T’ai Chi Exercises

• T’ai Chi position: feet shoulder width apart, toes forward, shoulders rolled back and down, knees and elbows flexed.
• With eyes closed, place thumb on belly button.
• Inhale through nose down to belly, then exhale slowly through mouth.
• Hold for several minutes while breathing slowly.

• T’ai Chi position, back straight, knees flexed, reach down to calves, move hands up outer thighs, sides of torso, chest, front of head, back of head and neck.
• Cross hands on chest.
• Extend left arm, palm down.
• Right hand rubs from left shoulder down to fingers, then rub bottom of left arm.
• When hand reaches left elbow, the left arm crosses to right shoulder.
• Extend right arm and repeat.
• Then cross arms on chest and repeat exercise two more times.
• We are lightly rubbing energy into our bodies.

• T’ai Chi position, then shift weight to left.
• Raise right foot and rotate ankle 10 times, then reverse direction.
• Right foot down, shift weight to right, then repeat with left ankle.

• T’ai Chi position.
• With hands at chest level and fingers together, rotate wrists out and down and up inside arms 15 times.
• Reverse direction and repeat.

• T’ai Chi position.
• Hands close together in front of chest.
• Swing elbows back, up, forward, and down in a large circle 10 times.
• Reverse direction and repeat.

• T’ai Chi position.
• Hands in front of chest with fingers spread wide.
• Bring one finger at a time toward palm, starting with pinkies, ending with thumbs.
• Then open fist, one finger at a time, starting with pinkies.
• Repeat 15 times.

• T’ai Chi position.
• Drop chin and rotate head in a semi-circle; don’t roll backwards.
• Repeat slowly 4 times, then reverse and rotate 4 more times

Note: This is a gentle stretching of the back of the neck only; the chin should not be lifted above normal (avoiding cervical spine dorsal compression because it may be dangerous to some of our senior students.)

• Left foot sideways, right foot perpendicular, heels together.
• Slide right foot forward.
• Hands in front of chest.
• With back vertical, circle hands up as you inhale with weight in left, then exhale out and down, as weight goes into right and right knee flexes.
• Repeat 10 times, then repeat exercise with left foot forward.

• In same position as Prayer Wheel, knees flexed, roll T’ai Chi ball down right leg while exhaling.
• Inhale while lifting ball up over head.
• Repeat 10 times, then repeat exercise with left foot forward.

• T’ai Chi position, right hand blade hand (fingers together).
• Reach out and up, make t’ai chi fist one finger at a time, pick fruit and pull it down. Inhale up, exhale down.
• Move eyes to watch hands without moving head.
• Alternate right/left, repeat 16 times.

• T’ai Chi position, then shift weight to left.
• With upper body loose, turn from waist to right.
• Shift weight to right and turn left.
• Repeat 15 times.

• T’ai Chi position.
• Bend knees and swing arms back while straightening knees, then bend knees and swing arms forward and up while straightening knees.
• Inhale up, exhale down.
• Repeat 15 times.

Note: experienced practitioners may include a couple of Spread The Chi drops during this exercise.

• Feet together, weightless hands on knees while slowly circling hips.
• Pull in abdominal muscles while slowly exhaling.
• Repeat 15 times, then reverse direction and repeat 15 times more.
• Then move feet apart, hands on knees, and slowly circle knees.
• Repeat 15 times in each direction.

• Feet two shoulder widths apart, toes forward, knees flexed.
• Bend forward and circle hands, palms down, as body weight shifts left to right.
• Repeat 10 times, then reverse direction of hands and repeat 10 times.

• T’ai Chi position.
• From a slight squat, with palms facing out in front of your chest, circle hands in front of you, rising as hands rise.
• Inhale up, exhale down.
• Repeat 10 times, then reverse direction and repeat 10 more times.

• T’ai Chi position with feet slightly farther apart.
• Inhale, as arms rise to the sides and overhead.
• Dip down, make eagle’s beak (fingers wrapped around thumbs) with right hand.
• Raise beak overhead with left hand palm up below beak while inhaling and shifting weight to right foot, right knee flexed.
• Separate hands, as left arm floats down near left leg, right arm with beak above shoulder height.
• Release the beak, then dip down and repeat with beak and weight on left.
• Repeat 10 times.

• T’ai Chi position.
• Rotate hips in a slow hula-hoop motion, pulling in abdominal muscles as you exhale.
• Repeat 15 times, then reverse and repeat 15 times.

• T’ai Chi position.
• Shift weight to left.
• Roll up onto right toes.
• Bend left knee and dip, then rise, without locking knee. Inhale rising, exhale descending.
• Repeat 15 times, then change: right heel down, up on left toes. Repeat 15 times.

Note: as your leg strength improves over time the ball of the foot carries less weight and in time may only be used as a balancing aid.

• T’ai Chi position.
• Swing arms to the sides and up over head.
• Dip knees as arms come back down and straighten knees as arms rise again.
• Repeat 15 times.

• Right foot in front of left.
• Flex knees.
• Turn head to right, then center, then left, and back to center.
• Left foot in front.
• Flex knees.
• Turn head to left, then center, then right, and back to center.

Note: when balancing becomes very easy do it with your eyes closed.

• T’ai Chi position.
• Shift weight to left foot.
• Swing right foot (just clearing ground) alongside the left and out in an arc, setting it down heel to toe; shift weight to right foot and repeat 15 times.
• Then turn and repeat 15 times walking in the opposite direction.

• T’ai Chi position.
• Shift weight to left foot.
• Raise right knee; open 90° to the right, then step heel to toe.
• Repeat with left for a total of 15 steps.
• Turn, then repeat 15 times in opposite direction.

• T’ai Chi position.
• Inhale as arms float out and up to above the head like a bird flying.
• Exhale slowly as they float back down.
• Repeat twice.
• Then go forward with right foot: as arms rise, lift right knee and move foot forward, setting it down toe to heel while slowly exhaling.
• Then go forward with left for a total of 15 steps; then take 15 steps backward setting foot down toe to heel.

• T’ai Chi position with feet slightly farther apart.
• Keep feet forward and firmly planted.
• Weight into left.
• Turn head, then shoulders, then waist to right, then advance weight over right.
• Turn left, then advance left.
• Repeat 6 times.
• Now retreat: weight into right, then turn (retreat).
• Weight into left, then turn.
• Repeat 6 times.

• T’ai Chi position with feet slightly farther apart.
• Left palm down at waist, right hand blade hand.
• Sweep right hand across chest.
• Leading with right elbow, with palm facing body at face height, sweep right.
• On the right side, change arms and sweep left elbow left.
• Repeat 10 times.

• Same position as Cloud Hands.
• Right arm extended, palm up, on right side, just above waist height; left hand, palm down, at waist.
• Slice 180° with right while exhaling, then change hands and slice with left.
• Repeat 10 times.

• T’ai Chi position.
• Inhale as arms pull air towards chest.
• Exhale and push, palms out, forward. Inhale, pull air towards chest.
• Exhale and push, palms out, upwards.
• Inhale, pull air towards chest.
• Exhale and push, palms out, to the sides.
• Inhale, pull air towards chest.
• Exhale and push down.
• Repeat two more times.

• T’ai Chi position.
• Arms float up to just below shoulder height, palms facing body, thumbs tucked down.
• Close eyes and breathe slowly and deeply.
• Hold for several minutes.

Note: this stance is the fully developed in the practice of Yiquan.