Chris Chi

Tai Chi for health & wellbeing

 

 

You are here: Home / Archives for 2010

Archives for 2010

Heel Breathing

By Leave a Comment

Heel breathing is a good energiser.

It can be done either sitting down or standing up.

I normally practice it sitting down as part of a series of chi kung exercises I do.

Sometimes I do it standing, whenever I need an energy boost.

Here’s how to do heel breathing.

  1. Imagine you are drawing breath from your bubbling wells, acupuncture points located in the soles of your feet.
  2. Keep inhaling and draw the breath/chi up through your body until it reaches to the top of your head.
  3. Then exhale and guide the breath/chi down through the body to the bottom of your feet.

Footnote: Expanded from Tai Chi Tip #35 – I discovered this technique several years ago while reading ‘Complete Tai Chi’ by Master Alfred Huang.

Clear As Mud

By Leave a Comment

In the early years of my Tai Chi training my instructor would demonstrate a technique quickly and wait for a reaction from the class.

If we were confused at what we had seen he would say ‘clear as mud?’ and then laugh.

I’ve been thinking of what he’d said and now realise there was depth in that remark besides the humour.

As a beginner, the techniques and most of the classical Tai Chi sayings were as ‘clear as mud’ to me.

I couldn’t see the correct technique or the meaning of a saying because of my inexperience and my tendency to analyse too much.

I now realise it’s about the doing rather than the anlaysing that will clear the mud away.

23 years since I started I still make pleasant discoveries of what appears to be a simple technique or saying by practicing more and analysing less.

It’s something I teach beginners – just do – and you will discover the meaning.

For safety reasons I keep a close eye on beginners so they don’t injure themselves.

As long as they’re within the safety limits of a technique I let them discover the meaning for themselves.

And this can be achieved by constant practice.

Otherwise, it will be ‘clear as mud’.

String it Up

By 2 Comments

Here is a good technique to help you maintain a correct posture and it may even help you to ease back pain.

  1. Stand in an upright posture
  2. Imagine there is a string attached to top of your head gently lifting you vertically
  3. Shoulders are relaxed
  4. From your tan tien (just below your belly button), feel yourself sink into the ground but maintain an upright posture

I’ve found this a great technique  as it can be practiced anywhere.

I’ve even practiced this standing in a supermarket waiting in line to be served (get plenty of practice if I’m standing in the fast service line!)

It certainly helps my posture as I sometimes tend to be lazy and slouch forward and just thinking about this technique automatically corrects my posture.

It’s virtually a two way stretch –  top half of your body goes up and the bottom half goes down, at the same time.

So the next time you are standing around make sure you ‘string it up.’

Footnote: Expanded from Tai Chi Tip #11

If Only …..

By 2 Comments

Put these two words ‘if only’ together and you have an instant recipe for regret and negativity.

Here’s my ‘If only …. list.

If only my knees were in good shape …

If only I was learning from a Wu Style Tai Chi grand master …

If only I had more time …

If only I was younger …

If only I had a regular training partner …

If only I had talent …

If only I had more hair …

If only …. ad nauseam (pass the smelling salts)

It’s easy to fall in the ‘if only’ trap and it is something that should be avoided if you are to stay positive and get the most from your Tai Chi training.

‘If only’ can demotivate you and lock you into the past and keep you there.

So the next time you catch yourself saying ‘if only’, challenge yourself and focus on where you are and what you can and are willing to do.

That way, you will get the most out of your training. And your life.

Hmm, now if only I can stop saying if only ……….