5 Principles in 3 Postures #1

Embodied Tai Chi

Five Principles In Three Postures

This program of learning explores five key principles of Tai Chi in the sequence of postures 'grasp the sparrows tail', 'throw down' and 'double handed push'.

Copy the sequence of posture and movement using the Tai Chi video or images. Never do anything that is uncomfortable. After uncomfortable comes tension ruining your practice. After tension comes discomfort. After discomfort comes injury.

Stability

Remove your shoes so you can feel the ground under your feet. Stand without locking the knees. Notice how the ground makes contact with you feet. Lean back slightly so you feel more pressure on your heal. Now lean forward slightly until you feel pressure on your toes. Now slowly lean back again until there is no longer any pressure on your toes. Try gently wriggling and relaxing them. Your foot should be feeling the ground under its widest part with little pressure on the heal and no tension in the toes.

Move the weight of your body to that part of your left foot. Relax and bounce on that foot noticing how springy bouncy that feels. Turn the foot in and try to bounce on that part of your foot again. Does this feel more or less springy bouncy? Turn your left foot out a bit at a time testing how springy bouncy your movement feels. Go back to the foot position that gives you the best springy bouncy feeling.

Now put all your weight on that part of the left foot, raise the right knee and step diagonally forward touching the ground with your right heal. Do this a few times 'put your right heal out, put your right heal in, in out in out' you get the picture. Find your most comfortable distance to step diagonally. Leave your heal on the ground and roll your right foot forward.

Now repeat the springy bouncy process with the right foot.

This should give you your personal best stable posture. Repeat the sequence of postures and movement, does it feel different?