A Practitioner’s Introduction to Tai Chi

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AUTHOR:
Shawn R. Tucker, PT
Director of Brentwood Center for Health, St. Louis, Missouri 

Modern Tai Chi, also known as health Tai Chi, was modified and simplified in recent decades so that everyone, especially older people, can practice and stay healthy. Among the various types of health Tai Chi, 24-form Yang-style is one of the most popularized one. Master Jared has developed an 8-form program based on the traditional Yang style.

Six Basic Principles for Practicing Tai Chi

1. Go slow (慢man): move gently and circularly, looks like moving when submersed in water, here water is your life energy Qi, so the performance looks like fairy dancing in clouds. The feeling of life energy Qi is essential for practice, you can obtain the feeling after long time continual practice.

2. Relax (松song): In relaxing we want to let the weight of our bodies sink into the ground, “relax” does not mean “collapse”. The downward movement of the weight is balanced by an upward supportive energy that reaches up through the top of the head, Baihui. In relaxing the areas in the upper body and pelvis, we allow the weight to sink. The muscles are relaxed rather than tensed, the joints are not fully extended or bent, and connective tissues are not stretched. 

3. Body Upright (正zheng): We imagine a string lifting us up from the top of the head that our body can always keep straight and centered, “Head Upright, Spirit Rising”. Meanwhile, sinking allows the weight of the body to drop along the line of gravity all the way through the feet into the ground. Another way of describing this principle is simply balance. If the body is in balance, it is aligned with gravity (and it is also relaxed).

4. Shift weight (活huo): Also called separate weight, separate Yin and Yang/full and empty/substantial and insubstantial. As we move through the Tai Chi postures, we do so by shifting the weight from one leg to the other. We allow the upper body weight to sink to Dantian, driven by moving or turning the waist, the body can shift as a unit.

5. Keep mindful and quiet (静jing): When you are practicing, concentrate on the holistic movements, feel the internal energy and body Qi, follow the rhythm of the background music and enjoy and enter a peaceful, wonderful realm. That’s the reason why practicing Tai Chi can relieve stress and improve mental health.

6. Integrate movements (整zheng): The essence of Tai Chi movements are described as “rooted in the feet, developed in the legs, directed by the waist, and manifest in the hands.” which needs long term gradual practice. In the beginning, focus more on the movement of the hands with a fixed step, then pay attention to the legs and hips as the source of the movement of the hands, then try holistic practice with side steps.

For background information on Tai Chi, read Movement Ideas - 2: Tai Chi is For All on Start Moving, Start Living.