Teachings,+Tai+Chi

=Tai Chi= (By Kai Stormwalker) (Return to Teachings) Tai Chi Warm-ups

It is said that practitioners of tai chi develop the pliability of a child, the vitality of a lumberjack, and the wisdom of a sage.

Tai chi is based on circular motions and the shifting your weight from one foot to the other. Everything is very fluid and, once mastered, should appear to be effortless. It helps in developing balance, flexibility, endurance, strength, and improving overall health.

To begin you should stand with your feet flat on the floor at least shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, buttocks tucked in, arms hanging naturally at your sides, chin tucked slightly. You should feel like a puppet with a string attached at the crown of your head. This is the horse stance and is basic to everything you will do in tai chi, qigong, or kung fu.

With all these exercises, do only what is comfortable for you. If an exercise calls for you to stand with your feet two shoulder widths apart and you are not comfortable or feel off balance, don’t stand with them that far apart. We don’t want anyone to injure themselves.

__**Breathing from the Tan Tien**__

Begin by placing your left thumb at your navel and dropping your left hand down over your abdomen. Now cross your right hand over it. Breathe through your nose with your mouth closed and with your tongue comfortably pressed against the roof of your mouth.

Inhale deeply so that you feel your abdomen rise against your palms rather than breathing so your chest rises. This uses the diaphragm muscles and is the natural way we are born breathing. Watch an infant and you will see that this is the way they breathe. It is called breathing from the Tan Tien because that is the name of a point located 2 inches below your navel and in the center of your body. It is where your center of gravity is located that helps you maintain your balance. According to Chinese tradition this is where all the energy in the body comes from.

When you exhale you should push the breath out of your abdomen slowly and steadily until your breath is completely expelled. Repeat.

This is the way you should breathe throughout any tai chi or qigong exercise unless otherwise specified. You should practice it until it comes naturally.

__**Turning the Waist - Shift and Turn**__

From horse stance, straighten your legs so you are standing up straight. Keep your head facing forward, and begin to turn your waist, swinging your arms loosely. By keeping the head facing forward you are also stretching the muscles in your shoulders and neck.

Now step out so your stance is 2 shoulder widths apart. Do the same thing, but now shift your weight from one side to the other. Remember to keep your breathing deep and relaxed. Keep your back straight and feet firmly planted on the floor. One of the basic skills of tai chi is coordinating circling your arms and shifting your weight at the same time.

After doing about 20 of these, stop when you have shifted your weight and are facing to the right. Turn your torso so you are facing to the left. Now shift your weight to the left while turning your torso to the right. Then shift your weight back to the right while turning your torso to the left. Continue to swing your arms as your shift back and forth. Imagine that you are sitting in an office chair that rolls back and forth and also swivels.

You can imagine that you are a potted plant. Your pelvic area is the pot, and your torso and arms are the stem and leaves of the plant. As you move the pot back and forth the stem remains stable and the leaves wave back and forth.

__**Snake Creeps Down**__

This is a good warm-up for loosening your shoulders and hips. But it can be difficult for some folks, so don’t overdo it the first time.

Adjust your stance comfortably so your feet are roughly two shoulder widths apart. Cross your hands in front of your body along the midline, the imaginary line that evenly divides your right side from your left. Slowly inhale and raise your hands up in front of you and over your head. Begin to exhale, separate your hands and circle them down toward the sides as you lower your torso straight down, sinking into your hips and bending your knees. Let your hands swing down, cross, and repeat. Repeat at least 3 times.

Now take the same stance except angle your toes out 45 degrees. Cross your hands in front of your body along the midline, the imaginary line that evenly divides your right side from your left. Slowly inhale and raise your hands up in front of you and over your head. Begin to exhale, separate your hands and circle them down toward the sides. But this time instead of sinking your torso straight down, shift your weight to your right side and lower yourself so your torso is angled 45 degree to the left. Shift to the center and repeat, but when you lower your torso the second time shift your weight to your left side and lower yourself so your torso is angled 45 degrees to the right. Repeat at least 3 times.

We can add a couple of hand movements to this and understand where the full posture gets its name. As you shift your weight to your right side, form your right hand into a hook, thumb touching fingertips and pointed down, the arm bent slightly, shoulder loose. Lower your left hand to your left knee, palm facing forward. When you shift your weight to the left side form your left hand into a hook and lower your right hand to your right knee, palm forward. When you do this slowly and smoothly it appears to be a snake creeping down. This posture is also called a Single Whip.

As you practice this day by day you will become more flexible you able to get lower and lower.

__**Three Basic Postures**__

There are three basic tai chi postures which are the building blocks upon which tai chi is based.

__Wu Chi Stance__

The Wu Chi stance is very similar to the Horse stance. Assume the Horse stance and then raise your arms in front of you as though you are cradling a large ball against your chest. Your palms should be toward your throat.

__Sit Stance__

From the Wu Chi stance open your arms so the fingertips are approximately 8 inches apart. You should be positioned as though you are hugging a tree or holding a ball. You should practice holding this stance a little longer every day. Some tai chi practitioners can hold this stance for an entire hour.

From this posture, shift your weight to your left leg and turn slowly to the right, lifting the toes of your right foot and pivoting them out. Your entire weight should be on your left leg with just your right heel touching the floor. All your joints should be relaxed. Your torso should be squared to the right. This can be a difficult posture at first. This is a right Sit stance.

Shift back to the forward facing position as though you are hugging a tree. Hold for a moment, then shift your weight to your right leg and turn slowly to the left, lifting the toes of your left foot and pivoting them out. Now your weight should be on your right leg with just your left heel touching the floor. Your torso should be squared to the left. This is a left Sit stance.

Now extend your left arm up slightly while dropping your right arm back so the palm faces the left elbow. This is an en garde position called “Play Guitar.” You should be facing square to the left and your hands should be aligned with your midline.

Now swing your arms down and to the right while shifting your weight to the left leg and assume the same stance only facing right. Your right arm is now extended up slightly with your left palm facing the right elbow. This position is called “Lifting Hands.” Your should be facing square to the right and your hands should be aligned with your midline.

__Bow Stance__

__Left__

From Horse stance turn the toes of your right foot out 45 degrees and step forward approximately 2 feet with your left foot. Shift forward so your left knee is over your left toes. 70% of your weight should be in your left foot and 30% in your right. Your torso should be square to the front. This is a “Left Bow Stance.”

Now raise your arms as if holding the ball. Drop your right hand to your right thigh, move your left hand slightly so it is in front of your heart. This position is called “Ward Off Left.” It is a basic tai chi position.

__Right__

From Horse stance turn the toes of your left foot out 45 degrees and step forward approximately 2 feet with your right foot. Shift forward so your right knee is over your right toes. 70% of your weight should be in your right foot and 30% in your left. Your torso should be square to the front. This is a “Right Bow Stance.”

Now raise your arms as if holding the ball. Drop your left elbow and bring you left hand so it is facing outward in front of your throat. Align your right hand so both palms face each other. This position is called “Ward Off Right.”

__**THINGS TO REMEMBER**__:


 * Breathe deeply and naturally**


 * Keep your feet firmly grounded unless instructed otherwise**


 * Keep your joints loose**

All this information and credit for it belongs to the christian order of Jedi knights at this link : http://www.freewebs.com/jedihealers/qigong.htm

Yang Style Short Form Tai Chi

1. __Ward off Left__ - From horse stance, shift weight to left leg and turn 90 degrees to right shaping a ball with your arms, right hand above left, left hand in front of right hip. Square hips to the right. Slowly shift your weight forward, look over your left shoulder and step out with left heel straight out from shoulders. Step down and slowly shift weight forward, turning waist, and raise left forearm to the ward off left position, right hand angled at hip. Pivot right foot 45 degrees.

2. __Ward off Right__ - Slowly shift forward, bring right hand to left hip, left hand above it as if holding a ball. Come up on your right toes so all your weight is on your left leg. Keep your back straight and sink your weight into your left hip. Move empty leg and put it down heel first. Slowly shift forward, bring both hands to throat level, bring right kne over right toes, turn your waist, turn your left foot 45 degrees and come to ward off right. Left palm is behind right, both are aligned with your centerline at throat level.

3. __Grasp the Swallow’s Tail__ - (rollback, press, push)

Roll back - Turn waist and carry arms 45 degrees to the right. Turn right palm forward, left palm up, point left fingers toward right elbow. Shift your weight and turn left. Swing your arms down in front of your body as though holding a ball at chest level, weight firmly in left leg.

Press - Shift and turn into Ward Off Right stance. Press your left hand into your right palm.

Push - Step back, let hands separate and float back to shoulders, settle weight into left leg, then push off rear leg sponging arms forward. Elbows point downward, forearms at 45 degrees, hands and elbows at shoulder’s width.

4. __Single Whip__ - Shift and turn left, floating your arms across at shoulder level. Pull right toes inward toward left foot. When you can’t turn your waist anymore slowly shift your weight back onto your right foot and form a hook with your right hand. Hold the hook in front of your right shoulder with your left palm underneath by your right hip. Feet are pigeon-toed and all weight is in your right leg. Slowly turn your waist to the right and extend your hook out to the corner 45 degrees and pivot on your left toe. Slowly pick up your left foot and step wide to the left shift forward as if into a Ward Off Left stance, turning your waist and arcing your arm upward. Turn your left palm forward and your right foot 45 degrees. Focus eyes over left fnigertips. Hips can be held slightly open as opposed to squared. This posture opens all the joints in the body.

5. __Lifting Hands__

Slowly shift weight to left leg, open hook pivot on right toes and open arms wide. Then slowly close your arms and move right heel in front of left heel. Aligning your right foot and both arms along your center line. make sure all your weight is in your left leg.

6. __Shoulder Stroke__

Slowly lower the arms, right arm in front and left to the side, bring your right foot straight back just in front of your left ankle. Slowly step forward and outward 6 inches to the right and touch your heel down. Shift your weight forward and swing your left and up near your right elbow. Weight should be distributed 60% on forward leg and 40% on back leg. When you stand in this position you should feel as massive and immovable as a mountain.

7. __White Crane Cools Its Wings__

Shift your weight to the right leg, look to left. Simultaneously, raise right arm, lower left hand, and drop left toe in front of right heel. Square hips and shoulders to left and hold right hand outside temple, blocking upward. Hold your left hand just outside left thigh. This is a difficult position with all your weight in right leg - keep left hip tweaked back, shoulders relaxed and level.

8. __Brush Knee and Twist Step__

Slowly, lower right hand turn the waist right, bring the left hand around as if cradling a child. Circle left palm in front of body and right arm back and out 45 degrees. Bring right hand to ear while stepping out wide with the left heel. Shift to the left, turning the waist. Brush left knee with left hand, push right hand forward, turn right foot 45 degrees, square hips and shoulders to left.

9. __Play Guitar__

Moving forward, keep back straight, center your weight on the left leg and pick up the right foot. Then slowly sit back on your right foot, float left arm up, adjust left heel in front of right heel and hold right palm in front of left elbow.

10. __Brush Knee and Twist Step__

Slowly, lower right hand turn the waist right, bring the left hand around as if cradling a child. Circle left palm in front of body and right arm back and out 45 degrees. Bring right hand to ear while stepping out wide with the left heel. Shift to the left, turning the waist. Brush left knee with left hand, push right hand forward, turn right foot 45 degrees, square hips and shoulders to left.

11. __Deflect, Intercept, and Punch__ - Form a fist with the right hand, slowly sit back on the right leg, turn waist to left and swing fist across body to the left. Shift your weight forward, back straight, bring right foot into the left, staying low. Anchoring into your left hip and foot. Step forward to the right 45 degrees. Shift to the right, swing your fist upward and then downward to left hip. When your weight shifts to your right leg step up with a door-like swinging action. Move the left foot to shoulders width, your right fist comes to your hip and your left hand is en guard at your centerline with your body angles at 45 degrees. Shift forward, square the hips, and punch with the right hand in a left forward stance. Left hand covering heart with palm angled opposite the right elbow. Open fist, turn waist to the left and extend right hand to left front. Place left palm below right elbow, facing upward.

12. __Withdraw and Wipe off__ - Sit back on right leg and turn waist to the right, pulling right arm off left forearm, wiping off. As you sit back on your right leg, hands separate and palms turn forward. With all your weight on your right leg, shift forward, square hipsand push into a left forward stance, sponge arms forward, stoping at 45 degrees.

13. __Close__: Cross Hands - Shift weight back to right leg and turn to the right, slowly spreading the arms. As you turn pull left toes toward front and spread hands outward even more. When hands come down past shoulders, slowly shift weight back to left, pivoting on right toes. When all weight is on left leg, move right foot shoulders width and parallel to left. Shift to hose stance, crossing hands in front of chest, right hand closest to body. This closes the first third of Yang style short form tai chi.

All this information and credit for it belongs to the christian order of Jedi knights at this link : http://www.freewebs.com/jedihealers/qigong.htm (Return to Teachings)