How to practise tai chi

The tai chi form requires that your posture be balanced and stable and your
movements harmonious. You will observe that you have not over-exerted
yourself and that your breathing is steady. With practice you should feel
exhilarated and energetic.
The tai chi form should be fluid and continuous, even during position changes,
giving the appearance of a slow, flowing river. Keep all of your movements
round and smooth. This will give ease and strength to your posture, and your
energy will be able to flow unimpeded. (There should be no dead steps
throughout the exercise.)
Both the arms and legs should be co-ordinated. The movements should
originate from the body and synchronise with the arms and legs.
Allow the breathing to be natural - do not try to control it.
Rules for practice
Use the conscious mind to guide the movements - The mind should lead the
body'. This will develop deep concentration.
When practising the form, feel yourself making the movement slightly before
you perform it. In this way you will be engaging the mind as well as the body.
Without this 'leading' of the movements, you will not be practising tai chi
correctly.
Do not allow your thoughts to scatter. Keep your thinking on the exercise at
hand. Exclude all extraneous interference.
Check your posture:
1 is your breathing natural and centred in the lower abdomen?
2 is your head held up and are your shoulders relaxed?
3 are your spine and torso upright?
4 is your weight evenly distributed on two feet to begin the exercise?
Perform the tai chi solo exercise in a quiet and tranquil place. Noise will not
allow the mind to be still and uninterrupted.
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HOW TO PRACTISE TAI CHI
Concentrate only on the tai chi movements. Each technique should be
performed as perfectly as possible, linking one with another, not allowing one
technique to be any more important than those following or preceding.
Eventually the body will respond to the mind, performing the exercise more
smoothly and accurately.
When your thinking is disturbed by anxiety or agitated in some way, do not
practise. Allow your thinking to return to normal before exercising with tai chi.
Relaxation
When you are told to relax, this does not mean that your body should be limp:
the spine should be straight and the head upright.
Generally, your posture should be 'correct' - not leaning to the left or right,
forwards or backwards. Use only enough energy to perform the movement
correctly, i.e. with the bare minimum of effort.
As you move through the exercises, feel as if your arms are floating.
Mind and body co-ordination
As the mind forms the idea of making the movement before the actual physical
action, the tai chi student will be led into a whole body discipline. Having to
mould these actions into the form, the mind and body will become united,
opening up untold possibilities, spiritually and physically. If one part of the body
moves, all parts move; no part is separated from the whole. This is the
characteristic of Yang tai chi.
At the beginning, learn one step at a time. Memorise each posture, mentally
and physically, before you move on to the next. When you have done this, join
the movements together as a flowing whole.
Weight distribution and body movement
The shifting of the body weight and solidity of stances is very important when
moving from one technique to another. The foot which has the weight upon it is
said to be 'full', and the one which carries the least weight is said to be 'empty'.
The tai chi form is in constant flux between empty and full steps. The transition
from one to the other is very important in that if it is carried out correctly, it will
create smoothness and continuity.
With this evenness of movement, your steps should be as light as a cat's. Be
sure your stance is stable before turning left or right. Place your empty foot
lightly, as if you are testing the ground. Slowly, move the weight on to the empty
foot until it becomes full (i.e. most of the weight is on it). Thus your steps will be
agile and your movements nimble.
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HOW TO PRACTISE TAI CHI
Breathe and move from the tan tien
The centre of all movement and breathing in tai chi is the tan tien - a point two
inches below the navel on the inside of the body. This is not only the centre of
balance in human beings, but also in Oriental thinking the centre of chi (vital
energy activity). There should be gentle concentration on this point while you
are performing tai chi.
Breathing should be natural and calming. Do not try to slow it down — allow
the breathing to do as it wishes — as you practise the form. The body will naturally
gain a rhythm and depth from the tai chi movements. (See also pp. 150—1.)
Posture
A strong posture is of the upmost importance. The upright position allows the chi
to circulate freely. If the posture is bent, twisted or in some way restricted, the
energy will be blocked. It is helpful to imagine a hose-pipe that has a kink: the
water will be either stopped completely or will come in spurts; when the kink is
removed the water moves freely and with power.
We will begin at the top, with the head. If the head is held upright the body can
be maintained in a stable upright position and the balance stabilised.
The head
Hold the head as if it were suspended from above. This mental imagery will allow
the head to be supported with the least amount of muscular tension, because the
body will react naturally to the mental image rather than trying to impose a rigid
discipline if you 'try' to hold it upright.
Move your head in unison with the body. The head should not be allowed to
move separately from the body.
Pull the chin in slightly and allow the jaw to relax. The facial muscles should be
soft, without expression. Rest the tongue on the hard palate in the roof of the
mouth.
Look in the direction in which your techniques are being directed. Be aware of
your surroundings, but not overly so.
The shoulders and upper back
Allow your shoulders to hang in a relaxed fashion, but without bending your
upper spine. This will facilitate breathing as well as relaxing the upper body.
The chest and abdomen
The chest and abdomen should be relaxed, which will cause the breathing to sink
to the tan tien. With practice this will result in a pleasant warmth in the area; this
warmth is the stirring of the chi.
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HOW TO PRACTISE TAI CHI
The spine
It is vital that the spine is held erect because it is the central pillar of the body.
Whatever the physical action - sitting or twisting - the spine plays a vital pivotal
role.
For the body and the limbs to move in unison, it is essential that you have a
straight spine. Again, the spine is as relaxed as possible, but you 'feel' it straight.
Remember, what the mind thinks the body will do.
The lower back should also be straightened out. This is achieved by gently
tucking the bottom under, which has the effect of taking the hollow out of the
back. Do this gently! At first it will feel odd, but you will become accustomed to it.
An added advantage of straightening out this area of the spine is that it
strengthens that area, which will leave you less prone to injury.
Looking at the spine in its normal 'S' shape, most of the weight is taken in the
lumbar region. It is in this area that most back trouble occurs. Flattening out this
section results in a straightening of the spine; the pressure of the body's weight
can be distributed equally among all of the vertebrae.
The legs
If you cannot stand you cannot walk, states an old martial arts saying. Pay special
attention to the feet in the tai chi form - this is the root of bodily motion.
The chi is rooted in the feet,
Springs from the legs,
Guided by the waist,
Expressed in the hands. (Tai chi poem)
Stabilise the feet and legs. Do not allow the knees to bend inwards. The only
movement at the knees should be as nature intended - forwards and backwards,
not side to side. When moving forwards the heel should touch first; when
moving backwards the toes should land first. Neglecting your footwork will ruin
the flow of the form totally.
The arms
Let the elbows hang down, states a tai chi maxim. By doing so, the shoulders will
relax and sink down. With your shoulders down, the elbows will relax naturally
in turn.
Leave a gap of one fist width at the armpits (approximately three inches). Test
this by placing the fist under the armpit and allow the arm to rest against the fist.
Closing this point, so that the arm is allowed to touch the body, would prevent
the chi from circulating freely.
Never straighten the elbows completely when pushing out - leave a small
bend in them.
Hold the wrists naturally - do not allow them to drop.
Your shoulder joints should be relaxed - allow the body to do the work.
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HOW TO PRACTISE TAI CHI
Fig. 2 Tiger's mouth position
The hand should be held in the 'tiger's mouth' position (fig. 2). Stretch the
hand by pulling back the thumbs and extending the fingers. A flap of skin will
appear between the thumb and the index finger which resembles the mouth of a
tiger, hence the name. This hand position hollows out the palm and is sometimes
called the 'tile palm'.
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HOW TO PRACTISE TAI CHI
Perseverance
Practise every day, either in the morning or evening. Try not to miss out days
because this will hamper your progress. Tai chi is meant to be used, not simply
learned. The longer you practise tai chi correctly, the more perfect it will become,
and the greater the benefits.
Attend a good tai chi class if possible: the benefit of good first-hand tuition can
be significant.
If you have friends you can practise with, so much the better. Company during
training can see you through the 'bad' days. Once the form is mastered and the
benefits become apparent, you will need no outside encouragement. Tai chi will
become an essential part of your day, just like washing or cleaning your teeth.
Select a quiet, clean place to exercise, preferably in the open air. The best
places are under trees, where the air is pure. Do not train in the wind or in the
damp.
Practising inside is quite acceptable, especially during bad weather. Make
certain that the room is well ventilated and warm. Protect yourself from drafts.
Speed
We are using the classical Yang tai chi slow form. When practising, move as if you
were walking through water or watching a slow motion replay. 'Slow', 'smooth'
and 'constant' should be your watchwords. Do not alter the tempo when you are
changing position.
The Yang style long form takes 12 to 15 minutes to complete, although 14
minutes is the optimum time.
Movement in the form
Always keep the knees bent and move smoothly forwards or backwards. Do not
look down, just straight ahead. Keep the same height while practising -
straightening the knees will make you bob up and down, which will break the
flow and make your form appear clumsy.