HONG KONG (SE): As the Covid-19 pandemic gets worse with the outbreak of the Omicron variant, Father Dominic Chan Chi-ming, who has been promoting tai chi [shadowboxing] spiritual formation for 40 years, is encouraging people to perform the martial art at home as a way to relieve stress.
Tai chi, described as meditation in motion, is an ancient Chinese tradition involving a series of movements performed in a slow, focused manner and accompanied by deep breathing.
According to Father Chan, the ultimate goal is to experience the presence of God and connect with our creator through a daily routine.
a tai chi ruler.
He said that it can help in many ways, such as improving physical health, achieving peace of mind, enhancing patience and even defending against attacks. However, the primary purpose is to deepen our relationship with God.
“There are many ways to pray, and doing tai chi gives us one more,” he explained. Given the busy daily lives of modern people, he recommends using a series of tai chi moves to attain calmness of mind before prayers.
In recent years, Father Chan has been teaching his students to use a tai chi ruler, a tool held with both hands, followed by spontaneous movements first from the feet, then to the waist, arm and finally the hands. There no specific steps guiding the movement.
‘There are many ways to pray, and doing tai chi gives us one more’
He stressed that, with the ruler, there is no need to think about anything. He tells his students to close their eyes and focus only on the movement, which is a way to achieve peace of mind.
“Afterwards, they may be able to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit, but in the moment of executing the movement, there is no need to think,” he said.
Father Chan learned Chinese boxing at the age of 10; he was 15-years-old when he started to learn tai chi.
In 1974, as a seminarian, he started to teach it at St. Joseph’s Church, Garden Road. Over 10 people, including priests from different countries who were interested in Chinese culture, were his students, including Maryknoll priests, Father John Ahearn and Father Sean Burke, both.
He remembered that Father Burke was so interested that it became one of his hobbies.
In 1983, during a retreat in Cheung Chau, Father Chan had a feeling that God wanted him to do something with it when he saw what looked like a tai chi symbol in the sky.
Father Chan said he practises tai chi for at least half an hour every day, enabling him to read the Bible with more insight
He then met Paul Yeow Yu-hong, a tai chi instructor and a non-believer. Yeow later attended catechism classes, was baptised, and eventually became a permanent deacon.
Over the decades, the two have promoted tai chi spiritual formation together. The retired permanent deacon is still an instructor in different parishes.
Father Chan said he practises tai chi for at least half an hour every day, enabling him to read the Bible with more insight. He also finds it easier to live in the present moment, share love amid imperfections, empathise with others, and remain hopeful in adversities.
At the age of 68, Father Chan finds he is still full of energy to handle parish and the diocesan matters because of the regular physical and spiritual exercise.
At present, the parish priest of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception conducts a weekly class for around 20 students.
During the pandemic, the class went online and videos are circulated with the instructions—a big help for students who have difficulties remembering the steps. However, he believes the most serious difficulty is committing to a routine every day.
Father Chan said it is ideal for people to practice tai chi in a natural environment to feel the relationship between humans, heaven and earth. However, most people do not have the time to do it in a park and therefore, they do it at home, which is still encouraged.
“The most important thing is to practise it every day for a short time, even though it is only for five minutes,” he said.
