Oriental Wellness & Acupuncture

Tai Chi is the ultimate state of the balance between Yin and Yang.

Yin and Yang are two opposite forces in the natural world, but they are interconnected and interdependent.

Yin traits are cold, dark, down, in, receiving...such as moon, winter, water, inhale...

Yang traits are warm, light, up, out, giving...such as sun, summer, fire, exhale...

Tai Chi practice is to balance Yin and Yang in the levels of body, mind and soul to achieve sustainable wellness, and to make you live healthier, happier, and longer.

Every movements/forms can be divided into Yin and Yang parts, which helps you to be in sync with your breathing cycles.

FORM 1. COMMENCING

Keep torso straight, relax shoulder, close your eyes and hold belly. The coccyx is pointed a little bit upward. Sink weight to the right foot, and step out to the left about shoulder width. Toes grasp the group firmly. Cleanse mind and breathe in slowly as two hands rise to the height your shoulder/neck. Hold your breath for 1-2 seconds and exhale, lower the hands to the hip (Dan Tian); as the same time, bent your knees.

FORM 2-1 . PART THE WILD HORSE'S MANE LEFT

Slowly rise up to normal height. Circle right arm counter-clockwise up to shoulder height and draw left arm to waist to form “Holding the Tai Chi Ball” position. At the same time, draw the left foot to the side of the right foot so that you can twist your torso slightly to the left; Relax and gently inhale.

Step diagonally to the left to form left bow stance. At the same time, bring left hand forward and up to the “horse chin” and use the right hand to “comb the mane” to your hip level. Keep head upright; Exhale gently. Pay attention to the curves of your extremities.

FORM 2-2 . PART THE WILD HORSE'S MANE RIGHT

Shift the weight back to the right leg, pivot on the left heel to your quarter left, gradually shift the weight to your front (left) foot and close the rare (right) foot to the side of the left foot; Drawing the left and right hand to the top and bottom of the Tai Chi ball respectively; Relax and gently inhale.

Step diagonally to the right to form right bow stance. At the same time, bring right hand forward and up to the “horse chin” and use the left hand to “comb the mane” to your hip level. Keep head upright. Exhale gently.

FORM 2-3 . PART THE WILD HORSE'S MANE LEFT

Shift the weight back to the left leg, pivot on the right heel to your quarter right, gradually shift the weight to your front (right) foot and close the rare (left) foot to the side of the right foot; Drawing the right and left hand to the top and bottom of the Tai Chi ball respectively; Relax and gently inhale. Step diagonally to the left to form left bow stance. At the same time, bring left hand forward and up to the “horse chin” and use the right hand to “comb the mane” to your hip level. Keep head upright; Exhale gently.

FORM 3. PLAY THE LUTE

Shift the weight to the right leg and then move the left foot a half step forward. Gradually squat on the right leg while flex the left heel touching the ground. At the same time, lift the left hand upward to the nose level and lower the right hand to chest level (inside of the left elbow)

FORM 4-1. REVERSE REELING FOREARM LEFT

(The illustrations are backward in this form) Twist your right forearm with palm up; drop the forearm and move backwards to draw an arc until your right hand is about the shoulder height, while twist your torso quarter to your right. Then, twist your left forearm with palm up; drop the forearm and move backwards while pushing your right arm forward as if dusting off the left sleeve using the right hand (exchange arms). Twist your torso quarter to your left. At the same time, step back with your left foot.

FORM 4-2. REVERSE REELING FOREARM RIGHT

Twist your right forearm with palm up; drop the forearm and move backwards to draw an arc until your right hand is about the shoulder height, while pushing your left arm forward as if dusting off the right sleeve using the left hand (exchange arms). At the same time, twist your torso quarter to your right. Step back with your right foot.

FORM 4-3. REVERSE REELING FOREARM LEFT

Twist your left forearm with palm up; drop the forearm and move backwards while pushing your right arm forward as if dusting off the left sleeve using the right hand. Twist your torso quarter to your left. At the same time, step back with your left foot.

FORM 5. WHITE CRANE SPREADS ITS WINGS

Draw the right foot backward a half step, turn both hands clockwise like rolling a big ball (the right hand downward and left hand upward). Then, right hand moves up and left hand moves down as a crane spreading its wings. Finish with the right hand above the head and palm forward, and left hand about the hip height. AT the same time, gradually squat on the right leg with left toes touching the ground. Relax and exhale as the weight settles down in the back right leg.

FORM 6-1. BRUSH KNEES AND STEP FORWARD LEFT

Draw right hand a semicircle. Then brush left knee with left hand and push right palm straight forward. Step the left foot forward to form a left bow stance. The torso should twist to the direction of the moving hands.

FORM 6-2. BRUSH KNEES AND STEP FORWARD RIGHT

Draw the right leg forward and lift the knee; brush right knee with right hand and push left hand straight forward; Step the right foot forward to form a right bow stance.

FORM 6-3. BRUSH KNEES AND STEP FORWARD LEFT

Draw the left leg forward and lift the knee; brush left knee with left hand and push right hand straight forward; Step the left foot forward to form a left bow stance.

FORM 7. NEEDLE AT THE SEA BOTTOM

(Backward illustration) Step forward a half step with the right leg. Spin two arms forward alternatively till the right hand is about the ear level and left to the hip level. Lift up the left leg and step forward a half step into a left toe stance. Settle the weight into the right leg. Squat slowly reaching down with the right fingers pointing downward.

FORM 8-1. SHUTTLE BACK AND FORTH RIGHT

(Backward illustration) Close the left foot and shift your weight onto the left leg. Twist your torso to the right and step your right foot forward. Then shift your body weight onto the right leg and from a right bow stance. At the same time, rotate the right arm above your forehead with the palm facing forward, and push the left hand forward.

FORM 8-2. SHUTTLE BACK AND FORTH LEFT

(Backward illustration) Draw the left foot to the right foot and form “holding ball” position. Twist your torso to the left and step out the left foot to form a left bow stance. At the same time, rotate the left arm above your forehead with the palm facing forward, and push the right hand forward.

FORM 9 GRASP SPARROW'S TAIL LEFT

First form right holding ball position. Then,

a. Ward Off

Similar to “Part the mane”, move left hand upward and forward to chest height while right hand downward and backward to the hip level. At the same time, form left bow stance.

b. Rollback

Now imagine your two hands are two fish tails: they are both moving to up left with the tails pointing to the right in a curve, and then move backward and downward to the right with the tails pointing to the left. Rotate the torso to the direction of the two hands. Shift the weight back and forth with the hands' move.

c. Press

When two hands move to the far right, cross the hands, and use right hand to push left hand (palm to palm) to the left.

d. Push

Draw both hands back to the two sides of the waist in a curve with both palms facing forward and downward. Shift your weight to the rear foot. Then push both hands forward and upward, and shift your weight to the front foot.

FORM 10 GRASP SPARROW'S TAIL RIGHT

First form left holding ball position. Then,

a. Ward Off

Similar to “Part the mane”, move right hand upward and forward till chest height while right hand downward and backward till hip level. At the same time, form right bow stance.

b. Rollback

Now imagine your two hands are two fish tails: they are both moving to up right with the tails pointing to the left in a curve, and then move backward and downward to the left with the tails pointing to the right. Rotate the torso to the direction of the two hands. Shift the weight back and forth with the hands' move.

c. Press

When two hands move to the far left, cross the hands, and use left hand to push right hand (palm to palm) to the right.

d. Push

FORM 11. SINGLE WHIP

Do vertical cloud hand once. As the right arm gets to the right, the right hand extends quarter to the right and is shaped into a beak style (thumb touches the other fingers and all fingers point down). The weight shifts between the legs with the upper moving hand. When the left palm passes in front of your face, open up your forearm like an ax striking forward. At the same time the body settles into a left bow stance.

FORM 12. VERTICAL CLOUD HANDS

Repeat vertical cloud hands three times. Step your left foot aside when right arm moves outwards, and close the gap with your right foot when the left arm moves outwards. The torso rotates in the direction of the upper moving hand.

FORM 13. SINGLE WHIP

It is the same movement as form 11. As the right arm gets to the right, the right hand extends quarter to the right and is shaped into a beak style . The weight shifts between the legs with the upper moving hand. When the left palm passes in front of your face, open up the forearm like an ax striking forward. At the same time the body settles into a left bow stance.

FORM 14. PAT THE HORSE ON THE BACK

Draw the right foot forward a half-step. The right hand changes into an open hand with the palm facing up, and moves in a downward arc to the waist level. Push the right hand forward. Settle the weight into the right leg and form left toe stance.

FORM 15. KICK WITH RIGHT HEEL

Lift left foot and cross the right foot. Circle both hands outward in a circle and down. Lift the right knee and kick with the right heel to your quarter right. At the same time, circle both hands upwards and bring both hands in front of the face to form cross hands, and then push both hands to your sides.

FORM 16. HITTING YOUR OPPONENT'S EARS WITH BOTH FISTS

Draw the right knee back into the body to waist level and draw both hands down and bring the elbows to the sides of the body. Step right foot forward to form right bow stance. At the same time, circle the hands outward and upward to the head level (to strike the opponent's temples with both fists).

FORM 17. KICK WITH LEFT HEEL

(Backward illustration) Shift your weight to the rare left foot so that you can pivot on your right heal to the left. Then shift you weight to your right foot in order to pivot on your left heal to the left. now you should face backwards. Circle both hands outward in a circle and down. Lift the left knee and kick with the left heel to your quarter left. At the same time, circle both hands upwards and bring both hands in front of the face to form cross hands, and then push both hands to your sides.

FORM 18. SNAKE CREEPS DOWN, ROOSTER STANDS ON THE LEFT LEG

(Backward illustration) Squat down on your right leg. Circle the left arm clockwise in front of your chest, and right hand forms a beak form. Draw the left arm down along inside of left leg towards left ankle and bring it up, at the same time stand up to form left bow stance. Draw right leg up until level with hip, at the same time, move the right hand in a curve forward and upward, and then flex the elbow over right knee with fingers pointing up. The left hand is settled by the hip.

FORM 19. SNAKE CREEPS DOWN, ROOSTER STANDS ON THE RIGHT LEG

(Backward illustration) Turn a quarter to the left and squat down on your left leg. Circle the right arm counter-clockwise in front of your chest, and left hand forms a beak form. Draw the right arm down along inside of right leg towards left ankle and bring it up, at the same time stand up to form right bow stance. Draw left leg up until level with hip, at the same time, move the left hand in a curve forward and upward, and then flex the elbow over left knee with fingers pointing up. The right hand is settled by the hip.

FORM 20. FLASHING THE ARMS LIKE A FAN

Lift the left leg up and make left bow stance. The two hands circle clockwise and cross, then move left hand forward while the right forearm moves up and back to the right.

FORM21. DEFLECT AND PUNCH

Move the two hands to the right in a curve with palm facing to the front, and make a back turn (move the weight to right leg, pivot your left heel, and then move to the weight back to left leg and pivot your right heel). Turn the two hands into firsts and circle the left one with right one, and strike the right fist to your right. At the same time, step your right foot out. Bring back your right forearm and push the right first forward, with left palm open, facing down to the right forearm and moving backwards. At the same time, settle our weight on right foot and step out your left foot to form left bow stance.

FORM 22. CLOSE AND PUSH

Twist your right fist with palm facing up and gradually open it. At the same time draw the left hand forward under the right forearm with palm facing upward. Then bring back two hands with palm facing down to your chest (weight shift to your right rear foot) and then push forward (weight shift your left front foot)

FORM 23. CROSS HANDS

(Backward illustration) Make a right turn (pivot on your right heal to the right, then shift your weight to your right leg so that the left foot could turn right). Draw your right hand to your right and bring both hands down and up to form cross hands in front your chest.

FORM 24. CLOSING

Gradually push your two hands down until they are fully extended and rest against the sides of the thighs. Step the left foot back to the side of right foot.