SLOW, SMOOTH AND CONTINUOUS feel like the water flowing in a gently moving stream around the smooth rocks, widening and narrowing,
BE AWARE OF A GENTLE RESISTANCE feel as if you are caressing the air rather than pushing against it.
MAINTAIN A SUPPLE UPRIGHT POSTURE feel the head suspended from above, with the spine gently stretched below, the tail bone pointed toward your center of gravity in or between your feet. The shoulders are slightly forward and dropped, back is gently rounded. Knees not locked, feel the body seated as if on a high stool, elbows feel heavy and pointing down. Let every part be loose and yet filled with life.
STEP AND SHIFT WEIGHT WITH INTENT AND AWARENESS the tai chi step is made without weight, 100% of the weight is maintained until a conscious transfer is made. The ’empty’ step should always be retrievable without a push off.
BODY MOVES IN ALIGNMENT the nose follows the navel, shoulders turn with the hips. The knee points to the toe and stays aligned with it. There is an energetic connection between the hands, the hands and the feet, the elbows and the knees, and the wrists and the ankles.
WHEN ONE PART OF THE BODY MOVES, ALL PARTS OF THE BODY MOVE the whole body is connected from the bottom of your feet to the top of your head. When there is a down motion, there is also an up, when forward there is also a back movement. Where there is expansion, there is contraction.
70% RULE leave a reserve, only move to about 70% of your total range of motion, helping to insure safety, health and stability.
JOINTS ARE OPEN (SONG) for the Qi energy to flow smoothly through the body, the joints need to be soft and loose (not limp). We relax the joints through expansion, the repeated flexing and stretching movements of Qigong help lengthen the tendons and ligaments allowing softness and proper Qi energy distribution.
FOCUS ON THE MOVEMENTS (JING) focusing on the movements is how we learn and practice stillness within motion. In the beginning, learning the moves can be strange, be patient, familiarity will bring a calming attention, then through the awareness of the principles in action we practice as the mental quietness brings the impulse of intent creating the slow, smooth continuity of the movement.
In our classes you will find two basic movement we pay attention to: 1. The waist is the commander- movement originates from the feet (ground) and is “directed by the waist“. 2. The “hands do not move on their own”. Embody these two ideas and your tai chi will surely improve.
