A Seated Tai Chi Workout for All Abilities
St Barnabas Hospice Grantham
www.ki-ways.com
Telephone 07413 620344 E-mail: ray.pawlett@02.co.uk
Table of Contents Page | 2
1. Title Page 2. Table of Contents 3. Synopsis 4. Is it Fun? 5. Safety 6. Exercise Routines 7. Breathing 8. Tai Chi Warm-up Exercise 9. Flowing Tai chi Exercises 10. Inner Smile meditation 11. Self-massage 12. Tai Chi 13. Chi Gung
www.ki-ways.com
Wake House, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9AE
Tel 07413 620344
Synopsis This short course introduces and teaches participants how to perform and teach a series of basic seated Tai Chi exercises that are suitable for people of any ability. The movements are all low impact flowing movements that are designed to loosen the body and help to relax whilst at the same time building up the internal strength and core muscles participants whilst creating an overall improvement in wellbeing.
www.ki-ways.com
Wake House, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9AE
Tel 07413 620344
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Is it Fun? Are you enjoying yourself? If you are not, then why are you doing it? The exercises taught in this programme are intended to be light, easy and enjoyable. If for any reason somebody is not enjoying the exercise, they should not do it. There are plenty of other exercises in the programme and there is no point in trying to do something that you do not enjoy. There could be many reasons for not enjoying an exercise such as pain, “it feels silly”, “I don’t like it” and so on. These exercises all work in some way on a mixture of body, mind and spirit. If an exercise hurts or feels wrong for whatever reason whether the reason is defined or not, the client should feel free to skip it. This philosophy can prevent a person from damaging themselves on a physical level and on an emotional level prevent them from being embarrassed or feeling that somebody is trying to control them. This is opposite to the “no pain, no gain” philosophy that many people have. The coach should be constantly vigilant for people attempting to push themselves too hard or doing something that they do not like just because everybody else is doing it.
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Wake House, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9AE
Tel 07413 620344
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Safety In general, the exercises included in this programme are safe for all people. In general provided that the client is enjoying the exercises and they are not causing discomfort either during or after the session then the exercises will work for everybody. Common sense is the most powerful tool. This needs to come from the client and the coach. The client should be encouraged to not push themselves too hard and the coach should keep an eye on the client to ensure that they do not. Signs of pushing an exercise to hard can be:
Expressions of pain on the face Grunting Looking uncomfortable Looking confused Dizziness Sweating Not enjoying the session
The following general advice applies
If an exercise causes you pain - stop If you have swollen joints you should be careful not to agitate the joint If you feel short of breath during the exercises – take a break Ensure that you do not become dehydrated Try to leave an hour after eating so that your food can digest Dress comfortably
If you are in any doubt whatsoever regarding the suitability of Tai Chi exercises for you then you should discuss your intention to join in a Tai chi session with your doctor.
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Wake House, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9AE
Tel 07413 620344
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Many of the exercises in this programme are repetitive. This automatically implies the question “How many should I do?” Again, the answer is to use common sense and intuition. Most of the Tai chi text books that I have seen are very prescriptive. For example, usually for movements like “Opening the Chest”, it is said that the person should repeat the exercise eight times. If you are relatively fit, eight repetitions of the exercise would be very easy. In these sessions, we are not learning how to help the “super fit”, so performing this exercise eight times can be far too challenging for some people. My advice is to follow the safety guidelines stated earlier and find out how many repetitions your client can perform comfortably. Let them stay with this number for a while and then if the client likes the idea, gradually increment the amount of repetitions as their fitness increases. Below is a table that I used for a client with emphysema that is a typical example of the time scales used when I am coaching. He felt benefit from the “opening the chest” exercise and the following training programme using this exercise improved his breathing significantly:Week 1 - 3 Week 4 – 6 Week 7 Week 8
Four repetitions Six repetitions Seven repetitions Eight repetitions
In the beginning, four repetitions was all that he could manage. Within two months, he had doubled the quantity and felt health benefits. We then decided that eight repetitions were sufficient for a working exercise to be repeated 3 – 5 times a week. If he was having a “bad day”, he would just do less that day but was advised not to try and catch up on following days. Each client is different. I find that a non-prescriptive approach towards the exercises is the most empowering to help the client improve their health because it makes them feel like they are more involved in the decisions around the fitness routines.
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Wake House, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9AE
Tel 07413 620344
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Exercise Routines In this training programme, we have three small exercise routines and a simple meditation exercise. They are as follows:-
1. 2. 3. 4.
Tai Chi warm-up exercises Flowing Tai chi exercises Inner smile meditation Self-massage
Tai Chi Warm-up Exercises are designed to flow through your body, they start at the wrist and then gradually work through to the feet, loosening all joints in the body. They do follow a sequence and the sequence delivers the best results – however, if you get a few exercises in the wrong order or miss a few there will be no harm Flowing Tai Chi Exercises are an adaption of the classical Yang style of Tai Chi. The work holistically but experience has taught me that they are particularly good for increasing the circulation in the back as most muscles of the back are gently exercised during this routine. The routine outlined follows the classical Tai chi routine so that the participant can observe a flow more easily but there is no extra health benefit gained from following a set routine for this sequence Inner Smile is an ancient Taoist meditation practice. It can be used to create a sense of well-being for participants. Self-massage is designed to invigorate the client after the relaxation of the inner smile so that they client finishes the session feeling both relaxed and lively. Many of my elderly clients have taken these exercises to help themselves “get started” in the morning.
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Wake House, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9AE
Tel 07413 620344
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Breathing In Tai Chi and all similar arts there are advanced breathing techniques. This can be unnecessarily daunting for the beginner as the whole philosophy behind the breathing and the movement in Tai Chi is to try and return the body and mind into a more relaxed state. If we try too hard – we usually get it wrong with the breathing. If, on the other hand the coach gently encourages the clients to breathe deeply and naturally with the exercise and to allow the breathing to follow its own pattern, it is likely that the breathing will be correct. During the course we will investigate how the breathing should be done for all of the exercises. The simple rule of thumb with breathing is that if your hands are moving away from your body – you exhale and if they are moving towards your body – you inhale.
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Wake House, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9AE
Tel 07413 620344
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Tai Chi Warm-up Exercises This part of the programme includes the following exercises:-
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1. Wrist loosening 2. Elbow Circles 3. Shoulder Rotations 4. Shoulder Rolls 5. Shoulder Drop 6. Neck Loosening 7. Neck and Shoulder Massage 8. Opening the Chest 9. Twist 10. Kidney Rub 11. Arm Swing 12. Hip Rotations 13. Leg Massage 14. Feet and Ankles
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Wrist Loosening Join your hands together and gently rotate the wrists.
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Do not rock the hands back and forth and forth as this can put too much strain on your wrist
Elbow Circles
Reach out with your fingertips
Pull your elbows back
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Shoulder Rotations
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Place your hands on the inside of your shoulders
First rotate your elbows in one direction and then when you feel that your shoulders have started to loosen up, rotate them in the other direction
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Shoulder Rolls Roll your shoulders in both directions
Shoulder Drop Lift your shoulders as high as you can manage comfortably Take a deep breath Hold the breath for a count of three
On the count of three, simultaneously release the shoulders and exhale. Feel how your shoulders have relaxed
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Neck Loosening Swivel the head left and right
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Bring your ear towards your left shoulder then your right shoulder
Make semi-circles with your chin
Move your neck around gently in any position that is not painful to finish releasing tension from the muscles
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Neck and Shoulder Massage Grab the muscle at the back of your neck and massage it
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Repeat with the other hand for the other side
Grab the large muscle on the top of your shoulder and massage it Repeat with the other hand for the other side
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Opening the Chest Inhale and cross your forearms in front of
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your chest. Exhale and pull your elbows back
Inhale and cross your forearms in front of your chest. Exhale and open up your arms
Twist Twist to one side and then the other as you exhale
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Wake House, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9AE
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Kidney Rub Reach behind your back and massage the kidney and lower back area
Arm Swing Gently swing your arms left and right as you rotate your body. If your chair has arms be careful to not hit them!
Hip Rotations There are four planes of direction that your hip can move in – clockwise, anticlockwise, outwards and downwards. Work each leg on each plane
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Leg Massage Massage along the length of the thigh muscle
Rub your knees vigorously Repeat for both knees
Do not forget the back of your knees
Rub your thumbs along the inner edges of your shin bones
If you can reach comfortably, massage the Achilles tendon
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Tel 07413 620344
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Feet and Ankles Place your big toe on the floor and
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rotate the ankle in both directions. Repeat for the other leg
Point your toes forwards
Point your heels forwards
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Flowing Tai Chi Exercises This part of the programme includes the following exercises:-
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1. Sitting Posture 2. Opening Move 3. Embrace 4. Throwing the net 5. Bounce 6. Push to the front 7. Push to the left and right 8. Circles 9. Closing Move 10. Sitting Posture
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Sitting Posture Start by sitting as upright as is comfortable. Lift your head; let your elbows drop and your shoulders relax. Let your breathing become relaxed and deeper. Feel your weight sink into your chair.
Opening Move Let your arms drop to your side Inhale in as you lift your arms
Exhale as you lower your arms
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Embrace
Hold your arm up in front of you in the “embrace� position. Turn in the direction that the upper elbow is pointing Swap the hands over
Twist back to the front and repeat for the other side
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Page | 21
Throwing the Net Throw your arms out to one side as though you were casting a net
Now pull the net back by twisting your body in the opposite direction
Throw the net to the other side
Pull down again
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Bounce Touch your hand against the fore arm of your other arm.
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Inhale
Part 1 Lift up and push out as you exhale Repeat several times
Swap the hands over
Part 2 Repeat several times with the hands swapped over
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Push to the Front Inhale as you draw your hands inwards
Exhale as you push away
Push to the Left and Right
Push to your right
Back to the
Push to the other
and exhale
centre as you
side as you
inhale
exhale
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Circles Inhale and cross your arms in front of your chest
Exhale and open the arms
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Closing Move
Warm down by exhaling as your
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hands sink
Inhale as your hands rise
Sitting Posture Sit and relax for a moment. Your back should feel warmer and your shoulders more relaxed. Perhaps you can feel energetic changes?
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Wake House, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9AE
Tel 07413 620344
Inner Smile Meditation has been used for millennia by cultures throughout the world. There are thousands of methods of meditation – some of them difficult and some of them easier. They all have one thing in common – they are trying to help the mind calm down and be more controlled in one way or another. The Inner smile meditation was written about by the Taoist sages over two thousand years ago. It is simple and has a straightforward and direct goal to make you feel happy and serene. Think more about the serene and spiritual smile of the Dali Llama than the wild laughter of the comedian In oriental medicine the serene smile is spiritual whilst too much laughter can put pressure on the heart. Forced laughter can be especially damaging for those with a delicate constitution. Try this gentle “Inner Smile” exercise:1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Start by sitting in a comfortable position Close your eyes if you are comfortable with closing your eye in public Take two or three big deep breaths to calm your mind Let your breathing relax and let your pulse rate calm down When your breathing is normal and your pule is not racing, think of something that makes you really happy. 6. Try to imagine the event with all of your senses including smell, taste and touch 7. If it made you so happy at the time – you smiled. Why not smile now – nobody is watching you. 8. As you smile – notice the “lift” in your heart area. If you missed it, just smile again. You will get it 9. Concentrate on that “lift” that you get when you smile. Imagine it radiating out throughout your body 10. Before you open your eyes – be sure to smile! 11. Feel how the atmosphere in the room has changed.
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Self-Massage Page | 28
Vigorously rub your hands together to get them warm
Pretend that you are “washing your face� with your warm hands
Gently tap on the top of your head with your finger tips
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“Open” your forehead
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Massage your temples – clockwise and anticlockwise
Stroke your throat
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Gently tap your breast bone
Massage your abdominal area in clockwise spirals
Use the edges of your hands to gently “chop� the thigh muscles
Tap either side of the calf muscles with your hands
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Tai Chi The origins and early history of Tai Chi have been somewhat obscured by the mists of time. Many of the stories of the origins relate back to the fifteenth century and a Taoist priest on the Wudang Mountain in China as being the origins of Tai Chi.
Tai Chi can contain a mixture of the following four elements:
Healing Arts – The concept for healing arts here is from traditional Asian medicine where Chi or Energy flows in pathways or meridians as used by Shiatsu therapists, acupuncturists and herbalists amongst others. Western medicine has done much research on the beneficial effects of Tai chi and shown it to be an excellent exercise system for maintaining health and reducing stress. Meditation – Meditation assists the integration of body and mind to allow the spiritual aspects of the art to unfold. Martial arts – Tai Chi came from martial arts and it should always be possible to relate what you are doing in Tai Chi to martial arts movements. Chi - Chi is the binding force that brings together the martial, healing and meditational aspects of the style and differentiates it from other styles.
The speciality within Ki-Ways is to help you to find the correct combination of the aspects of Tai Chi that are right for YOUR evolution and wellbeing. All aspects of the art will be taught to the level needed by the individual at their current state of health, wellbeing and fitness.
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Chi Gung Chi Gung literally means “Energy Work”. Page | 32 It is a method of learning how to cultivate and improve your own Energetic system and thereby hopefully increase your health and happiness.
Many Chi Gung movements look very much like Tai Chi movements. Indeed, Tai Chi movements are all used for Energy cultivation so they can be regarded as Chi Gung. There are however many styles of chi gung. There are the flowing Tai Chi style movements, standing Chi Gung, meditation Chi Gun and even “hard” Chi Gung amongst many others.
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Wake House, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9AE
Tel 07413 620344