tai chi exercises
Look Before you Leap
We thought it might help you get an idea of what tai chi exercises are all about if we showed you a typical lesson with some tai chi Photos to give you an idea of the range of movements involved.
We're just giving a quick overview here - the actual tai chi instructions are much more detailed to help you understand what you need to do.
Most tai chi exercise sessions will start with some kind of warm up exercises - often these are Qi Gong exercises and have very pretty names. We usually start with:
Awaken the Chi
taiji warm up photo: Awaken the Chi
In this qigong exercise, Bridge over Water , you are moving your arms in a big circle - as though you were tracing your way around a large steering wheel while gently raising and lowering the body.
Bridge over water
qigong exercise photo:
You can't see it clearly but in Wild Goose Looks for Food as the hands arc up then back down they are being gently shaken, like the fluttering of a bird's wing. This tai chi exercise is great for loosening all the arm joints and get the qi circulating.
Wild goose looks for food
qigong exercise photo:
Once the warm ups are over you will move on to tai chi forms or longer qigong patterns. This example comes from the 18 move ShiBaShi pattern
Rolling the Arms
Qi Qong Photo:
Most tai chi exercise sessions finish with some cooling down moves.
We do some great ones called 'Stomping on the Tigers Tail' and 'Three claps of Thunder'. And finally we end with
Quietening the Chi
qigong exercise photo:
And after that we go for coffee and a chat.