Practicing and Teaching Seated

Chi

follows 

awareness

it’s not instant

take the time

be with

it

In our busy society, it’s often hard to really feel our bodies. We know tension blocks Chi, but we unconsciously hold tension — physically, mentally, and emotionally. I’ve been discovering how much of my tension resides in my head and jaw from efforting my way through life. “Trying to relax” is tricky because the trying itself causes tension elsewhere. What to do? Practice, gently, without holding on. If that tension is part of a body pattern that we rely on to hold ourselves up, sometimes this requires sitting or even lying down.

Seated T’ai Chi Chih (TCC) can be a wonderful way to relax and feel. The seated form amplifies awareness of the tan t’ien and the feet. All the principles are there. Paradoxically, seated TCC may feel both more powerful energetically but more internal than standing. Less is more.

I began discovering the power of seated TCC when I had a health issue in 2015, and I was blown away by the results. It was and is very stabilizing for my nervous system. I remember a park practice that I did in a gravity chair, which gave me additional physical stability for days. Now, I know that there is beauty and power in the seated practice even when it is not “needed.”

Have you done your practice seated recently? Did it feel easy or hard? If it felt hard, you might be thinking too much or trying to make it be a certain way. It’s much more important that people are relaxed and comfortable than doing it “correctly.” I want them to learn the feeling of letting go for themselves — rather than just copying what they think I’m doing and saying.

Many teachers introduce movements seated for the first time. Before learning the hands, though, it’s critical to establish soft seated weight shifts. We flow from the center without leaning. The tan t’ien rolls with the weight shift, but without overextending the spine, which remains generally upright. Anything that causes gripping (especially in the core) promotes more tension and pain. I feel the tan t’ien expand and begin a very subtle wave of expansion up the torso and out through the hands. You may feel it differently. It’s helpful to feel not just the feet but the four points of your butt, as Carmen puts it.

TCC should never create or worsen pain, and if it does, we modify; that applies to seated. We don’t use effort to make the movements. I encourage my students to sit or stand as they feel called to throughout the practice, and to adapt as needed. As Sandy reminds us on her DVD (a great resource for teachers and students at all levels), students don’t need to do all the repetitions that the teacher does; they can sit quietly and watch any time they get tired or tense.

Try it now. Sitting tall and relaxed, feel the tan t’ien subtly roll on the sitz bones gently without leaning, overextending, or collapsing the back. If you find discomfort building, that’s a signal that you need to adjust. Feel your feet and your center.

The arm movements should feel supported by the tan t’ien. When seated, we may need to do less with the arms — or even drop them for some of the movements. Normally we sit halfway forward on the seat to free the pelvis for the weight shift. But I tell students that if their back or shoulders get tired, they can move to the back in their chair and make their movements smaller so they can relax their core. I adjust my seat throughout the practice as needed, finding a strong, supple feeling. Ideally, we choose a chair that has no arms and comfortably allows our feet to rest on the floor. But adapt as best you can and follow the movement mentally when the hands are impeded.

For those teaching seated TCC, bring students’ awareness to the feeling of gentle easy flow, relaxing, and feeling the lower body. Since Chi and thought are reciprocal, trying harder will cause tension. Teachers, you never know when you will need to teach someone seated. If you share this powerful practice from your own felt understanding, even if it’s not perfect, your students will pick it up quickly and find it for themselves. If you want to go deeper, also watch and explore Carmen’s video from the 2024 conference. It was a powerful presentation, though I don’t go into that depth with newer students; keep it simple and easy to start.