Tina’s Sharing
In October 2017, I joined fellow members of our Bible Pastoral Group to learn Tai Chi Spirituality under the guidance of Rev. Dominic Chan. He introduced us to the simplified 21-movements Square Form of Wu-style Tai Chi, guiding us patiently through each movement. Each movement contained several movements that, though compact in frame, were intricate and refined. In the beginning, I was so focused on learning physical movements that I overlooked the spirituality aspect. Only when I was more proficient in the Square Form did my spirit become more open to prayerful contemplation, and this deepened further as I practised the Circle Form. I started with concentrating on breathing to lead the “Qi” within the body– that divine gift of life-force bestowed by the Creator – allowing it to flow through my being, just as God dwells within me and I in Him. As I practised, a gentle awareness began to grow: it felt as though Jesus Christ Himself was leading me, moving in harmony beside me. I felt relaxing, peaceful, and joyful while a subtle warmth and ease flowed through my body and spirit. I do not experience this the same way in every session, and it does not last throughout – sometimes only seconds – yet even these fleeting moments fill me with gratitude. Gently and unconsciously, I followed the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and my spirit came close to God in that interplay between presence and absence, intention and surrender. This persistent practice has deepened my longing for God and my love for Him. In daily life, I sense Christ’s presence everywhere – in matters big and trivial – ever accompanying me, ever guiding me, ever arranging everything that is best for me. Beyond these spiritual benefits, Tai Chi has also strengthened my body. My immune system has improved, my balance has become steadier, and I move with greater agility. During COVID and flu seasons, family members fell ill while I remained well. I was also able to keep my balance when I nearly tripped over on slippery floors. Once, when an escalator stopped suddenly and my arms were carrying things, I could not reach the handrail – yet I remained steady. For me, Tai Chi Spirituality brings together God’s gifts of essence, energy, and spirit, nurturing my body, mind, and spirit in profound ways. Yet the greatest gift of all is it draws me ever closer to God.
Anatolia’s Sharing
Since learning Tai Chi Ruler spiritual practice, I have finally come to realize that in just a few short minutes, I can return to a state of inner calm and set aside the clutter in my mind. The experience is both wonderful and, in a way, quite incredible.
During the practice, my thoughts become light and clear, and my heart is gradually purified. This allows me to encounter the presence of the Lord with a more pure and open heart. For this, I am truly grateful – thank you, God, and praise be to God!
Tai Chi spirituality enables me, in moments of prayer, to be fully present with God – wholeheartedly, with all my soul and mind. This sense of being united with the Lord is deeply precious.
However, in the actual practice of the Tai Chi Ruler, my waist does not yet lead my hands as it should, I still do not know how to move my steps properly, and my arms and legs lack coordination. I do hope there will be in-person classes with Rev. Dominic Chan, in the future, and continue to deepen this spiritual journey. Thank you!
When the Scholar Meets the Tai Chi Ruler
One day, I happened to notice in a Caritas Centre newsletter announcing that Rev. Dominic Chan would lead an introductory class on Tai Chi Spirituality. The very idea stirred a question within me: could the art of Tai Chi truly intertwine with spiritual practice? Intrigued and curious, I resolved to attend and experience it for myself.
As the session began, Rev. Dominic Chan entered with two assistants, his gaze confident and his steps steady yet relaxed as he made his way to the front. He said he would first demonstrate, then invite us to share what we had observed and felt. As I watched him prepare, I found myself wondering what moves he might demonstrate. Would it be the familiar forms – Starting Form, Cloud Hands, Parry and Punch? My mind had already begun filling with assumptions before he had even started.
Moving with quiet deliberation, he took out a Tai Chi ruler. This practice, he explained, was itself a form of prayer. Then he began, moving through a sequence where each movement flowed from the last – fluid yet grounded, unhurried and whole. As he finished, he did not immediately explain but instead turned to us with a simple question: “What did you observe? What did you feel?”
My mind, so accustomed to fixed categories and rational frames, saw only the outward movements: the opening form, the closing form, the steady rhythm of his breathing. I had completely missed what he had already told us at the start – that this was prayer made visible through motion.
Rather than explaining further, he handed each of us a Tai Chi ruler and simply invited us to enter the experience ourselves.
Heart turned to prayer, I grasped the ruler and sought its rhythm. Yet even then, my thoughts clung to mimicry, dissecting imagined techniques – until my movements grew stiff and strained.
Then came that fleeting, indescribable moment – a divine instant when heaven touched earth. Suddenly, I felt the nearness of God, that same Holy presence I had tasted in rare moments of prayer before.
In a flash, all my preconceptions shattered!
The Lord, in His merciful sovereignty, had shattered the confines of my scholarly ideas. When we surrender our burdens and self-made limits, He pours out the grace of His abiding presence, drawing us into the sacred space of His loving-kindness.
So when the scholar meets the Tai Chi ruler: a soul long bound by its own barriers stepping unexpectedly into the freedom of God’s embrace.
Written by Terry Lam Chun Hung on 12 December 2025.
January 2024 Cathedral Parish Newsletter
Tai Chi Spiritual Formation Retreat Sharing PDF (Chinese version only)
September 2022 Cathedral Parish Newsletter