We all the know the importance of turning your waist in Tai Chi.

Without turning your waist your posture will become disconnected and ineffective.

For a beginner it can be difficult to turn the waist because attention is usually focused on  arms and/or legs when practicing a Tai Chi movement.

My teacher would constantly say to me, “turn your waist Chris, turn your waist”.  As a beginner I would nod my head and usually forget to turn my waist because I was concentrating elsewhere.

Here’s a technique that will help get your beginner students to turn their waists more often.

If the phrase ‘turn your waist’ doesn’t work try saying ‘turn your belly button to the right (or left)’.

A single reference point such as a belly button rather than a large expanse such as the waist is easier to visualise.

So get their belly buttons turning or else they may go belly up when learning a new technique!