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TaiChi Planet

Watch Tai Chi Videos for a More Learning Experience

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One of the best ways to learn Tai Chi is through watching how it is done. You can hire a teacher but choosing a good one is a difficult task. You can study online too, but this can be daunting, unless you are ready to read long manuals and apply what you have read. One of the best methods in learning Tai Chi is through watching videos. Why read when you can watch, and get more information? 

The next question would be where to get these Tai Chi videos. Here are some online sites you can check: 

www.easytaichi.com
This is the website of Dr Keith Jeffrey. He teaches Tai Chi by way of video or DVD. He has many video products that cater to every demand. He also has DVDs designed mainly for teachers who want to teach Tai Chi. For more enquiries, you can email him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 
www.activevideos.com
Active Videos has many instructional videos that cater to different exercises, including Tai Chi.  At their site, you can see the price of these videos for easy reference. You can also join their email list so you’ll be notified of every new updates. 

www.collagevideo.com
Collage Video also offers quite an array of instructional Tai Chi videos. All the videos they offer have detailed information about its content so there is no problem of choosing the wrong video. Their site also has a forum page where you can post questions or reply to an existing thread. 

When buying a Tai chi video, be sure to choose the one that suits you – one that caters perfectly to your needs. Also, be sure also to check the teaching methods employed on the video. Each teacher has his own method, so pick the one that you’re comfortable with and which gives easy to follow instructions.

 

Wear the Right Kind of Tai Chi Clothing

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Learning Tai Chi has many prerequisites. Some of these include the right environment, ambiance, and the disturbance factor. This is because Tai Chi is based more on meditation and, these are required in order to execute this art properly. Aside from these basic things, clothing also plays an important part in Tai Chi. 

Why is proper clothing important in Tai Chi? Experts in Tai Chi believe that proper clothing is as important as the mental preparation. They rationalize that the spiritual energy Qi flows on every pore of the body, therefore tight and inhibitive clothing can severely diminish the flow of energy. This is especially important to those who are still starting to learn the skill, since starters tend to have more difficulty in detecting and managing Qi. 

So what should be a proper Tai Chi clothing? Tai Chi clothing should be soft as not to distract Tai Chi practitioners, light as not to inhibit movement, and supple enough to accommodate the postures. The make are cotton, silk or linen. Traditional Chinese Tai Chi makes use of silk for the simple reason that silk is abundant during ancient China. These days, the favorite choice is linen since this is thermo-regulating, strong, durable and more resistant to wear and abrasion. On the other hand, cotton is only used as an alternative to silk and linen. Cotton is also cool and cheaper compared to the other two. 

The most common color of Tai Chi clothing is black and white, but there’s no restriction for this. Other schools chose to have a specific color.  Some schools don’t even require Tai Chi uniforms. Instead, they use a printed Tai Chi shirt as the school uniform. Usually, the shirt is white and the school’s logo or Tai Chi symbols are printed. For the trousers, it is up to the student. 

In doing a Tai Chi session, do not wear jeans and jackets, or anything heavy. These clothing are not flexible and will hinder your movements. You’ll also feel uncomfortable in the middle of the session. 

But in any case, you should know that clothing does not define your skills in Tai Chi. If you are an expert, you can wear anything and still get good results. Proper Tai Chi clothing will only make you comfortable and your execution easy. For a beginner, why not wear the right Tai Chi clothing and learn Tai Chi in a comfortable way.

 

Guide in Executing a Tai Chi Meditation Heart Chakra

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Meditation has lots of benefits. People who are doing it aim to achieve certain goals, be it spiritual, or personal enlightenment. However, before doing a particular kind of meditation, proper preparations should be done in order to get the best results. In this article, we’ll discuss how to do a Tai Chi meditation heart chakra. 

But first, what is a Tai Chi meditation heart chakra? Chakra is defined as a spiritual power that is hidden deep within the seven ‘life gates’ of the body, one of which is the heart. Harnessing the heart chakra properly allows an individual boundless energy. The Tai Chi mediation heart chakra control requires a certain degree of preparation to execute properly. Advanced practitioners of Tai Chi are adept at this meditation, especially the moving kind of meditation the martial art requires.

The best time to do a Tai Chi meditation heart chakra control is in the morning, since there are lesser distractions at this time of day. Pick a place where there is a little noise and distractions. Sit down comfortably with your back straight. You can either do a lotus or half lotus position, it doesn’t matter at this point. When you master this technique, you can do any position, and perform it anywhere, even inside a bus or train. Just make sure you are comfortable before starting the exercises. 

Close your eyes slightly, but not completely to allow a slightly downward gaze to a spot about a pace in front. The mind should be clear from any thoughts at this point. The purpose of the fixed gaze is for the eyes to focus on something, but not be distracted by it. Breathing should be done at a regular, unhurried pace, with breath held in for some time before exhaling. 

The next step is the trick of opening the heart chakra gate. Now, focus your attention (without looking) on the center of your chest. Imagine a surge of power from the center of your chest to your head and shoulders, especially at the back of your head and on the spine. Maintain your half-closed eyes. Try imagining a trickle of water running from your scalp to your back. If you feel a slight tingling, you have successfully opened the gate to your ‘heart chakra’. 

After doing this, you will feel relaxed and refreshed. This is only the most basic Tai Chi meditation heart chakra control. This kind of meditation will help you in more ways than one. It has the healing capabilities which can be applied if you have a headache, since a minute spent doing this will relieve you of the pain. Do this exercise often and you’ll be amazed with the benefits it will give.

 

Learning the Stance Form of Tai Chi

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If you are a Tai Chi fanatic, you must know that this is a martial art that’s composed of many movements. These movements when linked together make up a dance. One Tai Chi form that is important is the stance. In the absence of stance, Tai Chi is useless. In this regard, let us study and get to know how to perform a stance.

Tai Chi’s length has 3 variations; the 24 movements set is referred as the ‘short’ form, 40 as the ‘mid’ form, and the long form has108 movements. A standard Tai Chi form takes about 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the length and the mastery. Remember, the Tai Chi forms consist not only of the hands, but the feet as well. Every Tai Chi form includes every limb, and utilizes every muscle so proper stance is so important.

Bow and Arrow stance 

Like the False Leg, this is primarily an offensive stance. But there are other versions where it is used as an evasion, like the ‘leaning’ technique of Kung Fu. This is often used in conjunction with the False Leg stance. 

To do a Bow and Arrow stance, start by doing the False Leg (assuming you can do this correctly now). Now, with your right foot, make a large step towards the imaginary enemy. If you’re doing this correctly, your right foot should now be bearing most of your weight, with your left leg slanted from its original position. Your right leg should be bent at a 90° angle.

Horseback Riding stance

The most basic of all stances, the horseback riding stance lowers the body’s center of gravity, and braces the legs for stability. This type of stance is commonly used for meditation, because even with the eyes closed, maintaining balance is still very much attainable.

To do a horseback riding stance, stand with the back straight. Now space the feet apart around half a yard, then slowly bend the legs until it reaches 90°. Curl your hands into a fist and fold the arms around the sides of the body. This will place a great strain on the legs and make your torso muscles taunt.

Horseback riding is the opening stance for most Tai Chi forms. The stance gives many options for opening an attack, yet maintains a degree for defensive. When Bruce Lee does a nunchucks exhibition, he’s doing a horseback riding stance.

False Leg stance

This stance has become a standard stance for the new advent of martial arts, but the root of this stance is Tai Chi. This is an offensive stance, used particularly in conjunction with the Bow and Arrow stance. Kick boxers often uses this stance, since it readies their legs for an offensive kick. 

To do a False Leg stance, begin by standing straight. Now, imagine an enemy 45º to your right. Take a step with your right foot towards the imaginary enemy, but instead of putting weight on this foot, transfer all your body weight to the left foot. To help you achieve this, elevate your right heel and bend your left leg to ease the maintaining of balance.  Now the stance should look like a half step, except you’re leaning all weight on the left leg. Raise your hands slightly forward with palms slightly facing the enemy. Remember, don’t put pressure on the right leg; use it just to maintain balance.

In learning Tai chi forms, it is imperative to study first these stances. After which, you’ll discover that everything just comes easy. Mastering Tai Chi is not that easy, but with proper stance and hard work, you’re on your way to becoming an expert at Tai Chi.

 

Complement Your Tai Chi Meditation with Tai Chi Music

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Meditation, or more specifically Tai chi meditation, requires a peaceful and quiet environment. But what if you are living in a metropolitan area where the noise of the busy streets or the crying of your neighbor’s baby distracts your concentration? Can you still achieve a perfect meditation? Of course not, that’s why we have a solution for that – Tai Chi music. 

Tai Chi music will help you concentrate more on your meditation by listening to the soothing and calming Tai Chi music. All you need is a handy walkman, and cover your ears with the biggest earmuffs you can find. Now you are ready to begin your Tai Chi meditation practically anywhere. 

Not only can Tai Chi music shut out the noise of your surroundings, they are also designed to help you perform the different forms. Some are even designed for a specific form. Pat Clemence and the Silk Orchestra’s Cloud Hands, for instance, is a music title designated to accompany the 54 slow forms. The rhythm and tempo of the music serves as a marker on when a specific maneuver should be performed, such as the sequence and the timing. Some are for meditation purposes; their soothing and calming music can give tranquility to the nerves. 

There are several kinds of Tai Chi music sold online, but the ones from Pat Clemence and The Silk Orchestra have the nicest visibility. They have 10 Tai Chi music titles to choose from, with each one designed for a specific form, even sword form. You can check their music titles with this link: www.silkorchestra.com

Another site to check is www.hypnosishealthcare.com/yogataichisteps.html . Hypnosis Health Care has wide a variety of meditation music, and one of these is Yoga/Tai Chi music, titled “the steps of movement”. 

www.workoutmusicvideo.com/taiocs.html also offers Tai Chi Music. The title is Ocean Serenade, an orchestral and piano piece, blended with natural and gentle ocean noises. Rolling waves, occasional distant thunder, and gentle howling of wind arranges the perfect ambiance for any Tai Chi meditation. 

The type of Tai Chi music is patterned from its inventor, Chang San Feng, who is known to love nature. Tai Chi music is another innovation of Tai Chi that can surely make your Tai Chi meditation and exercise relaxing and soothing.

 
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