Tai Chi for Health, Stability & Strength
We have been giving certain amount Kidney Qi when we were born, if we use it carefully, and know how to generate life Qi ourselves then we will be able to live a happier, healthier and longer life.
To live long a lot to do with our legs, for our kidney is linked to our legs immediately. You know babies kick their legs, toddlers run a lot, when we become adult we walk, when we get older, we like sit down a lot, maybe complain the legs are weak. Meaning our kidney Qi is weak which affect our legs. We can do the reverse back exercises by using our legs scientifically, or how they were designed to use, not only we will gain strength, we will feel healthier overall, for Kidney is our centre, it is our LD.
Tai Chi Feet Art
Our ankle has no force, naturally landing, if our legs are sticks, we try to have them stand on them own, don’t the straighter the sticks are the longer they can stand? Which is how we should apply our legs, flat our feet on the ground and naturally place our legs on top our feet.
We should feel our heels hold more body weight, 60%. Imagine your heels grow roots into the ground or release some wasted Qi into the ground, it will give you extra balance.
Our whole feet is spreading on the ground even our toes.
You can actually feel Yong Quan Point has the concentrated power.
Feeling or imagine there are roots grow under feet a metre deep or ocean deep.
Using the Qi under the ground to fight, let it pass through the body into the part where you choose to use for fight, hips, waist, then hands or feet, or facial or voice, let the heaven earth Qi pass through you freely.
From head to toes or toes to head relax deeply together, then expanding it and deepening it, feeling the whole body is drooping. Like the earth is holding us and sending us Qi.
Try to find the soft landing with each step in a very relaxed manner and gently transform the the body weight onto one leg and other.
Tai Chi Walk
Your knees are slightly bend/soft. Knees, body and the toes are facing the same direction. Waist sits on the hips. upper body is straight. Chest hold in slightly and back lift up, drop down the shoulders and elbows.
Using the spine when fighting, chin is tacked in, loose/relax the waist and tighten the abdomen, pick/lift up the anus. Try to relax the buttocks and waist muscles, gently stretch the gluteal muscles outward and downward, and then gently converge forward and inward, just like the buttocks wrap the pelvis, and like the buttocks hold up the lower abdomen. Turn the tailbone forward.
Keeping the joints open, muscles relaxed, and using the mind leads the body.
Your whole front body is Yin which should in rest and your back is Yang which should at work, meaning bending our front slightly such as: chest pit, armpits, and thigh pits, putting them in the relax mode and pushing and stretching the back a little, like the waist, put it in the watchful mode for the front.
Strengthening One Leg Using Golden Rooster stands
We swop our legs for walk, each leg needs to have the ability to hold our body weight, if we can place our body weight on one leg long enough, steady enough not only we won’t have to worry of falling, we also can use one leg kick or hop, which will give us peace of mind we are strong and healthy. What exercise can train us this?
It is one of the most challenging stances in Tai Chi practice. Its key skill is deeply relax:
A person cannot stand still steady is because the body somewhere has not yet loosing up as deeply and completely.
If we use too much our heels we would fall forward, and if we use our toes too much we would fall backward.
Keep practising the Golden Rooster stands on one leg, you will find Qi wakes inside you coming out to help you and you will feel more alive and awake, remember focus your inner feelings more than outside form. Keep going back to your LD for it is the core, keep making connection with it, to give it more Qi and to have it nourishes the whole body. Go back to the Tai Chi Leg Art if you need help.
No pressure, enjoy and have fun.