Tai Chi Demo

Relieve Stress and Ignite Your Creativity With This Step-by-Step Lesson

These are the steps to follow for Izolda Trakhtenberg’s Introduction to Tai Chi workshop. This will take you through the first few postures of the Yang style long form. Please do the warm up before you begin to play Tai Chi. Wear loose, comfortable clothing. Keep your feet bare if you are indoors. Remember to listen to your body and do nothing that hurts.

Stand with feet together. Weight is evenly distributed between each foot and between the front and back of each foot. Keep your shoulders relaxed. Your palms are down and face behind you. Imagine that there is a ping-pong ball in each armpit and let your arms move slightly out and away from your body. Deepen and soften your breathing. Imagine your breath moving down into your Dan Tien (Sea of Energy). As you breathe, feel energy from the earth below come up through your feet, up your legs and let it rest in your Dan Tien (the spot about two inches below your bellybutton). Soon you will feel a slight tingling in your fingertips. That is the generation of Chi. You are now ready to begin.

  1. [Inhale] Slowly, gently shift your weight over to your right foot.
    1. Bend your right knee as the heel of your left foot rises.
    2. Lift your foot off the ground and begin to place your left big toe shoulder-width apart directly to the side.
  2. [Exhale] As your toe touches the ground, begin to shift weight slightly and allow the ball of your foot and then the heel of your feet to connect with the ground.
    1. Finish the exhalation as you shift your weight to the center between your feet.
  3. [Inhale] Slowly begin to straighten your knees.
    1. Simultaneously, lift your arms up from the shoulder sockets until they are even with your chest.
  4. [Exhale] Begin to bend your knees as you lower your arms back down.
  5. [Inhale] Allow your hands to come fully down and then have them begin to circle to the outside as you shift your weight to the left foot.
    1. Allow the toes of the right foot to raise and with a straight leg, pivot on the heel to a 45 degree angle.
    2. Now shift your weight to the right foot as the right arm circles up to the palm (with palm facing down) and left arm circles down (with palm facing up).
    3. Hold the ball with your two hands while you bring your left foot in towards your right. (Right gwa is closed.)
  6. [Exhale] As you exhale, extend your left foot to approximately shoulder width apart and set the heel down first.
    1. Shift weight from your right foot to your left. Bend your left knee as you straighten the right knee (never bend to more than a perpendicular calf). (Left gwa is closed.)
    2. Simultaneously, “ward off” by bringing your left hand up to chest level (palm facing you) and your right hand to hip level (palm facing down).
  7. [Inhale] Begin to shift your weight back toward your right foot as you lift the toe of your left foot off the ground.
    1. With a straight leg, pivot on the heel of your left foot to a 45 degree angle.
    2. Simultaneously, begin to bring your hands into “Hold the ball” by scooping the energy with your right hand. Left hand stays on top and right hand on bottom (palms facing each other).
    3. Shift your weight fully to the left foot and bring the right foot in towards your left foot. (Left gwa is closed.)
  8. [Exhale] As you exhale, extend your right foot to approximately shoulder width apart and set the heel down first.
    1. Shift weight from your left foot to your right. Bend your right knee as you straighten the left knee. (Right gwa is closed.)
    2. Simultaneously, “ward off” by bringing your right hand up to chest level (palm facing you) and your left hand to hip level (palm facing down).
  9. [Inhale] As you inhale, allow your upper body to twist to the right slightly past the ward off motion.
    1. Let your hands come up and as if you are in water, allow them to float as you shift your right palm to face down and simultaneously shift your left palm to face up.
    2. Gently grab imaginary silk and bring it to your left hip as you shift your weight back to your left side. (Your left gwa closes as your right gwa opens.)
    3. Lift your right toes and you allow your right foot to pivot to the left and the toes of both feet face the same direction for an instant.
    4. Bring the left arm in a big circle behind you as the right arm gently waits for it.
  10. [Exhale] Allow the left palm to touch the inside of the right wrist as you begin to shift your weight forward for a push.
    1. The right toes now face 90° again as you complete the shift forward. The right knee is bent and the calf stays perpendicular to the ground. (Right gwa is closed.)
  11. [Inhale] Draw the left palm hand over the back of the right hand so that the arms are directly in front of you and shoulder height with fingers pointing down.
    1. Shift your weight back to the left (close the left gwa and open the right) as you bring your hands back up and over the ball.
    2. Your toes lift and the right foot pivots to the left to 45°.
  12. [Exhale] Switch your hands so that the palms now face forward as you push shift your weight forward coming back to rest with the right gwa closed and the right calf perpendicular to the ground.