Warm-up

solo form, both mentally and physically. Loosenedup
joints will function that much better, and warm and flexible muscles will
respond in the way you would wish. Remember that tai chi is body and mind in
total harmony. When the body is moving well the mind can be at ease. It is the
flow and rhythm of movement which soothes the nervous system and calms the
mind. With the calming of the mind, signals are sent throughout the body which
encourage deep relaxation. A tenet of traditional Oriental medicine is: The mind
affects the body, and the body affects the mind - the two are inseparable.
In our warm-up we will stretch the tendons and muscles gently, and loosen
the joints and articulations. The internal organs benefit indirectly by receiving a
soft massage from the twisting movements.
Although this warm-up is very gentle, if you have any doubts about your
ability to perform any actions in this book, please consult a doctor prior to
commencement.
Points to remember
1 Perform the exercises slowly and smoothly.
2 Go only as far as you feel comfortable. If you are unused to exercise, begin
easily and gradually increase as and when you feel fit.
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WARM-UP
Fig. 3 Clasp your hands together in front
of you. Spread your feet one shoulder
width wide, weight evenly distributed.
Fig. 4 Slowly swing your hands to the
left and to the right as far as they will go
naturally. Do not push the rotation
beyond its current limit. Perform five
swings to the left and five to the right.
When you have completed your ten
rotations, finish with your hands still
clasped in front of you.
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WARM-UP
Fig. 5 From your previous position, bend
forwards and downwards and try to
touch the floor in front of you with the
palms. It doesn't matter whether you do
touch the floor or not - simply the act of
stretching is the most important thing.
Go only as far as you can without putting
undue stress on your back.
Fig. 6 From your previous position, bend
your knees slightly and swing your arms
up over your head and stretch. Repeat
figs 5 and 6 five times in a flowing,
smooth action.
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WARM-UP
Fig. 7 Place your left hand
on your left hip, with the
elbow bent. Extend your
right arm straight up, to
rest against your right ear.
Fig. 8 Stretch as far as comfortable towards your left
side, taking the pressure of the bend on your bent left
elbow. Your back should feel only the stretch, not your
body weight. You will feel the muscles on your right
side stretch in this movement. Return to the upright
position and repeat five times, slowly and smoothly.
Change hands so that your right hand is placed against
your right hip, with your right elbow flexed and your
left arm straight up. Repeat the stretch to the right side
five times as before.
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WARM-UP
Fig. 9 Stand up on your toes with both of
your hands extended forwards and the
elbows bent. Rotate your hands outwards
in a circle, five times for both hands.
When you have completed this, rotate
the hands inwards five times. As you are
turning your hands, try to feel the stretch
in your wrists as much as possible. This
exercise will help to prevent stiffness in
the wrists.
Fig. 10 Place all of your weight on to
your left leg and extend both hands in
front of you, with the elbows bent.
Keeping your knee straight, lift your right
leg approximately 12 inches (30 cm)
from the ground. Rotate your right ankle,
five times to the right and five times to
the left. Place your right leg down and
repeat the same exercise with the left
ankle.
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WARM-UP
Fig. 11 On completion of the previous
exercise, place both of your hands
together as if in prayer. Lift your left leg,
placing it just above your right knee, and
balance in this position for 15 seconds.
When you have completed the exercise,
change legs and repeat for the other leg.
Fig. 12 Extend both of your hands in
front of you, with the palms facing down.
Swing your right leg up as high as you
can without strain and attempt to touch
the palm of your right hand. As your
right foot touches the ground, swing your
left leg up in the same fashion. Repeat
five times for each leg. Raise only as high
as you feel is comfortable; increase the
height as you become more able.
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WARM-UP
Fig. 13 Extend your hands to the sides, with your palms facing down. Swing your
right leg up and try to touch the right palm with the toes of your right foot. As your
right foot touches the ground, swing your left foot up and try to touch your left palm.
Repeat five times for each foot. If you cannot touch the palms, don't worry - it is the
act of raising the leg as high as you can which will stretch the tendons.
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WARM-UP
Figs 14 and 15 Extend your feet two
shoulder widths apart, parallel to each
other. Bend your knees and sink your
weight equally on to both feet. Place
your hands on top of your pelvis and
lean forwards. Swing your body to the
left, keeping your weight evenly placed
on both feet. Continue the rotation
backwards and to the right until you end
up where you started. From this position,
swing your body to the right in exactly
the same fashion, until you end up in the
bent forward position as before. Repeat
the exercise to the left and to the right,
five times in each direction. Take this
exercise slowly, especially during the
early stages of your training.