Friday, October 07, 2005

1. Key for TaiChi Commencing 太极预备式和无极桩 Postion

Entering WUJI or WuChi: In Chinese, ‘Wu’ means Nothing, ‘Tai’ means Extreme.
WUJI is preparation state of entering TAIJI or TaiChi.

In TaiChi practice, the commencing position actually has two parts:

Wuji meditation and Starting TaiChi. Wuji meditation has 4 focuses: Standing in right position, empting mind, adjusting breath, relaxing the whole body. Wuji meditation can be practiced alone, and it can be done as long as you like.

The last focus relaxing is a form of your body, but the other 3 actually are much more tie to your mind.

How to do it:
(1) Stand straight
Two feet parallel, with a fist distance in between. Two arms drop naturally with slight curve, and the palm toward back, hangs naturally in the thigh side. .

(2) Step to left
Take your vision back. Relaxes the knee joint, the center of body
gravity falls on the right leg. Then lift left leg and take a step to left, step over slowly and steadily. Tip of the toes to front, two feet parallel, is separated with a foot distance. The physique posture should achieve "sets up in the body, without bias and without favor".

Spirit:
(3) Adjust the breath
Maintain the posture. Adjust your breathing, and make the breath nature, even.
When the skill improved, your breath will become deeper, longer, more even, and is unified. After the breath becomes smooth, keep your physique posture unchanged, and go into the next step:

(4) Centralize your thought
Soon the attention concentrates on to your body. When inhale, pay your attention to the place you left focus from last time, started from chest (Tan Zhong region), when exhale, your thought is going from chest to abdomen median line downward until to your dan tian region. Repeat 3 ~ 5 breathes (In Chinese Medicinal Theory, Qi moves about 3 inches with each breathing!). Then maintains the attention at the Dan Tian region, this is called hold the spirit to Dan Tian. The student should try to feel the subtle changes on the Dan Tian, and stay as long he can maintain.

(5) Relaxes along with the breathing
Namely along with the breath bodily each (including muscles, skeleton, all joints, all internal organs, lips and teeth, vision, and facial expression) relaxes. (Hereafter refers to as intention). Use your spirit to direct, relax the body along with the expiration
from top to bottom, at the same time experiences the feeling of relaxation. (do not relaxes with inspirations). This is posture is also called WUJI Zhuang (Posture). Keep in mind, relax all joints!!!

Once you can experience the relaxations from each part of your body, you can begin your TaiChi form practice. Students should always try to reach to this state before each TaiChi form practice, this process is just like pulling out your radio antenna and turning on the power of the radio, then you are ready to receive the signal – Energy.

Tips:
Hold the nature facial expressions, lightly shuts the mouth, the tooth
touches slightly, the tongue goes against roof of your mouth (this
promotes the saliva fluids) and then swallows slowly as necessary).

2 comments:

wujimon said...

Wow.. great detail on the commencing position. Also, it'd be great to allow comments for non-blogger members :)

wujimon @ http://wujimon.com/

The Silent Assassin said...

Wow.

Very detailed way to explain the commencing pos'n. I liked it, and I applied it.

I felt my hands tingling. That was a first :)