The highest unfolding of shén sōng (神鬆) is the dissolution of separation between the individual spirit (shén, 神) and the living order of Heaven and Earth (tiān dì, 天地). This stage is described in the classics as tiān rén hé yī (天人合一) — “the unity of Heaven and human.”

When the spirit has been made clear (qīng, 清) and tranquil (jìng, 靜), then illuminated (míng, 明) and emptied (xū, 虛), there remains no inner obstruction to resonance with the Dao (dào, 道). The practitioner does not impose will, but moves in harmony with the spontaneous unfolding of circumstances — zìrán (自然, “that which is so of itself”).

Classical References

• Zhuāngzǐ (莊子): “The True Person aligns with Heaven and Earth and follows the changes of the ten thousand things.”

• Taiji Quan Treatise: “If one seeks to follow, one must not lose the root; the root is Heaven and Earth.”

Practical Manifestations in Taiji

• In push hands (tuī shǒu, 推手), this state appears as complete adaptability: there is no resistance and no passivity. Every change in the partner is instantly mirrored and transformed, as if Heaven and Earth themselves are moving.

• In solo practice, movement flows without effort. The practitioner does not feel as though “they” are moving — rather, movement arises of itself, seamless and uncontrived.

Modern Technical Interpretation

• Systems Theory: The practitioner becomes a “self-organizing system” fully open to feedback, capable of adaptive resonance with the environment.

• Flow Dynamics: The boundary between self and context dissolves, creating a state of extended embodiment where perception-action coupling is instantaneous.

• Neurophenomenology: This resembles non-dual awareness, where subject-object distinctions dissolve, leaving only the immediacy of experience.

At the stage of tiān rén hé yī, Taiji returns to its Daoist roots. Martial skill becomes effortless adaptability; health becomes natural harmony; spiritual cultivation becomes participation in the Way itself. The practitioner no longer seeks to “use” Song — they are Song, their spirit released into unity with the living cosmos.