The Basic Principles of Tai Chi Chuan - Part 1
Though they may be referred to as "basic," they are anything but simple. Incorporating these principles into our body and movements takes years of mindful practice.
The connection between Tai Chi and Mindfulness
Anyone can try tai chi regardless of your age or current level of fitness. What it takes is the willingness to focus inwards and the patience to learn to feel and listen to your own body.
The Basic Principles of Tai Chi Chuan - Part 2
The principles discussed in this blog are applied to every exercise and movement in Tai Chi, but for beginners, it is not practical to learn and apply them all at once. So for each basic exercise, we would focus on only one or two principles and try to achieve understanding and fluency within the basic exercise before applying it elsewhere.
Qi Gong - Ladies Retreat
What I hear over and over again is that many of the people are so depressed that it is hard for them to participate in anything, especially just after the death of a loved one. Once they do a few of the Qigong exercises they all say that they feel much better and start to investigate this wonderful modality called Qigong.
How to Get Started with Tai Chi
Tai chi is a discipline that requires patience and persistence. It is an unending journey of learning and self discovery, where you want to enjoy the moment instead of rushing through it.
Push Hands - Chen Style - Part 2
The close proximity of your partner in this exercise requires precision in the movements to successfully navigate the pattern without losing the flow or your own balance. Therefore it is one of the harder patterns to execute well.
Push Hands - Chen Style - Part 1
Among the three styles of push hands patterns that we practice, Chen style is the most intricate, and physically challenging. Not only are you in contact with your partner with your arms, you are also connecting with your legs. This means that your partner may potentially push you off-balance via the legs if your stance is not strong enough.
Push Hands - Wu Style - Part 2
In our previous blog, we discussed the unique aspects of Wu Style push hands and learned to apply them via the Wu Style single hand push pattern. We now continue to learn the Wu Style push hands pattern using both hands.
Push Hands - Wu Style - Part 1
Unlike the other styles of Tai Chi where the emphasis is on an upright posture, Wu Style leans forward and backward using the back leg as counterbalance. This makes Wu Style push hands very interesting as the leaning provides extra range and extension that may be unexpected to the opponent.
Push Hands - Yang Style - Part 2
The same basic principles that you apply to the single hand push pattern should also be applied to the double hands push pattern. The significance of these principles is more pronounced as the external interferences have now doubled. With all four limbs committed to the movement, it is much easier to make mistakes like losing your balance, breaking your arm bows or forgetting to relax and sink.
Push Hands - Yang Style - Part 1
When we start our Push Hands training, one of the first exercises that we learn is the Yang Style Single Hand Push. The movement pattern is very simple, but within this simplicity is a host of challenges that takes a long time for our body to learn; as it requires strict disciplinary control of all body parts.
Tai Chi – Meditation for those who cannot sit still
As our lives become busier and more complicated, an increasing number of people find meditation a great tool to cope with the day to day stresses such as work, finance and relationships. Tai Chi, as a martial art, incorporates many of the foundations of meditation in its practice. Tai Chi is therefore commonly described as "moving meditation."
