Tai Chi with fan

Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese movement art that connects body and mind. Its slow, flowing movements stimulate the circulation of qi (life energy), promote balance and coordination, and bring calm to the mind. While Tai Chi originated as a martial art, it is now mainly practiced as a form of moving meditation and a way to support physical and mental health.

Tai Chi with a Fan adds an extra dimension to the practice. The fan is not just an elegant prop—it also symbolizes strength, self-mastery, and transformation. The opening and closing of the fan bring rhythm, precision, and intention to the movements.

While Tai Chi was once used to confront an external opponent, in modern fan forms the “opponent” is internal—tension, fear, restlessness, emotional or energetic blockages. The fan becomes an extension of the inner journey, a tool to face oneself with both softness and strength.

I work with two forms of Tai Chi Fan practice:

• Tai Chi Yangsheng Gong Fan Form
  A graceful, expressive form that belongs to the Daoyin Yangsheng Gong tradition. The focus is on health, breath, and energetically opening the body—particularly the heart and heart meridian (see more on Daoyin here).
• Tai Chi Fan – 52 Movements
  This beautiful routine is a dynamic blend of Tai Chi and Kung Fu. It unites power and fluidity in elegant, flowing movements, punctuated by dramatic fan openings. The form radiates both grace and inner strength.

Master Faye (Li) Yip was the first to learn this routine from her father and is now its leading promoter worldwide. She is recognized as one of the foremost authorities on this particular fan style.

Over time, the Tai Chi Fan – 52 Movements has become the most widely practiced fan form in the world, cherished for its beauty, balance, and deep internal impact.