Clocktower Tai Chi class - 2014-10-23

Tai Chi Class Notes - 2014-10-23

Goals set by class

• Improve Balance
• Decrease Stress
• Stretch (improve flexibility)

 Discussed Tai Chi in general

• What it is
• Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese Martial and Healing Art
• Learn more detail here 
• Based on Taoist Philosophy described int eh Tao Te Ching
•  Wiki on Tao_Te_Ching
• The style we are learning;
• There are several styles of Tai Chi that are named for the families that created them.  The style we are learning in this class is Yang Style.
• Wiki on Yang Style Tai Chi

Improve Balance

•  Wu Chi - also called "Standing like a Tree.
• Qigong, Pathway to Health - Wu Chi blog
• You'll find full instructions for this in an earlier blog that I did.
• What we covered in class that supports improving balance
• Strength training
• Bow Stance
•  Stand with your feet about 6 inches apart. Move 1 foot straight back about 12 inches. Set the heel down and turn the toes out 45°.
• Horse stance
•  Stand with your feet about a foot in the half to 2 feet apart. Your should be in the middle and your body should be relaxed. Bend your knees and lower your body as if starting to sit down. Only go as far down as required to feel some effort in the legs. You should never experience pain. If you have gone too far stand higher.
• The importance of relaxing downward
•  Being able to feel relaxed and as if your body is relaxing down is very important to becoming more balanced. The following three practices helped us teach our body how to be more relaxed.
• Sighing; description, practice we did
• Relaxing all muscles while standing in Wu Chi
• Discussed and demonstrated the need to keep the shoulders and elbows down and relaxed.

 Decrease Stress

• Breath work is Tai Chi and in life in general is an important key to managing stress.
• Dan Tien Breathing, This is the practice of standing in Wu Chi or any tai chi pose, and breathing into the lower abdomen below the navel and inward about an inch.
• To experience relaxing down we practiced sighing.
• Slow movement and Still Meditation help calm the body and mind
• Practice Tai Chi daily for 15 to 30 minutes and you'll be amazed at the improvements.

Stretching

• We discussed Tai chi instruction. In my opinion yoga is a much better stretching practice than Tai chi is. Tai chi does improve muscle tone and bone alignment and there are Qigong related exercises to lengthen ligaments and tendons.