Dragon wrote:Can the practising of Tai Chi enhance one's basic life-force or life-energy? Or does it require specific additional movements to draw into the body the essential energies of the environment such as the earth.? The sun? Trees?
There are various styles of Tai Chi (taiji) most styles will work with the natural energies of the body and help you strengthen mind, body and soul. There are three primary energies that many of the internal arts work with Qi, Jing and Shen. Learning to move an develop your Qi is essentially to getting the most benefit out of Tai Chi Chuan. There are exercises "mediation" if you will, that are Qi cultivations, that will teach you how to cultivate and circulate your Qi along your meridians. You start with small circle of heaven then move to large circle of heaven. The combination of Neidan and Weidan, will help with over all health.
So in my opinion, most definitely it will help with your life force. As far as drawing into your body, I wouldn't say that necessarily, instead many of the practices tend to focus on cultivating what your body already has, and realization that your complete with in and with out, with no separation of the elements. Of course then we start to discuss spiritual philosophy that not all tai chi practitioners share or agree on.