T
he best way to progress and improve in Tai Chi Chuan is to attend to the basics, and one of the most fundamental basics in Tai Chi is attention to correct posture when practicing your form. Correct body alignment is how we transform the intangible elements of Tai Chi to a tangible expression of the main principles of Tai Chi Chuan.
The Basic Principles of Tai Chi Chuan: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18.
Maintain mind intent and purity of motive Keep your eyes open, inquisitive, and relaxed Practice profound relaxation (Sung) Be soft like water Sink your weight and root like a tree Breathe naturally, lightly through the nose, and rest the tongue on the roof of the mouth Have a straight but limber and flexible spine (A string lightly pulling at Baihui – Du Mai 20) Maintain a weight separated stance (Not double weighted) Turn from the waist (Millstone grinding) Use correct and adept hand positions and applications Move with centeredness with focus on the movement and sensation of energy throughout the body Apply slow deliberate movements Maintain a continuous flow of movement without interruption Express silk reeling movement from the feet and throughout the body Lead with the mind, be mindful and mindless. Be aware and connected to the environment around you Swim gently through the air around you Be amazed and open to the possibilities and experiences that present themselves to you
When a practitioner of Tai Chi manifests proper posture they begin to feel comfortable and relaxed when practicing or executing the Tai Chi postures and that comfort and relaxation leads to inner harmony and unity within all the elements that comprise Tai Chi Chuan. Tai Chi Chuan is commonly translated to mean “Grand Ultimate Boxing”. This description of Tai Chi Chuan invites the Tai Chi practitioner to the highest expression of “the best boxing art”. To achieve the “Grand Ultimate” you must practice Tai Chi with diligent attention to each posture to manifest the basic principles of Tai Chi through each posture in a Tai Chi form. If you are looking to understand why Tai Chi Chuan is considered by many experts in the field as one of the best martial arts, then you need to participate and practice a form of Tai Chi Chuan that will help foster this ability within yourself. When a Tai Chi practitioner gets to the point in their practice where they know a traditional long form, they can begin to experience the sensation of “ebb and flow," or what some might call the “sensation of chi” within their body and through their limbs. Once you begin to experience this sensation, then a reasonable question might come up regarding “Why am I feeling this sensation? Why am I experiencing these sensations, what are they, and what do they mean?”
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