| Feature Article
Building a Solid Foundation
–
Chief Instructor Brett Wagland
If you want to build a tall building, you first need to
lay a good foundation. The same is true for Tai Chi. If you want to
reap maximum benefits from your Tai Chi practice, you need to work on
the basics.
One of the first things is to relax and loosen tensed
muscles and joints. Since the shoulders, neck, spine and waist are some
of the body’s weaknesses, they are targeted first in our training. The
Arm Rotation exercise is one of the keys for loosening tension and
increasing flexibility in those joints, especially the shoulders. The
Arm Rotation is not merely a warm up exercise. It is one of the tools
for reconditioning the body.
When students first commence learning Tai Chi, they are
taught a range of exercises. It is not necessary to do them all every
day. It is better to focus on a few and do them well. Once you have a
good understanding of a few of those exercises, you will appreciate the
purposes of the other exercises. The Arm Rotation should be on the top
of your priority list. You need to practise it for 5 minutes on each
side. Begin with 2 minutes, then 3 minutes and then build up to 5
minutes.
In the beginning, do the Arm Rotation slowly, especially
if you have any shoulder or neck injury. Then, speed up the movement
while keeping your arm, especially your fingers, relaxed. After
practising this way daily for two weeks, begin to use your waist to move
your arm. Think of your arm as a piece of string with a stone attached
to the end. As your shoulder begins to loosen up, you can increase the
speed of the rotation. This will increase blood circulation to the arm,
all the way to the finger tips. The tingling sensation or a swollen
feeling in the fingers is a good indication of increased blood flow. As
your practice of this exercise improves, bend your knees a little lower
- make sure that you have 60% of your weight in the front leg and that
your lower back is relaxed.
Most students will hear a crackling sound in their
shoulders when they first do this exercise. This is usually due to the
build up of calcification. Daily practice of this exercise will break
down the calcification and allow it to dissolve into the blood stream.
If you practise the Arm Rotation daily for a month, you
will feel the shoulders, the neck, the upper and lower back and the
waist more relaxed and loosened. You will feel movement in the back
muscles which you could not feel previously due to tension.
If
you practise this one exercise correctly, you will notice a big
difference in the feel of your body and the quality of your life.
Furthermore, it will improve your ability to relax your body and lay a
good foundation for your Tai Chi practice which in turn will lead to
better health and well being.
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