|
Healthy Living...
|
||||||||||||
Tai Chi for the Living Room
If you've ever been curious to learn more about the unique benefits of Tai Chi, you can experience it for yourself NOW.
Classes are taught Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:30pm to 7:30pm, in Kannapolis, NC.
Tai Chi for the Living Room - Level 1
 | Grounding |
| Posture and Alignment |
| Breathing and Stress |
| The Power of Intent |
| Releasing Resistance and Allowing Change |
| Qigong for Energy and Health |
| Yin and Yang Shifting |
| Circle Hands |
| The Tai Chi for the Living Room Form |
Shift
and Spin (Side to Side)
All unity movement comes from the earth, is distributed through the legs, directed by the waist and expressed in the hands. Shifting the weight and turning the waist is the most fundamental movement of all Tai Chi forms. This exercise prepares us for all movement where total unity of the body is required.
Stand with the feet about one and one-half the width of your shoulders. Both feet should be pointed straight ahead. Sink down, bending both knees. Begin to twist the waist 45 degrees to the left and 45 degrees to the right in a soft, consistent rhythm. Slowly begin to shift your weight to the left foot as you turn to the left and shift your weight to the right foot as you turn to the right.
Allow the arms to hang freely as you shift and spin. Relaxing the shoulders completely will allow the arms to spin around the body in such a way that the hands will touch your body.
Shift the weight by softly letting go of the tension in the leg of the direction you wish to shift and turn into. If you are shifting to the left, relax the left leg. This allows gravity to pull you to the left, rather than you pushing yourself to the left with your right leg.
Continue this practice to both sides. Make sure the head is not moving up and down during the practice and that your feet remain flat to the floor and pointed directly to the front.
Shift
and Spin (Front to Back)
Following the same procedure as shift and spin side to side, stand in a forward position with 70 % of your weight on the forward foot. The feet should be about the width of your hips; front foot pointed straight to the front and the back foot turned out 45 degrees.
Turning 90 Degrees
Turning 180 Degrees
Tai Chi for the Living Room Form Pattern (shift and spin)
|
 |
Five Element Chart for Tai Chi for the Living Room
|
Phase/Element |
Metal |
Water |
Wood |
Fire |
Earth |
|
Organ |
Lungs |
Kidneys |
Liver |
Heart |
Spleen |
|
Color |
Bright shiny white |
Royal
blue/black |
Soft green |
Bright red |
Bright yellow |
|
Distorted Emotion |
Sadness Depression |
Fear |
Anger |
Cruelty, Impatience,
Hate |
Worry,
Anxiety |
|
Yin Balanced
Emotion |
Courage,
Righteousness |
Gentleness,
Alertness |
Kindness |
Love, Respect,
Patience |
Fairness, Openness |
|
Yang Balanced
Emotion |
Strength,
Substantiality |
Ambition,
Willpower |
Control,
Decisiveness |
Warmth, Vitality |
Ability to be
present, balanced, centered |
|
Direction |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Center - Earth |
|
Animal |
White Tiger |
Blue/Black
Deer or Turtle |
Green Dragon |
Red Chinese Pheasant |
Golden Phoenix |
|
Planet |
White Snow - Venus |
Blue
Snow - Mercury |
Green Snow - Jupiter |
Red Snow - Mars |
Yellow Snow - Saturn |
|
Related Sense |
Nose - Smelling |
Ears
- Hearing |
Eyes - Seeing |
Tongue - Tasting |
Mouth - Touching |
|
Active Time |
LU=3a.m - 5a.m.
CO=5a.m. - 7a.m. |
KD=5p.m.
- 7p.m. BL3p.m. - 5p.m. |
LV=1a.m. - 3 a.m.
GB=11p.m. - 1a.m |
HT=11a.m. - 1p.m SI=1p.m.
- 3p.m. |
SP=9a.m. - 11a.m.
ST=7a.m. - 9a.m. |
|
Active Season |
Fall |
Winter |
Spring |
Summer |
Indian
Summer |
|
Energetic
Movement |
Contracting,
Sinking, Letting go |
Gathering,
Absorbing, Nurturing |
Generating, Rising,
Expanding |
Prospering,
Radiating, Dispersing |
Stabilizing,
Grounding, Centering |
|
Body Parts |
Skin |
Bones |
Ligaments &
Tendons |
Blood Vessels |
Muscle |
| Water North Kidneys Part the Wild Horses Mane |
||
| Metal West Lungs Brush Knee Twist Step |
Earth Center Spleen Lady Carries the Shuttle |
Wood East Liver Golden Roster Stands on One Leg |
| Fire South Heart Circle Hands |
Summary of Practicing Tai Chi for the Living Room™
Here
is a sample routine to enjoy each day:
·
Bounce for 5 to
10 minutes.
·
Grounding for 3
minutes.
(When
this feels comfortable, increase to 10 minutes or more.)
·
Tree Standing
Qigong
Hold “Hugging the
Tree” position for five minutes.
Gradually
increase the amount of time as the weeks pass. The goal after a few months
should be to hold the “hugging the tree” position for 20 minutes.
·
Shift and Spin
for 3 to 5 minutes
·
Tai Chi for the
Living Room™ form for 4 to 20 minutes.
Video - Tai Chi for the Living Room
Video - Having Fun with Tai Chi for the Living Room