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Better
Tai Chi - Free Lessons - Page 1 (Page
2)
 Foundation
Practice
Expandability
Joints and
structure
Breathing
Shoulders
Patience
This page is designed to
assist those who are learning tai chi using the "Tai Chi for Busy People™" packages,
so visit often.
However - most of these hints are basic tai chi principles that anyone can use. Enjoy!
1. Foundation - in search of a third leg
Four factors of
physics to consider in developing a solid stance. Remember, in the video I discussed the
concept of center of gravity - that vital point a couple of inches below your
belly button, and a couple of inches in toward the spine
In order to achieve maximum stability in your
tai chi:
 your center must rest over the base of support
The most common mistake students make when
settling into the balanced stance is to have the heel of the back foot up, as if already
getting ready to move (rush?) into the next position. The result is a 'tippy' feeling, as
you have prematurely moved off the base created by your feet.
KEY: finish each position, and feel solid on both
feet... keep both feet firmly on the ground.
your center must be as close to the base as possible
In the learning process (as in life), there is a
tendency to become 'uptight', being more in the head than in the body. By holding your gut
in, you raise your center somewhere into your chest or neck. As a result, you feel a bit
like an upside down 'Popeye' punching bag, ready to fall over.
KEY: Relax into the stance. Soften your gut. Sink
your weight onto your feet. Feel your pelvis sink just a little closer to the floor.
your center must be as close to the center of the base
as possible
No problem here, if you simply think back to the
triangle that I drew in the sand - and keep your body over the middle it. Not too much
leaning forward or back, or to either side. Check yourself out in a mirror at home.
Or better yet - find a sandy beach (or
playground, or any dirt in the great outdoors) and trace the triangle that you create with
your feet and legs. Then simply fit into the center of that triangle.
And - the wider the base, the greater the support
Still playing in that sand? Perfect. Then note
that if you create a small triangle with your feet and legs, you are more unstable. If you
take a longer stance, a wider stance - keeping within the parameters of creating a tai chi
balanced stance - you have created a wider space. That means greater support.
That
means not falling over, when you don't want to fall over.
2. Practice
Needless to say - all the potential
benefits of tai chi do not come by magic. But it
is important to let go of the notion that there has to be a lot of hard work.
The key is to begin with 'baby steps'. Just 4-5
minutes a day. Enjoy your tai chi just a few minutes everyday, for one month,
and it becomes habit. After just 30 days - you will WANT to do it daily. After 30
days - you will remember, because tai chi has become an important
part of your life.
Make a commitment to yourself - 5 minutes
a day for a month - and begin reaping the rewards almost immediately.
3. Expandability -
"The Infinite Nine™"
- designed for your lifestyle
Remember - the series of moves you have
learned take only 4 or 5 minutes. But there will be times when your schedule allows for
more tai chi. Perhaps on a Sunday morning, or on a beach in Maui while on
vacation. How do you make the moves fit your schedule? No problem.
- As I described in the video - you can
extend a series of moves, by simply repeating them, increasing the feeling of a
wave traveling across a large body of water.
Add 2,4,6 or more of Partition of Wild Horses Mane, and/or Repulse Monkey,
and/or Snake Creeps Down, and/or Wave Hands as Clouds.
- Or - repeat the "Infinite Nine™" form as
often as you want.
Five minutes of quality tai chi becomes 15
minutes, or twenty five. The choice is yours.
4. Joints and structure
Stay soft in your movement. Not without
structure, but without undo tension. Feel your shoulders hanging at all times, even when
your arms are raised in a position. Keep your joints unlocked at all times throughout the
routine.
5. Breathing - not a bad idea...
For years, I was taught (and therefore I
taught) that the breathing would just come naturally with the tai chi moves. And for a
very few people (not me) - it did happen. But most of us are simply too busy, too
stressed, too impatient and totally unable to spend the years necessary to simply 'let it
happen'.
So - we must make it happen.
Not in years, not in months - but almost immediately. I now firmly believe that we
can train ourselves to breath in a natural way, and that - as a result of
breathing well in tai chi - we begin to breath more deeply and fully in everyday life.
So - in the "Tai Chi for Busy People™"
video, and on the audio - I actually direct the breathing pattern.
"Inhale, exhale, deep breath in, let all the air out". Within a short period of
time, it becomes much more natural - and you feel benefits faster - and that's what is all
about.
I believe now that teaching breathing
to the average busy person is vitally important. When you become mindful of
breathing in tai chi, that newly acquired awareness moves effortlessly into the rest of
your life. The potential
benefits are immense!
6. Shoulders
I once had a student who
studied with me for a semester, then spent several months at a forestry fire watch tower.
As a result of a wet summer, she did her tai chi regularly and often. She returned in the
fall, and told me how much she enjoyed her tai chi. Only problem - she developed a severe
headache after each session. Ouch.
A quick look revealed that she practiced all the
movements intensely. As her concentration increased, her shoulders rose. She had
developed an 'Ed Sullivan' style, with her shoulders almost inside her ears! Fact is -
most beginning students will raise their shoulders during the learning period - it is an
awful habit we acquire at a young age.
Key: Continually remind yourself to let the shoulders hang off
your structure. There is never any need to lift them in any move.
In "Tai Chi for Busy People™", I remind the
listener on a regular basis to drop the shoulders.
Key: It is important to note that the shoulders will tend to rise anytime the
arms are lifted, particularly in moves like Stork Cools Wings. No matter how high the arms
go - the shoulders stay perfectly relaxed. Try it now - slowly lift your arms as high as
they will go, without lifting the shoulders at all. Try this several times.
Hint - always keep your shoulders level during the
movements. There can be a tendency to rise one side or the other with arm movements.
7. Patience
Any practice of value takes time to learn. Keep at it - slow and steady
- and the moves will one day become part of you. You will be able to do them without
thought. Too many students fall into self criticism, with the 'little internal voice'
telling them how poorly they are doing.
Key: Remind yourself that where ever you are in the process of learning
is exactly the right place to be at that time. Congratulate yourself for making the
effort, for doing such a wonderful thing for your mind and body. Smile and enjoy the
process. Be gentle with yourself.
And remember a martial art saying that Nike made famous -
"Just Do it".
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