10 Tai Chi Tips

Here are 10 basic tips which should help you to get more from your training.

Take your time to consider them and try to apply them to your regular practice sessions.

1.  Develop a deeper sense of your body and increase your awareness of any held tensions.

2.  Work to understand the foot placement first, your connection to the ground provides your basis for balance, structure and stability.

3.  Spend time doing basic stepping exercises, maintaining a low centre of gravity without dropping your body height.

4.  Try to relax your fingers, hands and arms throughout your practice.

5.  Work gradually, posture by posture until you integrate each movement into your bodymind. By working this way you will find it easier to learn subsequent postures and transitions.

6.  Regularly check out if your breath is centred in your lower abdomen.

7.  Tune into your breath and how you are standing in a regular basis, even when you’re not practicing tai chi!

8.  Pay attention to moments of imbalance or instability and repeat the transitions until you feel more comfortable and stable.

9.  Focus on your movements coming from the waist and try to allow all of the body to move as one unit.

10. Stay relaxed and enjoy your practice, and, even if it is only for a few minutes per day, try to do it regularly.