Tai Chi Chih: Princess On The Mountain Top
Here we are with the latest installment in the Tai Chi Chih “Joy Through Movement” series. Today we look at: Princess On The Mountain Top.
One thing I failed to mention in the video – The hand position is gender specific. For men it’s right hand passing in front of left. For women it’s left hand passing in front of right. This does not change as you switch feet. I am not going to defend the political correctness of such a tradition. The fact is that in my experience the thousands of years put into empirical research by both men & women in the development of Chi Kung practices is worthy of respect. But, you are your own authority ultimately and I would enourage any and all to experiment to see what works best for themselves.
During my own initial practice of Tai Chi Chih, over the course of my 1.000 day vow I experimented with reversing the hand positioning. I put left in front of with in the Yin formation for 3 solid months. The results were less than pleasant. I did not get girly, but I did get sick and was afflicted with odd pains in my joints which cleared up a week after the experiment ended. So, in short: mover beware.
Some key points:
- Watch those shoulders! Keep them relaxed, fight against the raise.
- Make your breaths deep. It should feel like your breath is hitting your pelvis.
I hope you folks are enjoying this and finding the vids useful. I would love any, and all, feedback in the comments.
Cheers!
