Follow-Along Tai Chi in the Park

Precompose Payment #18 of Seventy: June 6, 2024

“Known as “qi” in Chinese because it comes from heaven, but it's also referred to as “chi” because it comes from earth.” What is Chi or Qui Energy?

Dear Sara, my sweet dead Sister,

The 24 Forms of Tai Chi Chuan begin with a Cloud Hands Meditation Countdown, which you can also use to begin your day!

Then, bring your feet together, slowly swing your arms while sinking to a squat; shake yourself loose as you stand, and repeat; when fully loose, stand with your feet together, hands at your side, drop your shoulders, and let your thinking sink to your core — to your tan tien, located 2-3 fingers widths below the navel.

1. Opening: Facing the river, shift your weight to the right foot and sidestep left, sink, relax, and release your chi from the tan tien, and hold in your hands as you would the moon; turn to step left, to the East, upriver;

2. Part Wild Horse’s Mane: With weight on the left foot, pull your right hand across the left forearm as if caressing a bird; step right and repeat, stepping left again, and hold; [Blog Post #13.]

3. White Crane Spreads Wings: Float your right arm, out and up; weight on the right foot, step left with pointed toes, hold; then bring the hands together with a clap and turn to step left, North, toward town; [Blog Post #15.]

4. Clap and Step: Clap and turn, stepping toward the river; clap and turn to step left, upriver (aka Brush Knee and Step Forward)

5. Strumming the Lute: Mimic strumming a lute with your hands, weight on the right foot, step forward with the left, heal first, hold;

6. Four Backward Steps: With weight even, let your right arm fall as you turn toward the river, inhale as you bring the right arm forward to strum your left hand, and exhale as the left foot steps backward; repeat for 3 more repulse steps; (aka Repulse Monkey)

7. Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail on the Left: Turn, stepping left, caress the bird perched on your arm, let your hands become birds as you turn your body; slowly grasp your hands together, push forward, then rock back, hands open, and turn your body to the West, downstream;

8. Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail on the Right (repeat the above);

9. Single Whip I: Raise left hand up from your tan tien to the chin, open the arm, and hold with an open palm as stepping left while raising the right arm level to the shoulders, showing a hook hand —and sink as if you are carrying water with a one arm yoke;

10. Wave Hands Like Clouds: Bring your feet together while circling the body with your right hand; side-step left while circling the body with the other hand; feet come together while circling the body with the other hand; in other words, three sidesteps with waving hands as clouds; [Blog Post #18.]

11. Single Whip II: (same as #9)

12. High Pat on Horse: Pose on your right foot, holding your left foot mid-step, and the right hand held high, like patting a huge horse;

13. Right Heel Kick: Put the left foot down and kick the right;

14. Strike to Ears with Both Fists: Form your hands into fists and bring them to your waist; stepping forward, strike, but stop short, open your fists;

15. Turn Body and Left Heal Kick: Keeping your arms up and stretched out as you turn to the left and kick;

16. Left-hand Acknowlege the Serpent in the Grass & Stand as a Crane on One Foot:

17. Right-hand Acknowleges the Serpent in the Grass & Stand as a Crane on One Foot:

18. Shuttle Back and Forth: Put the foot down, caress the bird, and turn toward the town with open arms; turn around, caress the bird, and open arms toward the river, as if weaving a rug of your location;

19. Searching for Needles at Sea Bottom: Turn to step with the left leg bent at the knee, bending forward, pass right hand as if searching;

20. Fan Through Back: Stand and turn with hands held high, fingers touching;

21. Defect, Parry, and Punch: Bring arms down to mime defensive hands, leading to a soft punch;

22. Appears Closed: Inhale, raise arms, let float down with breath out —

    [Turn toward the river, stand with arms held out, your left hand leading the body, turning to the West, step left to begin the forms again.]

23. Cross Hands: Turn into a wide stance, arms reaching to gather up the chi with crossed hands;

24. Closing: Bring your feet together, stand tall, and let your arms fall to your side with a breath out.

    

[Blog Post #9 has two videos of the 24 Forms. Check out the other Posts from when I led classes at the Monroe Y.]

For Follow-Along Tai Chi in the Park, we will meet in Kla Ha Ya Park on the Snohomish Riverfront Trail at 8 a. every Saturday through the summer.

We will do two sets of 24 Forms, one to the East and a second to the West. Both sets take around 10 minutes to complete. We can repeat the forms if there is interest. Plan on less than an hour duration;  but it’s not a class; it’s a practice, and it's Free —simply Show up.

Got all that, Sis?

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