When it comes to Tai Chi Chuan instruction, many people have it backwards. It is easy to get things backwards in this universe, for the universe wants to hit us, until we want to hit back. Following is the correct sequence for learning Taijiquan.

The first lesson, when one sets about really learning an internal art like Tai Chi Chuan, is to be empty. This doesn't mean limp, but rather to be relaxed. If one is relaxed, then one is forsaking the muscular system, and this will leave space for an appreciation of their energy system.

Don't push out energy, learn to perceive the sensations of the world. If one is pushing out energy, then energy coming in is unable to get through the energy going out. If one is walking around all day pushing out energy, also called chi, then at the very least perceptions will be tilted and not quite true.

As the body ceases to manifest energy, the student will begin to grow an appreciation for the space of his body. This is an actual 'universe' wherein the student ceases to use his physical perceptions and instead uses awareness to see all the nooks and crannies, the never ending space, inside his body. Successful in this, the student will become aware that there is energy in the space...all he has to do is relax and let his chi grow.

It can be frustrating in the beginning, the energy building in the body will evade the student's attempts to grow and harness it. The student will eventually come to the understanding that the harder he tries, the more difficult it is to make chi power. And, he will come to an understanding that the less effort he puts forth, the more chi power will come into existence.

At first, the energy will be like a massive wave, like water sloshing back and forth in a bathtub. The purpose of the form and the body itself will become apparent. The body is a generator, and the form is a way to turn the generator on.

With practice, raw energy will become refined chi energy, able to be directed through the body at will, put into technique as necessary, and the student will become a superior martial arts practitioner. The student will see that the form is a way to discipline the mind to flow the chi power as he wishes. At this point, the portals are wide open, and the martial arts practitioner enters a gateway to ever greater experiences.

To sum up, there are several stages in tajiquan. Ascending these stages depends upon the students ability to reach a state of relaxation, and to let his own internal energy manifest. Done correctly, the taijiquan learning experience becomes a method to change a human being into a powerful spiritual being.