Check list for Tai Chi rehearsal, week II

Hey Tai Chilerians!

It’s the end of the second week this semester and we made major progress! Thanks to you all being well observing Sifu John’s postures and movements. Many thanks also to Sifu John for being patient with us and teaching in a, evidently, successful way! Now that we can do the first bit of the form all by ourselves, Sifu John can spend more time correcting each of us students personally satisfy needs depending on the degree of the students knowledge and ability. I think that’s great.

However, if we want to continue learning real classic Tai Chi, we have to be very aware of the basics. There aren’t too many at this stage and I think it should be easy to get all of them right if we keep in mind what to do. Here is a short (and uncompleted?!) check list. If you run thru that list each time you rehearse Tai Chi, or do warm-ups and even breathing exercises, you’ll surely find yourself soon doing it automatically.
Here we go:
• stand upright but not tense
• shoulders are alined with the hips
• feet are shoulder width apart
• feet are parallel to each other, toes facing straight forward
• again: feet shoulder width apart and facing forward
• knees are slightly bend; as they are always and in all exercises and postures!
• RELAX, there is nothing tensed in you!

Okay, we are still standing. What we want to follow when we move:
• feet should be shoulder width apart
• your shoulders are in line with your hips
• your head follows the movement of your torso
• be upright!!!
• don’t use force
• do movements slowly, you can feel much better where you weight is
• don’t be tensed
• RELAX

Sounds too much? Don’t think so. I believe you do many of the listed points already.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoy Tai Chi and feel comfortable. If feel having short-term (relaxing, stretching, ‘work-out’) effects, be sure to find an increasing number of mid-& long-term benefits!

Have a nice weekend!
sven