focus of taichi4balance classes
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- Published on Monday, 12 March 2012 19:06
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Focus of T’ai Chi 4 Balance classes
The classes we teach will focus on improving awareness, balance, and whole body movement.
In T’ai Chi the movement starts from the feet and then is directed by the hips through the spine to the rest of the body. The arm movements come mainly from the feet and hips after being shaped into a posture. This means the whole body is connected in the movement. We concentrate on making sure that we are balanced while moving in these postures and that the joints of the body are free to move at any time instead of locking them.
The methods we use to do this are standing meditation, QiQong, slow walking and the T’ai chi form.
Standing meditation allows us to feel the body as it moves naturally in harmony with gravity. Most of the muscles of the body tense slightly and relax to keep us balanced. By using our awareness to observe the nature of our body’s balancing mechanisms, we gain the power to use them with the least tension in the best positions. Also while standing we become aware of our muscles as they help us breath and interact with our balance. This allows us to become more efficient in breathing during movements done in the rest of the class. Finally while standing we become more aware of the connection of the whole body with the feet and hips. This connection we use during the rest of the methods, but they rely on our ability to feel them which we develop through meditation.
QiQong movements focus on using the awareness we have gained to feel the connections within our body moving in co-ordination with our breath. We observe these connections and our balance to make these movements with the least tension in harmony with our breath. All these movements connect us to the ground through our hips to our feet, so we have a strong but flexible foundation to move from.
Slow walking uses the awareness from the previous exercises to observe our balance as we move it from one foot to another. We do this so we are balanced and could stop the movement at any time. We concentrate on the connection from the foot to the hip which is moved to the other hip. We maintain the flexibility of our hips and strong foundation throughout the movements. We also harmonize the movements with our breathing.
The T’ai chi form combines the awareness from all the previous exercises. We do the Yang style form which is done slowly focusing on the balance, breath and whole body connection. The form movements allow us to move through the fullest comfortable range of our body movements. This will help us further improve our awareness, balance, body connections, and flexibility.
Awareness of the Breath and Balance
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- Published on Friday, 18 November 2011 02:13
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Becoming Aware of Your Breath
Many types of meditation use the breath to help increase overall awareness and bring the mind to an empty state of observation. The breath is part of our nature ….. if you stop breathing for a few minutes then you will no longer be here. Some types of meditation control the breath or use imagery to help one reach these states. These methods though are complex and can be dangerous if done improperly. Just observing the breath is much easier and in the long run brings a real experience of the breath and its connection to your whole body. During the process of breathing , your body tenses or relaxes many muscles to help draw in air, and push out Carbon dioxide and other waste products. Often we do not realize how many muscles are at work and how complicated breathing is.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscles_of_respiration
In the above link, you see quite a few muscles are involved but also realize that these muscles and others which are not named but used in breathing also change your balance and posture . Almost every muscle in the body can be felt to move during breathing during standing meditation. Feeling is one of the best ways to observe the body and become aware of its function. When you inhale you may feel as if the whole upper body expands even to the tip of the fingers if you let go of tension and just observe the movement. There is a saying that “the masters of old breathed from their feet”. This can be explained that when one really becomes aware of the breath and the way the body moves in a state of observation free from excess intention and its tension, the whole body will move even down to the feet as it balances itself.
Becoming Aware of Your Balance
During meditation one can also focus on their balance especially when doing standing meditation practice. To do this you need to find a comfortable stance with your feet about shoulder’s width apart. Let your knees be slightly bent and relax yourself feeling the connection of support from the feet through the hips all the way up the spine to the head. Try to focus and relaxing and observing the breath as above but also feel how your body moves slightly balancing itself as you breathe. Feel your feet on the floor and let go of the excess tension in them. Often we grip the floor with our feet to prevent any swaying but let your body relax into them. Feel your hips and how they distribute the weight from your upper body to your knees and feet. Let them relax any excess tension and observe how as you sway slightly they interact. Keep track of the connections from your hips and feet through your whole body as it moves balancing itself. Try not to move intentionally, but just observe the body’s natural mechanisms at work. Do this for 15 minutes every day and you will experience the wonder of your body as it works with gravity to keep you standing.
Fong Ha seminar Minnesota 2011
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- Published on Sunday, 26 June 2011 22:18
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Fong Ha presented a wonderful seminar in Bloomington Minnesota at Normadale Community College on June 25th and 26th 2011. Participants learned to use whole body movement in a relaxed manner while remaining balanced. Below is a group picture. Stop back and we will add more in about a week! You can also add comments on my other site's blog about the seminar.
Fong Ha seminar Shorewood IL- July 2011
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- Published on Saturday, 02 July 2011 23:25
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Fong Ha taught 22 students the principles of T'ai Chi in a Seminar in Shorewood Illinois. The Seminar covered standing and sitting meditation to cultivate awareness and chi, manifesting that awareness and chi through the beginning of the Yang Style T'ai Chi form, and how to work with other people using the principles of Tai Chi Harmony. Fong showed participants several exercises to help feel their balance and become aware of their Natural ability to balance! Below are some pictures from the seminar. These pictures are for personal use only .. Fong Ha must approve any other uses.
Slow walking with balance
8 pieces of brocade
Roll back in closed position just after double ward off
Rollback in open position just a transition to press starts
group picture from Sunday above
group picture from Saturday below
Links to other sites
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- Published on Sunday, 19 June 2011 17:35
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I have a short list of other sites I can recommend on Tai Chi and Meditation
Realize that many of the below sites are often commercial in nature so get more information before buying anything. I do think the sites listed do offer some great free information though and some offer reasonable prices for additional tools for you journey to awareness.
Integral Ch'uan institute : run by Fong HA- Fong is my major Teacher and his website is full great information and some videos
Tai chi cultivation a website run by my Tai Chi brother Wayne Jupiter also a student of Fong Ha who runs classes for Senior citizens with some videos of the Yang style short form he teachers.
Balanced Awareness a site I run with lots of information on meditation and practice
Peter Lim's taji resource page ... this site has a really good History section for Tai chi
Taiji on Maui .. this site is run by our friend Cory, who we see when Fong does his retreat there every year.
Zero Balancing Midwest Region Website : Zero Balancing is a type of Bodywork designed to help the Energy to flow smoothly through the body and helps to increase awareness through touch. I help run this Website. Has a link to the National website too.
Yoga Journal has a lot of information about yoga including poses that you can access without a subscription. Yoga can increase awareness of both the body and mind. many forms encourage meditation and also holding poses to feel the energy flow.
If you want to learn a little about Buddhist Meditation then this is a good site How to Meditate.
Mayo clinic has some information on Meditation including the many benefits! Further down the page are more links to Tai Chi and other awareness and relaxation techniques such as Tai Chi.
Free Meditation course at this site Has some useful information in it and is not too heavy on a sales pitch
Wujimon blog a place to discuss Tai Chi topics and other awareness orientated subjects