Laozi’s sixth chapter reads : 

“Life in a valley doesn’t die, for here is like the womb of a mother. Continuously replenishing itself, never depleting itself.”

A valley can harbour all kinds of plants and animals, as well as chi, because it is empty and silent, welcoming everything that enters and lives in its space. Like for the rest of Mother Earth’s creation, generations follow each other, one generation giving birth to the next.

The neutralization skill of pushing hands in Taichi can be compared to the void of a valley. Body, mind and spirit are relaxed; true capabilities remain hidden. When practicing and unceasingly yielding to our partners’ attacks, over time the range of the neutralization skill broadens, the skill of tingjing (listening to the opponent) becomes more acute. Eventually, even brute force can be rendered void and the art of “softness overcoming hardness” can be reached.