The Tai Chi Healthways Discussion Board

phamminhthat · Joined: 24 Mar 2008 Posts: 7

Q: as a beginner in taiji I often spend much effort focussing on postures, alignment and round movements. But after finishing the form I feel tensed and not relakse at all as I thought it shuold be when doing taiji.

Am I doing it wrong?

as a beginner i exsperience many things while doing taiji, but i don't know what feeling I shuold continue following and what to stop.

What is the feeling of doing right taiji and the feeling of doing wrong taiji?

Isabelle · Joined: 10 Jan 2008 Posts: 24

phamminhthat wrote:

Q: as a beginner in taiji I often spend much effort focussing on postures, alignment and round movements. But after finishing the form I feel tensed and not relakse at all as I thought it shuold be when doing taiji.

Do you feel tensed when you follow a class and concentrate on the postures your teacher is showing you, or when you are trying to follow and correct your postures?
Or
Do you feel tensed when you are practicing alone?

I think that if you focus on getting the move right and watch your teacher like a "hawk" to "get the move", like we all do Wink

it is quite normal that you feel not relax - as you put it. Try and let go and ride the energy wave you may feel with the taiji colleagues and teacher.

ALone and in class, focus on your shoulders, if you feel they are up and tensed, relax them. Keep your shoulders down and rounded and feel that you are like an energy ball floating on the ocean waves.

phamminhthat wrote:

as a beginner i experience many things while doing taiji, but i don't know what feeling I shuold continue following and what to stop.

What is the feeling of doing right taiji and the feeling of doing wrong taiji?

I would say happier and energized. Leaving the class with a big smile on your face Smile

--isabelle

alain · Joined: 02 Jan 2008 Posts: 65 Location: San Diego, CA

phamminhthat wrote:

What is the feeling of doing right taiji and the feeling of doing wrong taiji?

Hard question! It's a bit like: what is the feeling of doing right piano or doing wrong piano?

If you were learning the piano, you would not expect to play perfectly hard pieces in a month. First, you learn the fingering for right hand, then left hand, then you learn how to play them together. First slowly, then faster, then more complex pieces, .... After a few years, you can play the same pieces with much less effort.

Taiji can be a bit overwhelming in the beginning. Take it easy! Smile

Each time you do the form, concentrate on one single thing at a time. One time the shoulders, one time the footwork, another time relaxing the kua, another time the breathing, etc. After a few months, it should start feeling a bit easier. Little by little, you will see other details in the form, and you will work to incorporate them in your form.

Taiji is an effective martial art, but the martial training happens as we work on the HEALTH part. Relaxing is most important, and as Isabelle said, the best feeling of doing Taiji right is when you feel happy and in a good mood after a class or practising the form.

Oh, that piano analogy reminds me of something Franz Listz (I think) said about learning piano: the muscle memory builds faster when we go slow.

One more thing: in Taiji, the upper body and the kua are relaxed, but the legs will get sore, even in a high posture.

Hope that helps. Tell us how it goes!

phamminhthat · Joined: 24 Mar 2008 Posts: 7

Do you feel tensed when you are practicing alone?

ALone and in class, focus on your shoulders, if you feel they are up and tensed, relax them. Keep your shoulders down and rounded and feel that you are like an energy ball floating on the ocean waves.

happier and energized. Leaving the class with a big smile on your face Smile

--isabelle[/quote]

I feel exspecially tensed following the teacher because he does to fast, and eventhough i know the sequence there is no time to focussing on relaksation.

the comment about the shoulders and the SMILE is great I will follow these advice Smile

phamminhthat · Joined: 24 Mar 2008 Posts: 7

alain:

thank you for youradvise, I will follow your advise about focussing on one thing at a time and try not to expect myself to be able to do everything right at the first time Smile

.

andrey · Joined: 02 Jan 2008 Posts: 230

During last seminar Chen Zhenglei said that sometimes we feel good after taijiquan practice sometimes not - it's all normal Smile

So my guess is don't expect to feel good every time you practice it:)