Thursday, September 25, 2008

Tai Chi Moves to Practice at Home

These exercises are for my students to remind them for home practice.
1. Commencement of Tai Chi - both hands float up on an imaginary balloon and then slowly lower down. Breath is slowly in and breathe out when hands reach the top. Then breathe slowly in and out again as the hands lower. Keep shoulders relaxed and neutral.

2a. Polishing the Emperor's Mirror: Arms facing outward, lift the hands up overhead then turn the palms towards you, cross at the wrists as you lower them down to start position. Breathe in on the way up and slowly out on the way down.

2b. Polishing the Emperor's Mirror: Both hands dig under the feet and pull up from the ground through the body to the top of the head. As if a fountain let the arms circle out away from the body back down to the start position.

3. Waving Hands like clouds: Shifting left and right arms circle waving out and touch the table or or lazy swimmer.

4. Big Wave: bring hand across the body and turn the palm to wave the arm up overhead, reach behind your back with the little finger leading down to the earth, shifting side to side if desired. Repeat on both sides.

5. Slanting Flying: Hold a ball on the left side of the body, left hand on top right hand on bottom. Slowly shift to the right and raise the right hand as if serving out a cup of tea. At the same time the left hand presses down near the left hip. Repeat on the other side. ( Right hand on top of ball, left hand on bottom shift to left raising up the left palm and lowering the right hand pressing down near the hip. )

Enjoy your practice!

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