Posture checklist
- Feet: hip-width, weight even
- Knees: soft, over the toes
- Hips: relaxed, as if perching on a stool
- Spine: tall and upright
- Shoulders: dropped and relaxed
- Head: crown lifted, chin slightly in
The 4 basic stances
Footprints from above, with the weight on each foot.
Beginners: keep every stance high, with just a soft bend in the knees.
How to breathe
- In and out through the nose, into the belly.
- Never hold or force it.
- Later: rising and opening on the in-breath, sinking and pushing on the out-breath.
10 principles of tai chi
Yang Chengfu's Ten Essentials, in plain English.
- Lift the crownas if a thread lifts your head
- Soften the chestlet the upper back widen
- Lead with the waistthe arms follow its turn
- Know your weighted legone leg full, one empty
- Drop shoulders and elbowseven with arms raised
- Intention, not forceuse only the effort needed
- Move as one piecehands, waist and feet together
- Mind and breath togetherattention stays on the movement
- Keep flowingno pauses or jerks
- Stillness in motionthe body moves, the mind is calm
5-minute warm-up
| Exercise | How | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Neck turns | Look over each shoulder | 5 each side |
| Shoulder rolls | Big, slow circles | 8 each way |
| Swinging arms | Turn the waist, arms loose | 20 swings |
| Hip circles | Hands on hips, level circles | 6 each way |
| Knee bends | Small bends, heels down | 10 |
| Ankle circles | Hold a chair if needed | 6 each way |
| Shake out | Loosen hands and arms | 20 seconds |
Your first 4 weeks
| Week | Do this |
|---|---|
| 1 | 5-minute calm, every day |
| 2 | Beginner flow, 4 to 5 days |
| 3 | Beginner flow, plus Commencing Form and Cloud Hands |
| 4 | Balance builder twice, and start group 1 of the 24-form |
Want it on paper? The free 28-Day Tai Chi for Beginners PDF turns this into one move a day for 28 days.
Common beginner mistakes
| Instead of | Do this |
|---|---|
| Locked knees | Keep a soft bend |
| Knee past the toes, or caving in | Knee over the ankle, in line with the toes |
| Leaning to reach | Shift your weight instead |
| Holding your breath | Let it go and breathe naturally |
| Going low too soon | Stay high; depth comes later |
| Rushing | Slow down. Slower is the point |
| Tense shoulders | Check and drop them every minute |
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