Teaching tai chi yesterday was interesting. Only one kid returned from the prior session; but I had about twelve altogether. It looks like we’ll be working in the Dance Studio. We did about a half-hour of push-hands, since that’s an easy entry into tai chi, and then some qi gong (Five Golden Coins), and a less instruction-heavy version of Eight Pieces of Silk. And then the form. Always the form.
My own practice today was four iterations of the form, facing each of the four directions. I think this is rapidly becoming my go-to standard. I still do each form too fast, but when I remember to breathe correctly and slow down, it’s a good workout.
There’s something brewing in my mind about the relationship between the outward movement and breathwork, but it’s not completely solidified yet. I remember my teacher talking about breathing in on the expansion of the body — when pressing outward or pushing or expanding the zone that the body manages/controls, the breath is drawn in at that point. This means waiting for the moment of the breathwork to be right so that the action is both controlled and explosive even when slow.
But that’s not it, exactly. I’m going to have to think on this further.
I also did my druidic practices this morning, including a good 20 minutes of meditation in sitting posture.
