Tai Chi is a four dimensional exercise. A beginner practices Tai Chi in one dimension: left and right; moving on one plane. The intermediate student practices Tai Chi in a two dimensions; the added dimension being up and down (rising/falling, sinking/floating). Two dimensional Tai Chi is disjointed. It has up and down, left and right, but no expansion or contraction or, indeed, any integration and blending of all these directions. Advanced students perform Tai Chi in three dimensions. Three-dimensional Tai Chi blends all these directions in a seamless flow creating spiralling movements. One who has mastered Tai Chi performs it in a four dimensions. The fourth dimension is the mind. But when I say "mind", I do not mean the brain. I include the functions of the brain but also its connections with the rest of the body via the nervous system. The fourth dimension includes the influence of the mind on the extremities and the skin surface. This is the body's refined proprioceptive ability. As far as I can make out, this is a combination of two Chinese concepts: Ting Jing (listening power) and Zhōng Dìng (central equilibrium). Because of the time and dedication required to develop it, most people will only achieve a glimpse of four dimensional Tai Chi.
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