SEQUENCE: Denouement of the Whole Series is repeated 1 time in the form.

POSTURE: Traditionally first seen as posture number 81 in the Long Form.  Denouement of the Whole Series is also translated as Closing Posture, Shōu shì, Huán yuán 收式 还原.  The entry point for this posture follows ‘Close the Door Sequence’.  See video 081.   Denouement of the Whole Series is performed with 2 breaths;

IN BREATH 1: ‘Lift Yourself off the IKEA Sofa’.  Let go of all intention and flexing.  The bouncy springy sensation is in both legs.  Lower the hands towards the sides of your body turning the thumbs inwards rotating the palms so the heels of the hands press down and away from the body.  When the hands are in the correct position this movement has the sensation of the shoulders flexing forward opening the shoulder blades.

INTENTION: The Embodied Tai Chi soft intention can be thought of as the hands press down lifting yourself up from a seated position like a low sofa or bed.  The martial application must be applied with compassion and would be applied as a strike behind with the heel of the hand.  ROOT: There is no longer a cross lateral separation as both legs hold equal weight and both arms move together.  There is no external physical separation between yin and yang in arms or legs.

OUT BREATH 1: ‘Hands Float Up’.  Let go of all flexing.  Keeping the bouncy springy sensation in both legs let the backs of the wrists float upwards.  The thumbs turn outwards rotating the palms in.  The upward movement of the hands must stop before the shoulders start to lift.  When the hands are in the correct position this movement has the sensation of flexing the shoulders back closing the shoulder blades opening the chest.

INTENTION: The Embodied Tai Chi soft intention can be thought of as balloons tied to each wrist floating upward lifting the hands.  The martial application must be applied with compassion and would be applied perhaps to a push away.

IN BREATH 2: ‘Lift Yourself off the IKEA Sofa’.  Let go of all intention and flexing.  Keep the bouncy springy sensation in both legs.  Lift the fingers turning the thumbs inward so the palms of each hand draw back and face forward.  Then lower the hands and continue to turn the thumbs inwards rotating the palms so they press down and away from the body with the heel of the palms.  When the hands are in the correct position this movement has the sensation of the shoulders flexing forward opening the shoulder blades.

INTENTION: The Embodied Tai Chi soft intention can be thought of as the hands lifting yourself up from a seated position like a low sofa or bed.  The martial application must be applied with compassion and would be applied as a strike behind with the heel of the hand. 

OUT BREATH 2: Let go of all flexing.  Lift the toes off the ground in the left foot and turn the foot anticlockwise on the heel placing the foot back down in a position to feel the best bouncy springy sensation in the left leg.  Move your centre of gravity so that you allow a flex or sink down into the spring of the left leg.  Let the right knee float up stepping in to place the heels close together and a bouncy springy sensation in both legs.  The flex in the hands relaxes causing the thumbs to turn outward.  The right hand circles clockwise away from the body and back to your right side.  The left hand circles anticlockwise away from the body and back to your left side.  When the hands are in the correct position this movement has the sensation of flexing the shoulders back closing the shoulder blades opening the chest.

INTENTION: The Embodied Tai Chi soft intention can be thought of as coming back to stillness.  ROOT: All external physical movement gently ceases. With the end of the form our mental intention to move through the postures also comes to an end, we once again seek the unity of stillness or Wu Chi.