Tai Chi for health & wellbeing
By Chris 2 Comments
One of the things I enjoy about teaching Tai Chi private lessons is the opportunity to create a specific program for a client.
There’s no point in running a standard Tai Chi lesson for a private client; they can get that at any Tai Chi class which is much cheaper than the professional fee I charge.
I recently ran two VCE: Success and Resilience workshops for Westall Secondary College students at their school camp in Neerim East.
The camp is called Forest Edge and it’s about one and half hour drive from my place; through the back hills with long winding roads and lovely bush scenery. It rained all the way there but it was a very relaxing drive though on the way back my fuel tank empty sign flashed and I was a long way from a service station but I managed to get to one just outside of Yarra Junction.
I’m looking forward to my Pozitive Kidz are happy kidz workshops for a primary school next week.
I’m running four workshops – two before and two after the morning break – for grade five and six students. I’ve been asked to reinforce the following themes; Motivation – Wellbeing – Learning.
Well, it’s that time of the year where I’m contacting secondary schools here in Melbourne about our Top Tens (Year 10) and VCE Success and Resilience workshops.
It’s high energy stuff mixed in with Tai Chi meditation so it certainly makes me work. I sometimes feel like a duck paddling across a lake. On the surface everything looks calm but below the surface the duck is furiously paddling its little feet along to propel itself forward.
I’m sure most teachers can relate to the ‘duck’ analogy.
Tai Chi has two basic breathing methods – abdominal and reverse breathing.
When I teach abdominal breathing in my various presentations and student Tai Chi workshops, I usually get someone who ends up doing the more advanced reverse breathing method instead.
I don’t know why some people do this as the explanation and demonstration is clear and simple to follow. Maybe it’s because some people get confused with the concept of breathing in and expanding the abdomen at the same time. Usually after a few attempts they get it right.
I thought I’d write a post, in simplistic terms, on the difference between the two breathing methods and how they are used in Tai Chi.
Abdominal Breathing
You simply breathe in through your nose and expand your abdomen. When you breathe in, your abdomen returns to the resting position. Abdominal breathing is the general breathing method for wellbeing Tai Chi.
Reverse Breathing
This is the reverse of abdominal breathing – you breathe in and your abdomen gently contract – breathe out and your abdomen expands. Reverse breathing is used in Tai Chi self defence.
Sometimes I find when I do my Tai Chi form or Chi Kung exercises I alternate between abdominal breathing and reverse breathing without thinking about it. However when it comes to the Tai Chi self defence applications then reverse breathing is what I tend to focus on.
It’s important for beginner students to focus on abdominal breathing before trying reverse breathing.