Fundamental concepts, the beginning of skill

In our classes we often see people ’getting’ the idea of Tai Chi or Qigong for the first time, its very rewarding. Tai Chi is a deep practice and it can be easy for new students to lose their way in the beginning. 
Here are some pointers for beginners.

Listen to your teacher to learn the fundamental concepts.
When explaining what certain movements are for, we aim to provide a balance between traditional concepts (The Yi leading the Qi, Zhong Ding or central equilibrium, and silk reeling energy) and very tangible benefits (developing balance, improving posture, boosting circulation)  These concepts and benefits are given to develop your understanding and help you remember the lessons.

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Tai Chi is a deep subject, it can be easy for new students to lose their way in the beginning. 

Practice the concepts
In Square form,
we work on alignment and control, learning to separate weight, open and close hips and shoulders in unison, learning to turn the feet to the best angle for the next move.

In Round form,
aim for slow flowing movements, with good alignment, weight separation and focus. Make your postures large and relaxed, yet find the expansion and contraction, the spirals and circles.

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Gloria Dean, Artist & Tai Chi teacher

Deepen your understanding
Make your practice deeper, by developing your ability to see the subtle nuances, watch others to identify good practice principles. Control your action and composure to reproduce them in your practice.

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Gloria Dean, Artist & Tai Chi teacher

Take your time.
Tai Chi is a life long process and every step along the way is enjoyable. It's better to deeply know a couple of postures from the form and train them several times a day than to superficially know a whole form. You will have a much more satisfying experience from the deeper practice.

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