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Correct
postures is very important for Tai Chi practice. There are five basic
requirements for the head and ten for the body to keep a correct
posture.
The
five basic requirements for the head are:
* suspending the head by an imaginary
string from above,
* relaxing the neck, but keeping it erect,
* drawing in the chin slightly,
* closing the mouth and clenching the teeth
slightly with the tongue touching the front palate like pronouncing 'luh',
* looking forward, but hiding one's spirit
behind the eyes.
The ten basic
requirements for body postures are:
* releasing the tension in the chest,
* lifting the back,
*
relaxing the shoulders,
*
dropping the elbows,
*
opening the arm pits,
*
not protruding the stomach,
*
centering the tail bone as if it were hanging,
*
keeping a rounded space between the legs,
*
bending the knees to protect the crotch,
*
sinking the chi into Dantian.
In addition to the
above requirements, five imaginary correlations are also very important
to keep a correct posture. With these five imaginary correlations, the
movements of different parts of the body will be more coordinated, like
a well-organized machine. The five imaginary correlations are:
*
the tip of the nose corresponds to the navel,
*
the tail bone corresponds to the heels,
*
the middle fingers correspond to each other,
*
the knees correspond to the big toes of the feet,
*
elbows correspond to the knees.
The mind should
always concentrate on the movements you are performing. The breathing
should be in rhythmic harmony with the body movements. The body
movements should be slow, soft, and graceful. They should be slow but
not interrupted, soft but not slack, graceful but not weak. A very slow
and circular movement is especially important for beginners, but the
slow speed should only to the extent that you can breathe naturally and
coordinately. Only with this kind of slow movement can you concentrate
on the details. A smooth and constant pace will help you get the real
feeling of Tai Chi.
Not only are the
movements in a circular pattern, the gestures are also circular in
form. In other words, there are no convex or concave movements. The
spine, the arms, the fingers, and the legs are all like bows. Be alert,
but with no unnecessary tension. That is where the momentum comes from.
All of the above
requirements can be summarized as 'like a full ball'. Try to get this
feeling while you practice.
Exercising Requirements 
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