on interviews conducted in Canada, it is probably the first study of a group of Taoists and taijiquan practitioners outside China.

Rod Giblett is Senior Lecturer in the School of Communications and Arts at Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia, and an Instructor with the Taoist Tai Chi Society of Australia. He has completed writing a book on the body and the earth, including chapters on the Taoist body and Taoist ecology.

Contents

Acknowledgements
One Introduction
Two Learning
Testimonial One Ian Shaw
Three Teaching
Four ClassesFive Programs
Testimonial Two Peter Turner
Six Health
Testimonial Three Helen Gaunt
Seven Chanting and meditation
Eight Master Moy
Testimonial Four James Matthews
Nine The society
Ten Research
Index Interviewees