Yang Family Tai Chi Discussion Board

Hello, I am new to this board and to Tai Chi. I had my first class just yesterday. I loved it!! It was totally awesome!! I am the sort of person who just thinks about work all the time. And I needed to find an exercise that I could do that also uses my brain. I can't just walk or jog because my mind just thinks about work the whole time. It was great!! I can't think about work and do Tai Chi at the same time...it's impossible. And, after class I had so much energy I didn't even know what to do with myself. I cleaned my entire house top to bottom and did my laundry. When it was time for bed I wasn't even the least bit tired yet...it took me for ever to get off to sleep. When you all first started do you remember if you had this "extra engergy" experience? If so, does it level off after a while? I enjoy having extra energy but I think that was a little too much extra energy...I need to sleep too!! LOL

When I began to learn Taichi, I had the same experience. It's a brand new thing for me. I was a little nervous and excited, so I couldn't sleep very well. Later I felt ache in my knees, thighs, legs, back and waist which made me wake up at midnight.Now seven months passed, Taichi has worked on me. All my friends have asked me the reason why I looks so good, the healthy skin, more energetic. My teacher told me the longer you play Taichi the more benefit you take from it. That's true. I really believe it. Now I have had good sleep everyday. So I suppose the "extra energy" is probably from your mind at the beginning of the playing Taichi. That's natural. You'll be fine after days playing.

Yeah, I'm a abit sore...not too bad though. It's a good kind of sore though. Not like I've done major damage to myself kind of sore. Then yesterday I was in a bowl-a-thon and I've only bowled 2 other times in my life so I'm not sure what part of my muscle soreness today is from the Tai Chi and what part of it is from the bowling but it doesn't really matter, it's all good. When I got to the studio for my class the saber class was in session. WOW!! That was some pretty impressive stuff!! I was watching them thinking, "I'd lop off an ear or something!!!!" LOL

[This message has been edited by black cat (edited 03-31-2003).]

after about two weeks playing your knees will sore and it will last maybe two months. if you finish learning 103 style taichi quan, it is not difficult to learn knife and saber. i believe you will get it easily.

Well, right now I'm feeling it mostly in my shoulder blade area, my knees, and my butt. The shoulder blade area is something that needs work because I injured that area in a car accident a few years ago so strengthening that area can only be a good thing. And my butt, like many women, needs work so the fact that Tai Chi works that part of my body is also a good thing as well. I've tried other excercise program like weight lifting but it seems that every time I try something new I end up severe pain as in dammaging pain so I have to stop. I can feel the Tai Chi but it's not so sore that I feel injured and end up in dire need of medical attention. I really like "Opening" because I can do it any time and people around me don't even know I'm doing it and it feels good. I was also thrilled to find out that if I plant my feet right and shift my body weight right I can stand agaist someone twice my size and they can't knock me over. That is too cool!! My husband's friend is a martial arts guy and is twice my size. I had him try to knock me off balance and he couldn't and then I learned something really cool. If some one is pressing on you like that and you just go limp and relaxed they fall down. Or if I shift my weight to my back foot instead of the front one while grabbing their hands I can use their body weight to pull them over. That is just too cool!!

[This message has been edited by black cat (edited 04-01-2003).]

If the pain/ache is in your lower sides of neck, shoulder blades, and legs above the knee: likely from the bowling. If you even visualize mentally doing the act of bowling - you may notice your attention of what areas the force/weight is sent to. Being able to do this visualization is of great benefit for enhancing all physical actions and allowing the notice of where you should focus for sending chi to heal damage. Thanks.

The 'pain in the butt' could also be from the bowling... It's lower butt where attaches to leg (sciatic area) likely. When you don't tuck the tailbone during any physical actions, high chance of issues in this area. Do this: inhale, bring hands up the front of your body lightly touching the skin starting just below the navel/belly button, once reach the top of your head you should feel as if you stretched your chest and abdominal muscles, lengthening them upwards (which follows with the spine lengthening and opening). Feel like your head is lightly held as if by a string, then feel/notice your weight as it drops down the back. When it reaches the lower end of your rear/butt, you will notice the weight gets stuck/caught there. To release it into the legs: slightly tuck the tailbone forward. You will feel it drop to the knees: slightly 'press' them outward to feel the weight drop to the outsides of the feet. The adjustments to the feet are more subtle, but the main intention is to actively relax, (not limp), and adjust as needed until you no longer feel the strain in any part of your body, but instead you're allowing it to go into the ground. This intention needs to always be maintained in all actions in your life until you no longer need to pay attention to it, it just happens out of trained habit forming. If you do this, likely you'll be well with anything you do, not needing any correction of movements by your teacher to prevent detrimental effects from incorrect posture (although adjustments to movement for martial benefits etc.) will likely still be called for. Thanks.

I need to sleep too!! LOL