Amid the noise and pace of Athens, more and more people are looking for a different way to move, breathe and find balance. Could Taiji become their own small pause within the city?
We often think of it as a sequence of slow, flowing movements, but Taiji is far more than a martial art. The word itself means “Supreme Principle” and refers to the complementary nature of Yin and Yang: two opposing forces that depend on one another in order to create balance. In Taijiquan, the practice we commonly know as Tai Chi, this philosophy is expressed through movement, through the coexistence of softness and strength, tension and relaxation, motion and stillness.
How does this philosophy fit into the contemporary way of life in a city such as Athens? Shi Yan Xiang, a 34th-generation Shaolin monk and the official representative of the Wangzhanguo Chen Taiji Academy in Greece, speaks about the people turning to Taiji today, what they seek through the practice and how the idea of “balance within movement” can become part of everyday city life.
Who are the Athenians choosing Taiji today? Has the profile of the people coming to try it changed in recent years?
Broadly speaking, I would say that the profile of people choosing Taiji in Athens has not changed significantly. What I have seen over the years is people of different ages and from different backgrounds who nevertheless have one thing in common: they are looking for greater calm, balance and quality in their everyday lives.
Many people come to Taiji initially because they feel that the modern way of life has distanced them from themselves. The pressures of work, constant obligations, the pace of the city and the continuous flow of information can create a sense of inner unease. For many, Taiji becomes an opportunity to stop for a moment, breathe and turn their attention inward.
There are younger people looking for a different way to manage the stress of everyday life, as well as older people who want to keep their bodies active while also cultivating a greater sense of inner balance.
From my perspective, as a Shaolin monk and teacher, I do not see Taiji simply as a series of slow movements. It is a way of learning how to be fully present in the moment. Gradually, the body, the breath and the mind begin to function as one.
What are people in Athens looking for most when they begin Taiji: a form of exercise, a way to manage everyday stress or something broader? And what ultimately makes them continue?
One of the main things people are looking for is certainly a way to manage stress and the pressures of daily life. Over time, however, they begin to realise that Taiji can offer something much broader. It is not simply physical exercise, but a practice that helps restore a better relationship between the body, the breath and the mind.
Some people also begin Taiji because they want to improve their physical fitness or lose weight. It is a gentler form of physical exercise, without the intense demands that can come with a more dynamic martial art.
What I consider more important, however, is that in Taiji we are not simply trying to “correct” the body. We first learn to listen to it. And that, in my view, is ultimately what keeps people coming back. At first, they may come because of stress, exercise, fitness or even weight loss. Over time, though, they discover that Taiji gives them a space within the day where they can become a little quieter, breathe and reconnect with themselves.
Taiji is often associated with a slower, more mindful way of life. Can this philosophy genuinely fit into the fast pace of Athens, or does the way we live in the city need to change first?
I do not believe Athens has to change before a person can find a sense of calm. If we wait for life to become quieter before we allow ourselves to relax, we will probably be waiting forever.
The essence of Taiji is precisely to learn how to find balance within movement, rather than only when everything around us is calm. Athens is a city of intensity, speed, noise and constant motion. But that does not mean our minds have to move in the same way. Taiji teaches us to slow down internally, even when life around us continues at a fast pace.
For someone living in Athens, even a few minutes of mindful movement, proper breathing and concentration can create a small island of calm within the day. The aim is to carry that feeling with us into work, home, the streets, our relationships and the difficulties we face.
We should see Taiji not as an attempt to escape modern life, but as a form of training that helps us live within it with greater awareness. The city does not need to stop moving. We need to learn how to move with it without losing ourselves.
Perhaps that is ultimately the most important lesson of Taiji: movement without tension, strength without harshness and calm without isolation. To be able to exist in the world without allowing the noise of the world to become noise within you.
Amituofo!
Taiji reminds us that balance is not found in the absence of opposites, but in their harmonious coexistence.
