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Tai Chi Guy – Program Primer – Taichi-Guy.Com 1 Song Begins by Relaxing, but Not Too Much! Visualize Expanding Your Joints from Within PROGRAM GUIDELINES Make your movements slow, smooth and continuous like flowing water. • Workshops or classes are open to any suitable person provided they are medically GENTLE RESISTANCE fit and can participate without assistance in Imagine the air around you is denser or you are in the class. water and you are moving gently against them. • Classes usually last for one hour. Participants are encouraged to rest when BODY STRUCTURE needed and to work within their own comfort zone at all times. UPRIGHT POSTURE • Participants are required to do a gentle Keep a supple, upright and aligned posture. Imagine warm-up exercise before they start and your head is suspended by a string and the rest of cooling down exercise afterward. your body is relaxed and upright beneath it. Avoid • Trained instructors of this program conduct locking your joints, always have a slight bend, and classes. All certified instructors are listed as you increase in strength and balance, bend your online at tchi.org. knees. Your qi (energy) flows best with an aligned • The Tai Chi exercise in this program would body. be similar to walking in terms of physical exertion. DELIBERATE STEPPING Focus on the transfer of your weight with your steps. TAI CHI PRINCIPLES Step as though your foot were touching ice and place the entire foot before transferring any weight into it. During your journey of discovery with Tai Chi you This transfer of weight is essential to improving will encounter many fundamentals and principles – your coordination and balance. This is a key don’t be overwhelmed! While there are many of component of the “step and punch” warm-up them, all break down into two key points in three exercise. categories. INTERNAL It’s often helpful before a practice session to think of one of these six key principles you wish to focus on. SONG – LOOSENING AND EXPANDING YOUR JOINTS OUTWARD MOVEMENT SLOW CONTINUOUS MOVEMENT Tai Chi Guy – Program Primer – taichi-guy.com 1 Song begins by relaxing, but not too much! Visualize expanding your joints from within. This is KEY TAI CHI TERMS a key part of all our warm-up exercises. Tai Chi or Tai Chi Literally “supreme ultimate fist JING – MENTAL QUIETNESS & Chuan or Taijiquan (boxing)”. SERENITY Qi (pronounced Energy or energy force. Not to Frequently called a “jing state” this is when your “CHEE”) be confused with Chi as in Tai mind becomes completely aware of your movements Chi. and has put you in a focused and serene Dan Tian Considered the center of our (pronounced “DON body in traditional Chinese environment. A “quiet mindfulness” is a good TEE-en”) medicine where Qi is generated description of this state. and stored. It is three finger widths below the navel and three finger widths inside your body. Qigong (pronounced Literally “energy cultivation”. “CHEE-gong”) Qigong is centuries older than Tai Chi and consists of deep breathing and movements to cultivate qi. While a part of all styles, Qigong is a central component of Sun-style Tai Chi. Chen-style Tai Chi The oldest and most martial form of Tai Chi - it has both slow and quick movements. Sun-style Tai Chi The newest form of Tai Chi (pronounced created by Sun LuT’ang - it has “SOON”) smooth, compact, and upright movements with a heavy emphasis on qigong. Tai Chi Guy – Program Primer – taichi-guy.com 4 WHAT ABOUT YOUTUBE? ONLINE RESOURCES Tai Chi is over a century old and qigong is centuries old. Over these many years, many different styles, TAICHI-GUY.COM methods, and practices have evolved, even within each other. Tai Chi as presented on YouTube Website for Guy Finley’s Tai Chi programs. The site definitely reflects this diverse culture. contains our class information, schedule and contact information. A joke we often tell: How many Tai Chi players does it take to change a light bulb? 100. One to change the light bulb and 99 to say, “that’s not how TAICHILAKEGENEVA.COM we do it in our school.” Website for Johnny Packard’s Tai Chi programs. These variances and differences are to be embraced Johnny is a partner, mentor, and friend of Guy’s and as they can provide a wide variety of pleasure, we frequently teach together. depth, and fun to your practice. We believe this variety stimulates the mind and spirit. TCHI.ORG However, when using any resource, it’s important to Non-profit institute that certifies instructors and consider your own health and safety. Not all maintains the curriculum for Dr. Paul Lam’s Tai Chi programs presented on YouTube or elsewhere are for Health Programs. designed the same way our program is where safety comes first. Also, it’s difficult to know the US.TAICHIPRODUCTIONS.COM qualifications of the person teaching. We encourage you to explore and learn wherever you feel comfortable, just always put your safety and health DVDs, books and other products from Dr. Paul Lam. first. ONLINETAICHICLASSES.COM Online subscription service for Dr. Paul Lam’s Tai Chi for Health programs, including many of the ones taught in our class. Like the DVDs, the online lessons are a good resource for helping your practice in-between in-person lessons. Tai Chi Guy – Program Primer – taichi-guy.com 5 WARM-UPS MOVEMENTS BASICS All movements are demonstrated in class as well as a video at taichi-guy.com. Every class begins with these same warm-ups and After the general warm-up there are two movements we encourage you to use them in your own practice. for each major joint from head to toe. The warm-ups are simple movements that are a great first thing to memorize. 1. General Warm-Up – Walk around clenching and releasing your fists (aka There is a growing body of research in conflict with “sprinkling qi”) to generally warm up. itself in relation to the benefits and types of 2. Neck #1 – With your feel shoulder-width stretching. While there are stretches in these warm- apart and your hands at your sides slowly ups they are predicated on three important raise your hands with the palms facing the principles: floor and breathe in. When they get to shoulder-height turn the palms over, so they 1. Wear loose, comfortable clothing. We face you and slowly bring them towards encourage the use of shoes with covered your face as you breathe out. Gently tuck toes. your chin in to straighten your posture and 2. If you are in pain or discomfort stop doing push your hands back out away from you as the movement. you breathe in again. Then lower your hands 3. Stay within your own limits and comfortable towards the floor with your gaze following range of motion. You may see instructors or your hands as you exhale and gently tuck other students practicing at a different range your chin towards your chest. Repeat two than you, stick to what’s right for you. more times. 3. Neck #2 – Bring your hands up slowly with All of our principles apply to our palms down as you did to start the last warm-ups as well, but special attention warm-up. Turn one palm over so that it should be paid to slow continuous faces you and lower the other palm, face down towards the floor at your hip. Follow movement. the palm that is facing you to the side to about 70% of your range of motion while keeping your hips facing the front. Then turn back to the other side and form an imaginary ball with both hands before turning the other palm over and following it to 70% of your range of motion. Repeat these two more times each side going a bit further each time while staying within your comfortable range of motion. 4. Shoulder #1 – With your palms facing your thighs gently roll your shoulders forward making very small circles with your hands Tai Chi Guy – Program Primer – taichi-guy.com 6 three times. Then roll your shoulders booth. Bring your leg back in as you inhale backwards, you can make the circles a bit and press your palms to the floor and switch bigger going backwards if you wish. the weight to your other side and step out. 5. Shoulder #2 – This warm up is called “qi Repeat two more times on each side. gathering”, soften the knees and hold the 9. Hip #2 – Starting in the same position, palms facing up around dan tian height. gently raise both arms up with the palms Trace a large circle as though gathering facing down as you inhale. As you lower energy in front of you while breathing in your arms and exhale put all your weight in deeply. Only raise the hands to chin height one leg and bring the other leg to a and then press them palms down toward dan comfortable distance in front of you and tian as you exhale. Repeat two more times. place your heel down, unweighted, with 6. Spine #1 – Form a large imaginary beach your palms facing behind you. Inhale as you ball in front of you with one hand over the bring your arms back up again and the foot other and the palms facing each other. Press even with your weighted foot, feel free to the top hand to the floor with the palm stop in the middle for balance. Continue continuing to press down and the bottom raising your arms until they are shoulder- hand toward the sky or ceiling with the palm height with your palms facing down. As facing up as you exhale.
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