Back to Basics: Questions to Ask Yourself

The New Year is a great time to take a fresh look at the basic principles of T’ai Chi Chih (TCC) and how we are, or are not, applying them. As we practice over time, we tend to forget — especially as we get older. Justin Stone emphasized that it is more important how we move than what we move when it comes to facilitating the flow of Chi.

I invite you, as I have my ongoing students, to become more aware of how you move. Do you flow from the center (tan t’ien) with softness and continuity? Do you focus in the soles of the feet or tan t’ien and shift the weight properly? Are you aware of circularity in the hand and wrist movements, and polarity between the palms?

You might observe yourself in a full-length mirror or record a video of yourself doing a TCC practice. That’s easy to do on a cell phone to watch it afterward. Either will give you visual feedback on how you are actually moving and reveal how you could move more effectively. You may be surprised at what you see.

Softness and continuity are the essence of TCC, so that’s a good place to begin. Does your body appear relaxed as though swimming effortlessly through heavy air? Are your movements soft, smooth, and continuous, at a slow and even pace? Are your hands softly rounded with fingers loosely spread apart?

Is there a sense of flowing from the center so that the arms are in sync with the weight shift? Are you bending the knees, yinning and yanging, shifting the weight to a bent knee slowly and steadily? Is your spine upright or are you leaning? Are your palms really facing each other where there is polarity?

It won’t be obvious in the mirror or video where your mind is focused. Are you allowing the mind to “fast” from thinking? When you notice that thoughts arise, do you let them go and return to your focus in the soles of the feet or tan t’ien?

You might also get feedback on how you are moving from a TCC teacher. This is a great time to join a class and/or do a TCC Intensive, where we immerse ourselves in TCC practice, exploring how we are moving and going deeper. Have fun upgrading how you move.