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Tai Chi Qigong is the art of effortless power
this exercise program has been used for thousands of years in China and
Continues to benefit millions of people all over the world today
Tai Chi mirrors the movements of nature and is the dance between mankind and the universe that surrounds us
Like the clouds moving across the sky in a gentle breeze the motion of Tai Chi is slow and rhythmic
The movement of Tai Chi is fluid and flowing like that of water
Tuning in to the fact that the soft overcomes the hard and the yielding conquers the rigid
These gentle movements generate internal energy a warm glow like the Sun
permeating into all aspects of our lives
Tai Chi Qigong is a unique exercise workout developing strength suppleness energy
balance and clarity
Not only will the body get a vigorous external workout, but Tai Chi Qigong also generates internal energy for health
awareness and tranquility
This exercise program develops balance in the body mind and spirit through its integrative principles
emphasizing a slow balanced rhythm
relaxation breath control and internal power
Tai Chi is meditation in movement
This exercise program imparts great health benefits
enhanced range of motion and flexibility
improved metabolism
emotional balance and tranquility
accelerated healing of ailments
Living in harmony with the cycles of nature Tai Chi Qigong strives to achieve unity in all apparent opposites
finding stillness in activity
light in darkness and peace
in a high-paced society
The five principles of Tai Chi Qigong are relaxation
centeredness
awareness
energy and enjoyment
Relaxation is about using our internal energy wisely
Like walking around flexing our muscles all day
Holding tension takes up lots of energy
The more you are able to relax the more energy you free up for your body
Relaxation frees up energy for health, fitness or anything else you might want in life
In Tai Chi you want to get in touch with the center of your body
the storehouse of your power and energy
This center is located about three inches below the navel
Staying connected to our center allows us to move with unity and power
While doing Tai Chi be aware of how your body moves through space
Stay connected to the present moment by observing the dynamics of your body
Life takes place in the present moment
When we tune into the present we tap into the source of energy surrounding us
Energy or qi as they call it in Chinese is our life force
One of the goals in Tai Chi is to generate and cultivate more energy
more aliveness in our bodies, minds and spirits
The goal of Tai Chi is to create positive energy
a process of feeling better and better within ourselves
It's about smiling and having fun
Use this workout whenever you need more relaxation, more energy, more strength and more enjoyment out of life
Hello, I'm Lee Holden and welcome to Tai Chi Qigong for Fitness
Tai Chi Qigong is used all over the world for health and vitality
Today's workout will include warm-ups to bring heat into the body
stretches for flexibility and strength
and flowing movements to get the meridians open and to bring energy into the body
So let's begin
Let's step out, shoulder width apart and bring both hands over the abdomen
inhaling and exhaling through the nose
Feel the breath sink all the way down into the abdomen
expanding on the inhale and relaxing back to the spine on the exhale
Full deep breathing
Breathing is a great way to start the Tai Chi exercises
as it directly reflects how you feel
You breathe deeply into the body, automatically release tension and stress
and energize the whole system
Go ahead and close your eyes, relax the chest
and feel the breath sink all the way down into the lower abdomen
You want to keep this breathing through the whole sequence of movements
Relax the hands down to the side
We'll do the first exercise called knocking on the door of life
Turn, look over the shoulder
Lightly knock across the low back and across the abdomen
Let the arms be nice and loose and relaxed
Turning from the center of the body
Turn, look over the shoulder at the opposite heel
Get a nice stretch all the way up through the neck and shoulders
Let the movement unwind all by itself
We'll take a wider stance
We'll do the same exercise, this time shifting the weight to the left
Knock across the low back and across the abdomen
Still turning, looking over the shoulder and moving from the center of the body
It's a great way to warm up the legs, loosen the hips and open the entire spine
Keep the breath flowing
Gradually unwind
Walk the feet in slightly
Hang forward, just relax
This is called the pendulum, we're going to turn, look up at the upper arm
This is a great way to loosen all the joints in the upper back, neck and shoulders
Just let gravity bring the arms down
Breathing deeply
Gently relax, let the head hang forward
Relax the shoulders and stretch
Let the head hang forward, relax the shoulders and stretch
Bend the knees and we'll roll up one vertebra at a time
Coming all the way up through the neck and shoulders
And begin the movement called the wave
Rolling up from the spine, all the way up
Extend the chin
Bend the knees, rolling up from the tailbone all the way up through the neck and shoulders
Just like a wave rising out of the ocean
And gently falling back into the ocean
Feel the spine fluid and flexible
Flowing movements
Synchronize the breath with the movement by inhaling up
And exhaling forward
Feel the spine loosening
Good, and return to the center
And relax
Spinal cord breathing, we're going to inhale, expand the chest
Open the back and tuck the tailbone under, rolling forward
Inhale, lifting the top of the head lifts and the chin tucks under
And then we release by rolling the back forward and squeezing the muscles along the spine
Opening and enlivening the back
Inhale, expand, lifting the top of the head, stretching the back of the neck
Exhale, rolling forward, enlivening the spine
One more time
Stretch, coming back to the center
Bring the feet in just slightly
And let's shake the whole body loose, opening all the joints
Bring the weight back onto the heels and begin shaking
Feel the hands relax, the wrists, the elbows, all the way up into the shoulders
And start to work and shake loose the entire spine
We'll take a nice deep breath in
Exhaling with a long sigh
Just letting go of any stress or tension in the body
Exhale
Releasing tension always frees up energy for healing or whatever we need
One more deep breath
Slowly relax, go ahead and feel the hands, feel the arms and the legs
Bring the hands back to the abdomen and again, breathing deeply
These next exercises are stretches focusing on releasing lines of tension
The first one, releasing lines of tension that run right through the neck and the shoulders
So what we're going to do is bring the palms behind the back, pressing them together
And then we're going to roll the head in a slow circle
Stretching, releasing the lines of tension in the neck
Nice and easy
Focus in on your breathing and exhaling all the way out
Really feel the neck and shoulders lengthening
Circle the head the other way, stretch
Really focus in on the exhale and releasing any tension or tightness in the neck and shoulders
Great and relax, hands come down, this is called white crane washes its wings
And you're going to have the palms face out and the hands are going to spiral in and the thumbs turn over
Thumbs turn over and you lift the head, press the shoulders down
Palms face out, spiral the fingers in and extend pressing down
Good, continue to focus on your breathing and let the movement be flowing
Press down with the shoulders, lift the head
You should feel that line of tension releasing from the neck and shoulders all the way out through the hands
Hold, ear to the shoulder and just lightly release and relax
And let the head roll across the one side
Switch to the other side and stretch
Massaging out any tension in the neck and shoulder area just by that slight movement
Relax, good, now the back of the palms face out and spiral the other way
Hands come in, turn the pinky finger over, press the shoulders down and lift on the top of the head
And again spiraling, press
Keep it flowing, press
Let's do it one more time, extend
And ear to the shoulder again, rolling lightly across the one side
Breath flowing, exhaling all the way out
Other side, rolling the head across and stretch
And release
Let's take a wider stance and begin by shifting the weight from one side to the other
Stretching and strengthening the legs
In Tai Chi they call this the
Resiliency, combination of flexibility and strength
Let's inhale going one direction and exhale going the other
Full deep breathing
Dragging the upper body through a river
Dragging the upper body through a river, again by feeling the flexibility in a lateral direction in the spine
Nice fluid movement
Again, feel the breath flowing all the way out on the exhale
Feel the spine flexible and fluid
And releasing any tension
Slow the movement down and hang forward
Bend the knees and rolling up
We're going to stretch the arms up and back over the head, press the hips forward
Exhale and we'll reach out through the hands, stretching down
Bend the knees and we roll up
Press the hands up and over the head
Exhale, release
Rolling up
One more time, let's come forward, stretching down
And this time we're going to turn to one side, stretch up and back
And down to one leg
Across to the other leg and stretch up and back to the other side
It's a great stretch for the whole body, warming up and loosening all the major muscles
Stretching up and back
And relax, let's come to the center
And walk the feet in
Take a deep breath in and lift the hands up and over the head, this is called the tiger
And we're going to exhale with the growl down
Coming straight down, keeping the spine as straight as possible
Lifting, exhale
It's a great stretch for opening the hips and strengthening the legs
Inhale, exhale
Let's do one more time
Inhale and we'll hold and stretch
Bring the elbows inside the knees and press open, lift the head
Feel the hips stretching, let's roll up
Nice and easy
Bring the hands over the abdomen and take a deep breath
And relax
Now that we're stretched out, let's begin with the spiraling movements
By bringing the hands right under the abdomen and taking a nice long deep breath in
And lifting the hands up and over the head
And then we exhale the hands float down, nice easy movement
So the hands mirror the movements of your breathing, inhale, pause
And then exhale all the way out
And at the bottom of the exhale, pause again
Trying to lengthen the breath and bring the breath deeper into the body
Feel the hands lifted by your breathing
Exhaling all the way out
Feeling the hands floating through the air
Just start to let the body relax a little bit deeper
And we're going to press one hand down and the other hand pressing up
Nice stretch in the sides, inhale the hands come together
And then we exhale and press, open the sides
Exhale and press
So that arms spiral in and then the arms spiral out, stretching
The spiraling movement is a powerful exercise in Tai Chi to bring more energy through the body
The next exercise is called turn and look at the moon, so we're going to bring both hands down
We're going to press one hand out across the face and the other behind the back
We're going to press one hand out across the face, turn, look over the shoulder
And feel that twist right through the spine, wringing out any tension in the body
Feeling the whole body spiraling from the feet all the way out through the palms of the hands
Keep the movement slow and rhythmic and again breath is full and deep all the way down into the lower abdomen
Bend the knees and extend one more time
Press and release and bring both hands onto the hips and just spiral in the hips
Full range of motion in the hips going one direction
And then we're going to turn and go the other direction, spiraling in the hips
This is warming up for the next exercise called the arm spirals
So we're going to bring the hand, palm face up, just like you're holding a cup of tea in the hand
And now the hips are going to move the arm, so moving from the center of the body, the arm just follows the hips
Spiraling around, breathing deep, moving from the center of the body
And that palm stays face up, nice gentle movements, opening all the joints and feeling everything working together
Great, and let's do the other side, bringing the palm face up and spiraling in the hips, palm up and over the head
So the knees are bent and the movement originates from the hips and the center of the body
And the arm just relaxes and follows, being led by the hips
Remember to keep that palm face up, just like you're holding a cup of tea in your hand
Great, and relax, and let's do both palms face up, and now the hips move back and forth
So we're going to come back with the hips and the arms follow, again the palms stay face up
And the palms up and over the head, stretching and strengthening in the low back
Good, keep the breath flowing and the body relaxed
One more time, and coming back to the center
And we're going to do an exercise called the great bear swims in the ocean, it's another spiraling movement
Extend out and open the chest, arms spiral around behind you
Great exercise to open the shoulders and stretch the tendons
And really work on your breathing, so exhale as the arms come out
Inhale, expand the chest, opening the body, exhale, release
So the knees stay bent, and the whole body is moving
Spiraling out through the fingertips
One more time, opening, spiraling around, and release
Let's come back to the center, taking a nice long deep breath, feeling the abdomen expand
And relaxing on the exhale
Let's begin the flowing forms by bending the knees, keeping the hips open
And taking a nice deep breath in, letting the arms lift
And on the exhale, the arms float down, all the way back behind you
Inhale, lifting, and exhale, let the arms float down
Good, use your mind by feeling the air as it passes through the fingers and across the arms
Keeping the mind and the body connected
Feel the movement lifting from the feet, up through the legs, up the spine, and out through the arms
When we're doing Tai Chi, you want to feel the whole body move
If you want, you can close your eyes, feel the movement coming from the inside out
Moving internal energy, and bringing your awareness and attention internally
Coming down, back to the center, and let's lift up and to the sides, this is called the shower
If you want, you can look up, and exhale down
Again, feel the movement coming from the feet, up the legs, up the back, and all the way out through the arms
Feel yourself relaxing and opening to all that energy that's around you, and drawing it into the body
Inhale, expanding, exhale, relax
So there's always an abundance of energy in nature, and in Tai Chi what we want to do is just open to receive all that energy
One more time, nice deep breath
And we exhale, coming back to the center
Pebble in the pond, we're going to bend the knees, and the hands float out
And then inhale, we draw the hands back to the center
We want to keep the body and the back straight as we come out
And then we lift as we come back to the center
Nice deep breathing, exhale, out
Inhale, back to the center
You want to feel as if the arms are floating on the surface of a pond
And back to the center
So everything relaxes from the shoulders all the way out through the fingers
Just keep it flowing, with each movement, see if you can relax just a little bit deeper
Exhale, and inhale back to the center
This is called between heaven and earth
So we're going to reach down and connect to the earth
And then we're going to bend the knees, rolling up
And hands come up and over the head, palms face down
And then we turn the palms over and we connect to the sky
Drawing in, and bringing all that energy back into the body
So the wrists cross, and then we come down
Good, and again, let's come over
Let's connect the breath of the movement by inhaling up
Exhale the arms over the head
Inhale we can draw down
Exhale all the way around
Inhale the wrists cross, and exhale down
Again, see if you can relax even more
Breathing in, floating up
The upper body should feel like a tree in the wind
And the legs should feel like springs
Good, and again, coming over
Feel that fluid feeling of lifting up the legs
And extending all the way out through the hands
Moving the body like water
And down, expanding the horizons
So we're going to lift the hands up in front of the face
And then let's step back and expand the horizons
So from here we stretch, and then what we're going to do is just feel as if you're floating
Feel as if you're floating, nice and loose in the spine
Rolling out from the shoulders
Great, and then we're going to step, feet parallel
And the wrists cross again
And then the hands float down
Great, and going to the other side
Lifting the hands, come up in front of the face
And we step back, expanding the horizons
But just like you're standing, we're going to step back
And we're going to step forward
And we step back, expanding the horizons
But just like you're standing on the mountain
Looking at a view, and then we glide off, nice and gentle
Feeling the back, flexible and fluid
You want to feel just like you're floating, very light in your body
Good, and step up, feet parallel
Wrists cross, and down
Let's go one more time to each side, so we're going to lift
The hands come up in front of the face, step back, expanding the horizons
And feeling that flexibility in the spine
Let your body move, however it's comfortable
Feet parallel
And we lift
Exhale down
Good, one more time, inhale, hands come up in front of the face
Step back and expand
Feel yourself floating off that top of the mountain
Gliding, very light in your body
Gliding, very light in your body
Good, and the feet come parallel
Wrists cross
And down
Good, embrace the wind and caress the moon
So we're going to have the hands starting here, holding a ball
And what we're going to do is just release out
Back of the hands come up, this is a longer set of movements
And we're going to press out, open
And we come right to the center
Hands are going to spiral around so the back of the hands come up
This is called embrace the wind, embrace the wind
It's a small circle and the fingers come right to the solar plexus
Caress the moon
Fingers lift right by the mid-eye
And the hands float down
Clear out
And then we start again from the center, hands come back
Back of the hands come up, embrace the wind
It's about harnessing our internal energy, just like a sail
Caress the moon
It's a metaphor for opening up to guidance and intuition
And clearing
Come back to the center
Just keep the movements flowing, we're repeating again
Embrace the wind, harnessing our internal energy, our internal power
Exhale, caress the moon
Here we're going to inhale as the hands float down
Inhale as the hands float down, this is called lifting above the muddy waters, just like a buoy
Clear out, coming back to the center
And repeating, embrace the wind
And caress the moon
Inhale, feel your upper body lifting
Clearing out any confusion or muddy waters
As you release and return to the center
One more time
Embrace the wind
And caress the moon
Inhale
And release back to the center
Good, let's step back with one leg
And we're going to start working into cloudy hands
So we're going to bring our hands together
Let's step back with one leg, and we're going to start working into cloudy hands
So we're going to bring the front arm up, and we're just going to circle
Circle to the front
You want to feel the front arm just like it's floating in the air
Turning in the hips, feel that spiraling in the hips and that rooted feeling in the bottom of the feet
Just like you're connected to the earth
Floating, and let's bring the right hand into movement
Across the chest
And feeling the movement originating in the hips, the arms just floating in the air
Nice and easy, one across the chest and the other gently floating underneath
Remember that deep abdominal breathing
Keeps the upper body buoyant and lifted
Feel the hips spiraling
And on the next movement, let's go ahead and step forward
Feet parallel, continuous movement, cloudy hands laterally side to side
Turning in the hips, just like a figure eight in the hips
Arms floating out from the shoulders
Feel that connection to the earth, that rooted feeling in the feet
And that gliding out through the arms
You can go ahead and feel the air moving through the fingers and across the arms
Keeping the mind connected with the body
Good, and let's step back with the other foot
Cloudy hands, one hand at a time
Spiraling in the hips
And the arm just floating in the air
Let's bring the back hand into the movement across the chest
And the other arm floating underneath
And the other arm floating underneath
With each movement, see if you can relax a little bit deeper
Breathing all the way into the abdomen
And step forward, keep the movement flowing side to side, cloudy hands
Just start to feel that internal energy moving through your body
If you want, you can close your eyes again, feeling your whole body floating, moving from the inside out
There's a difference between moving energy and letting energy move your body
So as we continue with the workout, try to get into that space where the energy is moving your body
Coming back to the center
And embrace the tiger, embrace the tiger, return to the mountain
So we lift and the wrist cross all the way up and down
Lifting wrist cross up over the head and down
Good, harnessing that energy internally, bringing it all back to the center
So the center of the body and the abdomen is a place where we can store and condense and digest this energy whenever we need it
Good, inhale and exhale
Just flowing, deep breathing
And returning to the center, both hands over the abdomen
Full deep breathing, abdomen expanding and relaxing
And let's start with the walking movements, cloudy hands
The right hand comes across the chest, flowing
And what we're going to do is step side to side with the feet, hands move exactly the same
So the right hand comes across the chest, step feet together
Hips spiraling, arms moving, full deep breathing
Arms moving, full deep breathing
One more step and we'll hold, hold right here, cloudy hands
Let the movement come from the inside out
And walking back the other direction, hand across the chest, step feet together
Feel as if you're gliding across the floor, we're bringing those flowing movements into the walking forms
And we'll take one more step out wide and pause, holding it right here, nice and easy
Let's do that one more time, hand comes across the chest, step feet together
Just keeping it flowing
Feel the movement originating in the hips, feel the feet connected to the earth
One more step and pause
And we'll glide back again the other direction, stepping nice and gentle
One more step out wide and pause
If you'd like again, go ahead and close the eyes, feel that movement coming from the inside out
Feel your whole body buoyant, floating in the air just like clouds moving across the sky
And bringing it to the center, we're going to do some forward walking movements, this is called catwalking
And let's step out with one foot forward, both palms face down
Just like the resting on the heads of two tigers, we keep the awareness in the hands
What we're going to be doing is turning on the heel, shifting the weight and stepping out
Let's try that, turn on the heel, shift the weight and we step out with balance
Turn on the heel, shift the weight and step out
Good, turn on the heel, shift the weight, step out, take one more step
Good and pause, and then we'll do the catwalks backwards
So what we're going to do, similar walking, but we're going to be walking backwards
Taking a step out and wide and then we turn on the front heel
Step out and wide, turn on the front heel, good
Moving from the center of the body
Great, and we're going to bring the arms into the movement, same walking with the legs
We're going to brush the front knee, brush the front knee and press with the right hand
Good, one more time, brush the knee and twist step
So now with the legs, turn on the heel, shift the weight, brush the knee and press to the front
Moving from the center of the body
Good, arms move in a circle, press and then we're going to lift, both palms face up
Walking backwards, but now the palms are going to cross, it's called repulse the monkey
So both palms face up, take a step backwards, out and wide, shift the weight, the heel turns and the palms cross
Step back, palms cross
Good, when walking, really try to move from the center of your body so that the arms move in a circular motion
Both to the front and to the back
So we brush the front knee and press by the ear, turn on the heel, shift the weight and step to the front
Move from the center of the body and the arms circle
Just like you're gliding, nice and easy effortless movement
Both palms come up, stepping backwards, out and wide and then the palms cross
Step back, out and wide and the palms cross
Good, again, moving from the center, balancing on the feet
And relax
Again, brushing the front knee, the back arm circles and we press
Turn on the heel, shift the weight, brush the front knee and press to the front
Really try to move from the center of the body, the arms relax, breathing is deep and full
Lift both palms, repulse the monkey stepping backwards, bringing our awareness to the space behind us
One more step
Good, and relax
Come back to the center, bring both palms over the abdomen and take a nice deep breath
Just relax
Good, this next posture is called Embracing the Tree
And we're going to bring the feet parallel and we're going to open the knees and open the hips
And the tailbone relaxes under, you feel the rooting on the bottom of the feet
And then we lift the hands up, round, the elbows drop and the shoulders are relaxed
And the breath, just like in the beginning of the workout, is deep and full into the abdomen
This is a Tai Chi or a Qigong meditation posture
And you can just feel energy moving through the body, the breath flowing and the alignment of the structure
So the head is lifted towards the sky, the tailbone relaxed under
And if you want, go ahead and close your eyes and let yourself feel just like a tree in the wind
And just relax, let your body move back and forth or left and right
Just like a gentle breeze is blowing through the body
Remember to focus in on your breathing, focus in on your breathing and let the body relax
You want to feel relaxed but full at the same time
Good, let the hands come down
Let's do some ending movements, we're going to lift the hands up to the sides, this is called pulling down the sky
It's a great exercise just for coming back to the center, make a small fist
Hands relax and then they open by the face
So we lift on the inhale, make a light fist and then they relax as they come by the face
Keep the body flowing and fluid, bring in all that energy back to the center
Lifting and relax
Bring one hand under the abdomen and the other hand reaches to the back
Gathering our energy and condensing it back to the center of the body
So we inhale, one hand goes behind you, exhale condensing, gathering our energy back to the center
Good, full deep breathing
One more time, gathering all our resources, all our energy, condensing it back to the center
Ending exactly how we started with the hands over the navel and breathing deeply
Go ahead and close your eyes and just feel your whole body all at one time
Continue breathing, just relax and take this feeling into the rest of your day
Dr. Marco Paret Universite Europeenne
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