Tai chi warm up exercises
Stand straight but relax your neck and suspend the head from the centre of your crown. Imagine this – you are a money box and somebody has just put a big gold coin in a slot right on the top of your head. That’s your crown! As the money falls, straighten but relax your body so it falls in a straight line. If it were to fall straight through you, it should land on the floor between your feet, but if you have your belly or backside sticking out, it will be pushed away from the centre, so this helps you to check your alignment. Relax and loosen all the joints.
Start in the posture called Embracing the Tree. This means you gently raise your arms from sides to hold a circle at chest level with your palms turned inward, remember to keep your elbows down. Now turn your palms so one faces up and the other down and as the downward facing palm reaches for the sky, allow the upward facing palm to slide down towards the hip on that same side. Breathe naturally and repeat three times each side.
Now begin to turn the shoulders and waist gently in the direction of the raised arm and allow your eyes to follow the raised hand. As the arms pass each other in the centre of the body, ensure your eyes are level and gazing ahead, this means you are getting a good rotation of the neck. Repeat six times each side. Now return your hands to the centre position at chest level, so you care back in Embracing the Tree. Stay here for a few seconds, focusing on your breath.
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