12 methods to slow down your Tai Chi and life and totally relax you

If you are doing your Tai Chi right, you should feel Qi/ Energy flowing around your body during or after practice. Some people never feel the Qi. The reason cause this is either they don’t have the correct movements or they didn’t slow down their movements. Same methods can apply to your common life.

Here are 6 methods to help you slow down your Tai Chi movement
1. Don’t hurry on transition movements.
You need to have even speed; You should pay as much attention to transitions as the single form.

2. Do it slowly when landing or lifting foot, and leg.
Step like a Cat. Any noise made while stepping means you are moving too fast

3. Complete one move before going to the next one.
If you didn’t complete a move, then you are wasting time doing your Tai Chi. Only completed each movement, then you did the whole Tai Chi. Take your time and complete the moves.

4. Upper and lower body coordination
Lower body move faster than upper body is a common mistake of beginners. Slow down your lower body and make sure it moves together with upper body as one piece.

5. Shoulder relax and Elbow drop down
Keep your shoulder relaxed and elbow drop down will help you slow down your movements.

6. Don’t double weight.
Double weight is like multitasking, it’s defiantly a cause of fast movements.

Now, here are 6 methods to help you slow down your life and help you relaxed, each one is kind of related to the 6 methods I mentioned above.

1. Leave some time in between your appointments
It will give you time to prepare the next meeting or adjust from last one. You will be less stressed when you are prepared.

2. Walk and talk slow to show your confidence
3 minutes late for an appointment will not cause you losing a job or kill you. Fast steps only show people you are such stressed person.

3. Get your projects done well rather than roughly finished
Rather than hurry and finish both projects, take your time and finish the cardinal project well and ask your boss for extension for the second one because you need it done well. You could finish both projects quickly but with bad quality, you will please no one.

4. Coordination between your plan and actual meeting
Always make sure how much time needed for the meeting, and the topics need to be discussed and prepare. Make sure don’t go out of the topic and if it went over time, politely tell others you have next meeting to go, exit and pick up/schedule another meeting.

5. Straight your back and lose your shoulder
Right body structure is important to help you relax. Whether you are sitting in front of a computer or walking, straight your back will release pressure to your neck, and lose your shoulder will also help your total body relaxation.

6. Don’t multitask
Just like what we mentioned in Tai Chi method 6, multitask will bring stress.

Enjoy some relaxed time!


Copyright by Huan's Tai Chi 2009