Movement Sixteen: The Flywheel
The Transition: At the end of the last movement, remain crouching, bend down from your waist. Put your arms hanging in front of you.
The Movement: Turn your torso to the left, begin to inhale, stand up, raise your arms up follow by your torso until they reach the 12 O’clock position. Begin to exhale, turn your torso to the right, keep your arms parallel and move them in parallel clockwise in front of you, stretching them as much as you can, until they are back in the six o’clock position. As you make the circle, leave your waist loose so that your torso would turn left and right in natural harmony with your arms’ movement. This is one movement cycle. Do three cycles clockwise, followed by three cycles counterclockwise.
The Breathing: Inhale when your arms are moving upward; exhale when they are moving downward.
The Imagery: Imagine you were just a little kid, loitering in the backyard with nothing much to do but trying to do something anyway.
Movement Seventeen: Playing with the Ball
The Movement: Stand straight with your feet about a foot apart and your arms hanging on your sides. Begin to inhale. Concurrently raise your right hand (with palm facing down) and your left knee in front of you, and make your right leg stand on its toes. Lower your right hand and your left leg and assume a crouching position. Begin to exhale, raise your left hand and right leg and do the same movement. This is one movement cycle. Do this six times.
The Breathing: Inhale when raising right hand and left leg; exhale when raising left hand and right leg.
The Imagery: Imagine you were a little kid playing with the ball.
Remark: When rising up, the upward momentum of the knee helps the body rise up. Practice will allow you to gain good balance and to make the movement not jerky but graceful.
Movement Eighteen: Calming Down
The Movement: Assume a crouching position (torso straight up not leaning forward) with arms hanging in front and with palms facing up and fingertips of both hands touching slightly. Begin to inhale very slowly and move your hands up your front (fingers touching) until they reach the eye level. Then turn your palms facing down, begin to exhale and, while your hands slowly go down your front, lower your body to the crouching position with your hands by your thighs. This is one movement cycle. Do this six times.
The Breathing: Inhale when hands moving up; exhale when hands moving down.
The Imagery: At this time, you should be mentally peaceful and emotionally calm, without no grudge against anybody nor remorse for any bad deed. This is a good place to start your day (or sleep).
Remark: As you raise your hands, imagine your body is being filled with clean, life nourishing air as your hands move up. Feel that air “filling up” your abdomen before it reaches your chest.
A Closing Meditation
After you have finished the 18 movements and before you leave this peaceful state of mind, remain standing and relax your whole body, close your eyes and do a few deep breathing in a meditation pose. Use this minute to capture the feeling that you have your feet firmly in the ground and are ready to start your day with the utmost self confidence. If you are doing the exercise at night, feel the freedom from all the worries and problems of the day.
So here you have a description of the entire Body-Mind Exercise, or Taichi Light. A DVD presenting the entire exercise plus a talk about the key points in learning and practicing this exercise is available at www.taichilight.com.
Showing posts with label taichi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label taichi. Show all posts
Jun 9, 2008
May 4, 2008
What is Taichi Light: Part 6
Movement Thirteen: Big Bird Flipping its Wings
The Movement: At the end of the last movement, while leaning forward with your arms outstretched, flip your hands to a horizontal position with your fingertips almost touching. Begin to inhale, rock back to resting on your right foot while opening your arms all the way. Then, begin to exhale and close your arms until your fingertips are almost touching. Keep your hands loosely hinged on your forearms and let them swing as your arms move. This is one movement cycle. Do 12 cycles.
The Breathing: Inhale when opening your arms; exhale when closing your arms.
The Imagery: Imagine you were a huge bird, cruising high up in the sky, looking down on the human race with all its foibles. You are miles away from that mess and without a scintilla of worry.
Movement Fourteen: The Kung-Fu Horseback Pose
The Transition: At the end of the last movement, move your hands to your waist and make the upward facing fists. Move your left foot back and crouch down slightly.
The Movement: Inhale fully. Raise your right fist to the chest level, turn it upside down and, as you exhale, slowly thrust it forward as far as it can go as if you were hitting an imaginary object. Then inhale and retrieve your fist and return it to its starting position. This is one movement cycle. Do this six times, alternating right and left. (Do not thrust your fists fast. Move slowly and decisively. Like a tank. It moves slowly but it can’t be stopped.
The Breathing: Inhale when retrieving your fist; exhale when thrusting your fist.
The Imagery: Imagine you were a kung-fu master living a solitary life in the wilderness, practicing your kung-fu skill every morning.
Movement Fifteen: A Giant Crane Taking Off
The Transition: At the end of the last movement, hold the crouching position and let your arms hang on your sides.
The Movement: Begin to inhale, stand up and raise your outstretched arms as if they were your wings until they are 12 O’clock high and your are standing on your toes. Then, exhale and lower yourself down all the way to the crouching position with your arms flipping slowly down. This is one movement cycle. Do this six times.
The Breathing: Inhale when standing up; exhale when crouching down.
The Imagery: Imagine you were a big crane trying to take off after a heavy meal.
The Movement: At the end of the last movement, while leaning forward with your arms outstretched, flip your hands to a horizontal position with your fingertips almost touching. Begin to inhale, rock back to resting on your right foot while opening your arms all the way. Then, begin to exhale and close your arms until your fingertips are almost touching. Keep your hands loosely hinged on your forearms and let them swing as your arms move. This is one movement cycle. Do 12 cycles.
The Breathing: Inhale when opening your arms; exhale when closing your arms.
The Imagery: Imagine you were a huge bird, cruising high up in the sky, looking down on the human race with all its foibles. You are miles away from that mess and without a scintilla of worry.
Movement Fourteen: The Kung-Fu Horseback Pose
The Transition: At the end of the last movement, move your hands to your waist and make the upward facing fists. Move your left foot back and crouch down slightly.
The Movement: Inhale fully. Raise your right fist to the chest level, turn it upside down and, as you exhale, slowly thrust it forward as far as it can go as if you were hitting an imaginary object. Then inhale and retrieve your fist and return it to its starting position. This is one movement cycle. Do this six times, alternating right and left. (Do not thrust your fists fast. Move slowly and decisively. Like a tank. It moves slowly but it can’t be stopped.
The Breathing: Inhale when retrieving your fist; exhale when thrusting your fist.
The Imagery: Imagine you were a kung-fu master living a solitary life in the wilderness, practicing your kung-fu skill every morning.
Movement Fifteen: A Giant Crane Taking Off
The Transition: At the end of the last movement, hold the crouching position and let your arms hang on your sides.
The Movement: Begin to inhale, stand up and raise your outstretched arms as if they were your wings until they are 12 O’clock high and your are standing on your toes. Then, exhale and lower yourself down all the way to the crouching position with your arms flipping slowly down. This is one movement cycle. Do this six times.
The Breathing: Inhale when standing up; exhale when crouching down.
The Imagery: Imagine you were a big crane trying to take off after a heavy meal.
Apr 24, 2008
World Tai Chi & Qigong Day
This coming Saturday, April 26, is the annual World Tai Chi and Qigong Day, and this year is the 10th anniversary of the international event to promote Tai Chi's health maintenance values. According to Angela and Bill Douglas, co-founder of the event, this year the event will be celebrated in more than 60 countries of the world and all 50 American states. Celebration will begin at 10 AM local time, beginning in New Zealand, as thousands and thousands of Tai chi practitioners perform group exercise to commemorate this Day. As a Taichi practitioner, I admire the Douglases for their efforts and enthusiasm and faith in promoting this very beneficial exercise, and I wish them further success.
Already in many Asian cities, groups of people of all ages practicing Tai Chi in unison is a common scene. Visitors to China especially can always see people practicing Taichi in parks or in their own yards.
In the Western society, I have noticed that in many people's mind, Taichi is still a somewhat mysterious activity with a violent bend. Whereas Taichi might have been practiced in the ancient time in China for self-defense purpose, that would have been only for people who lived in the wild unprotected by the civilized community. By far more people practiced it for health purposes or as a performing martial art. In China, Taichi has been a very popular health maintenance exercise for the past century and no one think it has anything to do with self-defense.
Another misconception about Taichi is that it is an exercise for women and the very old. In the Western society, there is a mindset especially among males that glorifies speed and physical strength. Since Taichi exercise appears gentle and slow, it is "un-masculine" and therefore not something for a self-respecting male. While pursuing speed is sometime necessary, the body also needs to relax in order to rejuvenate itself. The value of "inner strength" in a person, something that Taichi exercise helps cultivate, is often missed by those who has only a superficial perception.
Yet another misconception of Taichi is that it is too complicated. To some extent this is true. Not only there are several different "family" styles, there are exercises with different numbers of movements. I myself did attempt to learn Taichi about 20 years ago, but gave up after a few weeks. Now I practice a simplified form of Taichi /Qigong exercise which I call The Body-Mind Exercise, or Taichi Light. This exercise take 18 basic Taichi movements and repeat each one six times, thus it is easier to learn and to practice. I thought if people are discouraged from learning Taichi because it is too difficult, then this simplified form may encourage more people to learn. After all half a loaf is better than none. However, simplified or not, to really benefit from Taichi still requires persistence and consistent practice for a period of time.
In promoting the value of Taichi exercise around the world, there is a need to emphasize its benefits for people of all ages and for both genders. Having practiced Taichi for only 8 years, I have observed significant health improvement for myself. I only wish I had started practicing years ago. I can only imagine what our new generation will benefit health-wise if we make it a routine for elementary schools to have all school children do 15 minutes of Taichi each school day.
Already in many Asian cities, groups of people of all ages practicing Tai Chi in unison is a common scene. Visitors to China especially can always see people practicing Taichi in parks or in their own yards.
In the Western society, I have noticed that in many people's mind, Taichi is still a somewhat mysterious activity with a violent bend. Whereas Taichi might have been practiced in the ancient time in China for self-defense purpose, that would have been only for people who lived in the wild unprotected by the civilized community. By far more people practiced it for health purposes or as a performing martial art. In China, Taichi has been a very popular health maintenance exercise for the past century and no one think it has anything to do with self-defense.
Another misconception about Taichi is that it is an exercise for women and the very old. In the Western society, there is a mindset especially among males that glorifies speed and physical strength. Since Taichi exercise appears gentle and slow, it is "un-masculine" and therefore not something for a self-respecting male. While pursuing speed is sometime necessary, the body also needs to relax in order to rejuvenate itself. The value of "inner strength" in a person, something that Taichi exercise helps cultivate, is often missed by those who has only a superficial perception.
Yet another misconception of Taichi is that it is too complicated. To some extent this is true. Not only there are several different "family" styles, there are exercises with different numbers of movements. I myself did attempt to learn Taichi about 20 years ago, but gave up after a few weeks. Now I practice a simplified form of Taichi /Qigong exercise which I call The Body-Mind Exercise, or Taichi Light. This exercise take 18 basic Taichi movements and repeat each one six times, thus it is easier to learn and to practice. I thought if people are discouraged from learning Taichi because it is too difficult, then this simplified form may encourage more people to learn. After all half a loaf is better than none. However, simplified or not, to really benefit from Taichi still requires persistence and consistent practice for a period of time.
In promoting the value of Taichi exercise around the world, there is a need to emphasize its benefits for people of all ages and for both genders. Having practiced Taichi for only 8 years, I have observed significant health improvement for myself. I only wish I had started practicing years ago. I can only imagine what our new generation will benefit health-wise if we make it a routine for elementary schools to have all school children do 15 minutes of Taichi each school day.
Apr 16, 2008
What is Taichi Light: Part 5
Movement Ten: The Swiveling Mirror (or The Lighthouse)
The Transition: At the end of the last movement, move your left arm to eye level with the palm facing you at about a foot or so from your face. Extend your right arm while keeping your right elbow at your side as if you were hugging someone. Turn your upper torso all the way to the right.
The Movement: Begin to inhale and turn your torso slowly to the left as far as you can go (do not turn your lower body) while locking your gaze on your left palm as if it were a mirror. At the end of the turn, change the positions of the two arms by rotating them clockwise; begin to exhale and turn your torso all the way to the right. When rotating your arms at the end of a turn, take care to do it gracefully. This is one movement cycle. Do this six times.
The Breathing: Inhale when turning to the left. Exhale when turning to the right.
The Imagery: Imagine you were holding a mirror and looking at your face. Since the mirror is always on the move, you must follow it.
Movement Eleven: Casting the Big Fishnet
The Transition: At the end of the last movement, continue to exhale and take a step forward with your left leg; bend forward and cross your forearms in front of you knees.
The Movement: From the transition position, begin to inhale, raise your arms (right arm clockwise, left arm counterclockwise) in upward curves while raising your body to a backward leaning position, as if you were pulling up a huge fishnet. Then, begin to exhale, continue your arms’ trajectory downward while lowering your body to a forward leaning position, so that your arms would return to the starting position in front of your knees.
The Breathing: Inhale when you rise up and lean backward; exhale when you bend over forward.
The Imagery: Imagine you were a fisherman, casting a big net to bring in the catch.
Movement Twelve: Pushing the Waves
The Movement: From the leaning forward position at the end of the last movement, keep your left leg forward, move your body forward with your arms outstretched, palms facing down. Begin to inhale and, while slowly moving your body backward, draw your hands to your waist, using your fingers to make an undulating movement. At the same time, shift your weight to your right feet and rest your left foot on its heel as you lean back. Then, begin to exhale, extend your arms and move your body forward, again in an undulating movement as if you were playfully pushing the waves. At this point, you weight would rest on your left foot and your right foot would rest on its toes. This is one movement cycle. Do this 12 times.
The Breathing: Inhale when pulling back; exhale when pushing forward.
The Imagery: Imagine you were playing at a Hawaiian beach knee-deep in the warm and glistening water, helping wave after wave of that foaming liquid going back to the ocean.
Remark: The key is to use your hands and figers to imitate the undulating waves and put your body in a graceful rocking motion back and forth.
(To acquire a DVD video of Taichi Light, go to www.Taichilight.com)
The Transition: At the end of the last movement, move your left arm to eye level with the palm facing you at about a foot or so from your face. Extend your right arm while keeping your right elbow at your side as if you were hugging someone. Turn your upper torso all the way to the right.
The Movement: Begin to inhale and turn your torso slowly to the left as far as you can go (do not turn your lower body) while locking your gaze on your left palm as if it were a mirror. At the end of the turn, change the positions of the two arms by rotating them clockwise; begin to exhale and turn your torso all the way to the right. When rotating your arms at the end of a turn, take care to do it gracefully. This is one movement cycle. Do this six times.
The Breathing: Inhale when turning to the left. Exhale when turning to the right.
The Imagery: Imagine you were holding a mirror and looking at your face. Since the mirror is always on the move, you must follow it.
Movement Eleven: Casting the Big Fishnet
The Transition: At the end of the last movement, continue to exhale and take a step forward with your left leg; bend forward and cross your forearms in front of you knees.
The Movement: From the transition position, begin to inhale, raise your arms (right arm clockwise, left arm counterclockwise) in upward curves while raising your body to a backward leaning position, as if you were pulling up a huge fishnet. Then, begin to exhale, continue your arms’ trajectory downward while lowering your body to a forward leaning position, so that your arms would return to the starting position in front of your knees.
The Breathing: Inhale when you rise up and lean backward; exhale when you bend over forward.
The Imagery: Imagine you were a fisherman, casting a big net to bring in the catch.
Movement Twelve: Pushing the Waves
The Movement: From the leaning forward position at the end of the last movement, keep your left leg forward, move your body forward with your arms outstretched, palms facing down. Begin to inhale and, while slowly moving your body backward, draw your hands to your waist, using your fingers to make an undulating movement. At the same time, shift your weight to your right feet and rest your left foot on its heel as you lean back. Then, begin to exhale, extend your arms and move your body forward, again in an undulating movement as if you were playfully pushing the waves. At this point, you weight would rest on your left foot and your right foot would rest on its toes. This is one movement cycle. Do this 12 times.
The Breathing: Inhale when pulling back; exhale when pushing forward.
The Imagery: Imagine you were playing at a Hawaiian beach knee-deep in the warm and glistening water, helping wave after wave of that foaming liquid going back to the ocean.
Remark: The key is to use your hands and figers to imitate the undulating waves and put your body in a graceful rocking motion back and forth.
(To acquire a DVD video of Taichi Light, go to www.Taichilight.com)
Mar 28, 2008
What is Taichi Light: Part 4
Movement Seven: Salute to the Sun
The Movement: At the end of the last movement, as you are in a crouching position, begin to inhale, stand up and turn your torso slightly to the left and raise your right arm, palm facing up until it reaches over your eye level. Lift your right heel slightly so your can stretch higher. Follow your rising hand with your eyes. Keep your left elbow bend and your left hand at the waist with palm facing up. Then, begin to exhale as you lower your right arm and heel, crouching down and turning your torso to facing the front. Do six times alternating left and right.
The Breathing: Inhale when raising your arm. Exhale when lowering your arm.
The Imagery: Imagine you are alone in a beautiful beach just as the sun is rising.
Movement Eight: Turning Around to Watch the Stars
Transition: At the end of the last movement, while still in the crouching position, move your arms to form a circle in front of you as if you were holding a large ball.
The Movement: Begin to inhale. Slowly stand up while turning your torso to the left and back, and gently throwing your arms up in one continuous movement, so that your right hand would end up on top of your left shoulder and your left arm outstretched upwards. At the same time, turn your head to follow your left hand. Begin to exhale, turn your torso back and swing your arms slowly back and return to the crouching position. Take care to keep your arms and body moving in unison. This is one movement cycle. Do this six times alternating left and right.
The Breathing: Inhale when rising up; exhale when lowering down.
The Imagery: Imagine you are strolling on a prairie at night, playfully catching fireflies, and are surprised by some mysterious music coming from the sky. You turn around and look up to find some bright stars smiling at you.
Movement Nine: The Perfect handshake
Transition: At the end of the last movement, stand up, put your hands at your waist with palms facing up.
The Movement: Inhale fully. Then, as you turn your torso half way to the left, exhale and slowly extend your right hand with palm facing halfway left. Then, inhale as you retrieve your hand back to your side and turn to facing the front. This is one movement cycle. Do this six times, alternating left and right.
The Breathing: Inhale when retrieving a hand; exhale when extending a hand.
The Imagery: Imagine you were practicing that perfect handshake, even though you may not be a politician.
(To acquire a DVD video of the Taichi Light exercise, go to www.taichilight.com)
The Movement: At the end of the last movement, as you are in a crouching position, begin to inhale, stand up and turn your torso slightly to the left and raise your right arm, palm facing up until it reaches over your eye level. Lift your right heel slightly so your can stretch higher. Follow your rising hand with your eyes. Keep your left elbow bend and your left hand at the waist with palm facing up. Then, begin to exhale as you lower your right arm and heel, crouching down and turning your torso to facing the front. Do six times alternating left and right.
The Breathing: Inhale when raising your arm. Exhale when lowering your arm.
The Imagery: Imagine you are alone in a beautiful beach just as the sun is rising.
Movement Eight: Turning Around to Watch the Stars
Transition: At the end of the last movement, while still in the crouching position, move your arms to form a circle in front of you as if you were holding a large ball.
The Movement: Begin to inhale. Slowly stand up while turning your torso to the left and back, and gently throwing your arms up in one continuous movement, so that your right hand would end up on top of your left shoulder and your left arm outstretched upwards. At the same time, turn your head to follow your left hand. Begin to exhale, turn your torso back and swing your arms slowly back and return to the crouching position. Take care to keep your arms and body moving in unison. This is one movement cycle. Do this six times alternating left and right.
The Breathing: Inhale when rising up; exhale when lowering down.
The Imagery: Imagine you are strolling on a prairie at night, playfully catching fireflies, and are surprised by some mysterious music coming from the sky. You turn around and look up to find some bright stars smiling at you.
Movement Nine: The Perfect handshake
Transition: At the end of the last movement, stand up, put your hands at your waist with palms facing up.
The Movement: Inhale fully. Then, as you turn your torso half way to the left, exhale and slowly extend your right hand with palm facing halfway left. Then, inhale as you retrieve your hand back to your side and turn to facing the front. This is one movement cycle. Do this six times, alternating left and right.
The Breathing: Inhale when retrieving a hand; exhale when extending a hand.
The Imagery: Imagine you were practicing that perfect handshake, even though you may not be a politician.
(To acquire a DVD video of the Taichi Light exercise, go to www.taichilight.com)
Mar 19, 2008
What is Taichi Light: Part 3
Movement Four: Parting the Cloud
The Transition: At the end of the last movement, crouch down (keeping your back straight) and cross your arms in front of your knees (right arm in front.)
The Movement: Begin to inhale. Stand up while drawing large circles with your arms, right arm clockwise and left arm counter-clockwise, until they reach the 12 o’clock position. Then begin to exhale and, while crouching down, complete the circles by moving your arms downward until they cross in front of your knees again. This is one movement cycle. Do this six times.
The Breathing: Inhale while arms going up; exhale while arms coming down.
The Imagery: Imagine you were floating in mid air feeling absolutely free but with giant chunks of cloud float in front of you. To gain a better view you must use your arms to disperse the cloud.
Movement Five: Playing with a Toy Train
The Transition: At the end of the last movement, instead of moving your arms downward, movement them to the chest level and in an outstretched position in front of you, palm facing up.
The Movement: Begin to inhale, slowly draw your right hand down your right side in a large counter-clockwise circle and follow your hand with your eyes until it reach the highest point over your head. Begin to exhale, use your right hand to imitate a car coming down a roller coaster track until it slowly slip to stop when your arm becomes outstretched in front. Flip your hand upwards as you stop. This is one movement cycle. Do six cycles alternating left and right.
The Breathing: Inhale when moving the hand up; exhale when coming down.
The Imagery: Imagine you are a little child playing with your new toy train by running it over an imaginary roller coaster.
Movement Six: Back Stroke Swim
The Transition: At the end of the last movement, with your arms outstretched in front, continue to exhale, flip your palms downward and lower both arms to your sides while crouching down (keep your torso straight always).
The Movement: Begin to inhale as you draw your arms back, drawing two large arcs on your sides, ending up with both arms fully extending upward. At the same time, straighten your knees and stand up. Then, begin to exhale and continue to draw the circles by moving your arms downward while crouching down. In effect, your arms would be drawing two large circles on either side of you. Do this six times.
The Imagery: Imagine you were doing the back stroke swim on dry land. Who needs a swimming pool anyway?
(To acquire a DVD video of the Taichi Light exercise, go to www.taichilight.com)
The Transition: At the end of the last movement, crouch down (keeping your back straight) and cross your arms in front of your knees (right arm in front.)
The Movement: Begin to inhale. Stand up while drawing large circles with your arms, right arm clockwise and left arm counter-clockwise, until they reach the 12 o’clock position. Then begin to exhale and, while crouching down, complete the circles by moving your arms downward until they cross in front of your knees again. This is one movement cycle. Do this six times.
The Breathing: Inhale while arms going up; exhale while arms coming down.
The Imagery: Imagine you were floating in mid air feeling absolutely free but with giant chunks of cloud float in front of you. To gain a better view you must use your arms to disperse the cloud.
Movement Five: Playing with a Toy Train
The Transition: At the end of the last movement, instead of moving your arms downward, movement them to the chest level and in an outstretched position in front of you, palm facing up.
The Movement: Begin to inhale, slowly draw your right hand down your right side in a large counter-clockwise circle and follow your hand with your eyes until it reach the highest point over your head. Begin to exhale, use your right hand to imitate a car coming down a roller coaster track until it slowly slip to stop when your arm becomes outstretched in front. Flip your hand upwards as you stop. This is one movement cycle. Do six cycles alternating left and right.
The Breathing: Inhale when moving the hand up; exhale when coming down.
The Imagery: Imagine you are a little child playing with your new toy train by running it over an imaginary roller coaster.
Movement Six: Back Stroke Swim
The Transition: At the end of the last movement, with your arms outstretched in front, continue to exhale, flip your palms downward and lower both arms to your sides while crouching down (keep your torso straight always).
The Movement: Begin to inhale as you draw your arms back, drawing two large arcs on your sides, ending up with both arms fully extending upward. At the same time, straighten your knees and stand up. Then, begin to exhale and continue to draw the circles by moving your arms downward while crouching down. In effect, your arms would be drawing two large circles on either side of you. Do this six times.
The Imagery: Imagine you were doing the back stroke swim on dry land. Who needs a swimming pool anyway?
(To acquire a DVD video of the Taichi Light exercise, go to www.taichilight.com)
Mar 16, 2008
What is Taichi Light? Part 2
In this post, I will give you the general instructions about the exercise, and describe the first three movements. Once I learn how to put my video on my computer and section it, I will insert it in my posts. Since there are 18 movements in all, it will take several postings to give you the entire description of the exercise. Please be patient. I know it is difficult to learn the movements by reading a written description (that was how I learned it, though) I will not forget about putting the video here in the near future. In the meantime, if you want to go ahead, you may want to print out this posting for easy reference.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
The Basic Tai Chi-Qi Gong Exercise has three elements:
• The physical body movement,
• The continuous deep breathing, and
• The mental imagery.
These three elements occur concurrently during the exercise: while you move your body and limbs to perform each movement, you continue your breathing with one inhaling and exhaling for each movement cycle. At the same time, you mentally visualize the imagery that each movement is related to. While the physical pose and the mental imagery change from movement to movement, your deep breathing should flow smoothly, uninterrupted, throughout the entire exercise period.
There are 18 movements in the exercise; each one is repeated six times (each time is called a movement cycle) except for movements 12 and 13 which are repeated 12 times, making a total of 120 movement cycles. In other words, during this exercise you will be doing a total of 120 deep breaths continuously. Because some movements are longer than others, it is necessary to adjust the length of your breathing accordingly.
All the movements should be performed in slow motion and in a relaxed fashion. The purpose of this exercise is not to strengthen your muscles, but rather to calm your mind and clear your internal “chi” channels. In the beginning you may be tempted to move too fast and wind up finishing the exercise in 10 minutes or less. With practice, you will be able to settle into a relaxed mood and stretch the time to 15 to 20 minutes.
Although the movements are relatively simple compared to those in many other Tai Chi exercises, still the intricate stretching and turning of the arms and hands require some getting used to. Allow yourself a week or two (assuming you practice at least five times a week) to memorize all the poses and the transition from one movement to the next, until you can smoothly go through all the movements without peeking at the photos or the written description. Once you achieve that, you will be able to concentrate on the exercise and enjoy the relaxation and peace of mind it brings. Have patience. You are not in a competition.
You may do this exercise once or twice a day, or any time you need to calm down. The best times are early in the morning after you get up and before breakfast, and in the evening shortly before you retire. Try to find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed by family members or pets. Try not to let the telephone interrupt you. If weather permits, an outdoor spot facing trees and shrubbery such as a backyard or a park would be the best. Do not practice outdoor when it’s cold, windy or dark. Otherwise an indoor location with a window, preferably one overlooking some greenery, would be fine. Remember this exercise helps connect you to nature. If you live in a high rise apartment, then looking at the sky and a distant skyline would help.
Wear loose clothing, such as pajamas or jogging suit, so that your stretching and breathing are not restrained. Wear soft shoes or be bare-footed. A little soft music would help, but total silence is also appropriate. Try to immerse yourself totally in the exercise for the duration and concentrate on your mental imagery. When practicing in the morning, do a little stretching before you start.
A word about deep breathing: normally we breathe without being conscious of doing it. We only empty part of our lungs when we exhale, and take in perhaps half a lungful of air when we inhale. The benefit of deep breathing is that every time you breathe, you use almost the full capacity of your lungs and thus exercise all parts of your lungs and your diaphragm. While doing this exercise, try to empty your lungs as much as possible when you exhale, and fill them up as much as you can when you inhale, without straining yourself. Breathe through your nose only. Imagine your torso is a large bag and you are filling that bag with fresh air from the bottom up. Do not puff your chest. Coordinate your breathing with the speed of your movement.
There is an ancient Chinese breathing method practiced by kung fu masters and monks called “Tu Nar.” Instead of using your nose muscle to suck in air as we normally do, try to gently puff up your abdomen so that air is automatically sucked in through your nostrils. In the beginning, you may find it difficult to keep your nose from jumping in and help. With practice, you will be able to use your abdomen muscles more effectively to pull the air in, and feel the cold air rushing in through your nostrils.
Caution: several movements require half crouching. When doing so, be sure to bend your knees without exceeding your comfort level. For persons in normal health, such crouching will strengthen the knees over time. For those who have weak knees or any knee problem, skip the crouching and consult with your doctors. This same caution applies to when you are required to bend your back. Also, pregnant women should consult their doctors before engaging in this exercise. Children over 10 years old should be able to practice this exercise.
Before you begin, stand up straight but relaxed for a minute and begin your deep breathing. Maintain a straight but not rigid posture throughout the exercise. This is not about physical strength. Keep your arms and hands supple and even limp. There is no need to strain your muscles. Relax, relax, and relax.
If you are lucky enough to have a big tree in sight, try to start your mental imagery by looking at it and feeling how strong and firmly that tree is rooted in the ground. Then, imagine that you yourself are also very firmly planted to the ground. Once you get into the movements, try to form the mental image that each movement is associated with. Some of these images may seem unfamiliar or even childish, but they are parts of the exercise designed to give your mind some nourishment.
Movement One: A Good Beginning
The Movement: Stand up straight with your feet apart at shoulder width, your arms hung loosely on your sides and your eyes looking straight ahead. Relax your body. Start your deep breathing and, when you are ready, inhale and slowly raise both arms in front to shoulder height, palms facing down. Pull your hands in towards your shoulders. Start exhaling as you continue to move the hands down to the waist level and at the same time crouch down slightly while keeping your torso straight (do not lean forward and stick your buttock out). If you have weak knees, do not over bend them. This is one movement cycle. Do this six times.
The Breathing: Inhale when you raise your arms and body; exhale when you lower your hands and body.
The Imagery: Keep all unrelated thoughts and concerns off your mind and immerse yourself in the exercise. Imagine you are a geyser in a remote, pristine mountain, bobbing gracefully up and down while you are breathing in clean and fresh air.
Movement Two: Open Your Heart and Mind
The Movement: As you conclude the last movement, straighten up, start inhaling and continue to raise your arms in front, palms facing down (keep your hands limp). When your hands are at shoulder level, flip them so that the fingers form a gate in front of you. In the same motion, open your arms sideway as far as you can go. Then, exhale and move your arms horizontally back to the front until they are a few inches apart, at which point move your hands downward in a graceful curve until they are at your waist. As you lower your hands, crouch down as in the last movement. This is one movement cycle. Do this six times.
The Breathing: Inhale when you raise and open your arms; exhale when you close and lower your arms.
The Imagery: Imagine you are standing on top of a high mountain with the whole world under your feet. You are opening your heart and mind to the world. You have nothing to hide, just love to share.
Movement Three: The Rainbow Dance
The Movement: Continuing from the last movement, as you stand up and started to inhale, raise your right arm in a clock-wise movement to form a curve over your head and move your left arm to an outstretched position. Keep your arms relaxed and your hands limp, your head facing left and your weight on your right foot. Smile. Then, begin to exhale and move your weight to your left foot with your body leaning slightly to the left while swapping the position of the two arms by slowly swing the curved right arms to the right until it is outstretched and the left arms curved over your head. Turn your face to the right. This is one movement cycle. Do this six times.
The Breathing: Inhale when facing left; exhale when facing right.
The Imagery: Imagine you were performing the Chinese rainbow (or ribbon) dance and your arms were the ribbons. Coordinate your body’s swinging with the movement of your arms. Smile to your audience.
(To acquire a DVD video of Taichi Light, go to www.taichilight.com)
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
The Basic Tai Chi-Qi Gong Exercise has three elements:
• The physical body movement,
• The continuous deep breathing, and
• The mental imagery.
These three elements occur concurrently during the exercise: while you move your body and limbs to perform each movement, you continue your breathing with one inhaling and exhaling for each movement cycle. At the same time, you mentally visualize the imagery that each movement is related to. While the physical pose and the mental imagery change from movement to movement, your deep breathing should flow smoothly, uninterrupted, throughout the entire exercise period.
There are 18 movements in the exercise; each one is repeated six times (each time is called a movement cycle) except for movements 12 and 13 which are repeated 12 times, making a total of 120 movement cycles. In other words, during this exercise you will be doing a total of 120 deep breaths continuously. Because some movements are longer than others, it is necessary to adjust the length of your breathing accordingly.
All the movements should be performed in slow motion and in a relaxed fashion. The purpose of this exercise is not to strengthen your muscles, but rather to calm your mind and clear your internal “chi” channels. In the beginning you may be tempted to move too fast and wind up finishing the exercise in 10 minutes or less. With practice, you will be able to settle into a relaxed mood and stretch the time to 15 to 20 minutes.
Although the movements are relatively simple compared to those in many other Tai Chi exercises, still the intricate stretching and turning of the arms and hands require some getting used to. Allow yourself a week or two (assuming you practice at least five times a week) to memorize all the poses and the transition from one movement to the next, until you can smoothly go through all the movements without peeking at the photos or the written description. Once you achieve that, you will be able to concentrate on the exercise and enjoy the relaxation and peace of mind it brings. Have patience. You are not in a competition.
You may do this exercise once or twice a day, or any time you need to calm down. The best times are early in the morning after you get up and before breakfast, and in the evening shortly before you retire. Try to find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed by family members or pets. Try not to let the telephone interrupt you. If weather permits, an outdoor spot facing trees and shrubbery such as a backyard or a park would be the best. Do not practice outdoor when it’s cold, windy or dark. Otherwise an indoor location with a window, preferably one overlooking some greenery, would be fine. Remember this exercise helps connect you to nature. If you live in a high rise apartment, then looking at the sky and a distant skyline would help.
Wear loose clothing, such as pajamas or jogging suit, so that your stretching and breathing are not restrained. Wear soft shoes or be bare-footed. A little soft music would help, but total silence is also appropriate. Try to immerse yourself totally in the exercise for the duration and concentrate on your mental imagery. When practicing in the morning, do a little stretching before you start.
A word about deep breathing: normally we breathe without being conscious of doing it. We only empty part of our lungs when we exhale, and take in perhaps half a lungful of air when we inhale. The benefit of deep breathing is that every time you breathe, you use almost the full capacity of your lungs and thus exercise all parts of your lungs and your diaphragm. While doing this exercise, try to empty your lungs as much as possible when you exhale, and fill them up as much as you can when you inhale, without straining yourself. Breathe through your nose only. Imagine your torso is a large bag and you are filling that bag with fresh air from the bottom up. Do not puff your chest. Coordinate your breathing with the speed of your movement.
There is an ancient Chinese breathing method practiced by kung fu masters and monks called “Tu Nar.” Instead of using your nose muscle to suck in air as we normally do, try to gently puff up your abdomen so that air is automatically sucked in through your nostrils. In the beginning, you may find it difficult to keep your nose from jumping in and help. With practice, you will be able to use your abdomen muscles more effectively to pull the air in, and feel the cold air rushing in through your nostrils.
Caution: several movements require half crouching. When doing so, be sure to bend your knees without exceeding your comfort level. For persons in normal health, such crouching will strengthen the knees over time. For those who have weak knees or any knee problem, skip the crouching and consult with your doctors. This same caution applies to when you are required to bend your back. Also, pregnant women should consult their doctors before engaging in this exercise. Children over 10 years old should be able to practice this exercise.
Before you begin, stand up straight but relaxed for a minute and begin your deep breathing. Maintain a straight but not rigid posture throughout the exercise. This is not about physical strength. Keep your arms and hands supple and even limp. There is no need to strain your muscles. Relax, relax, and relax.
If you are lucky enough to have a big tree in sight, try to start your mental imagery by looking at it and feeling how strong and firmly that tree is rooted in the ground. Then, imagine that you yourself are also very firmly planted to the ground. Once you get into the movements, try to form the mental image that each movement is associated with. Some of these images may seem unfamiliar or even childish, but they are parts of the exercise designed to give your mind some nourishment.
Movement One: A Good Beginning
The Movement: Stand up straight with your feet apart at shoulder width, your arms hung loosely on your sides and your eyes looking straight ahead. Relax your body. Start your deep breathing and, when you are ready, inhale and slowly raise both arms in front to shoulder height, palms facing down. Pull your hands in towards your shoulders. Start exhaling as you continue to move the hands down to the waist level and at the same time crouch down slightly while keeping your torso straight (do not lean forward and stick your buttock out). If you have weak knees, do not over bend them. This is one movement cycle. Do this six times.
The Breathing: Inhale when you raise your arms and body; exhale when you lower your hands and body.
The Imagery: Keep all unrelated thoughts and concerns off your mind and immerse yourself in the exercise. Imagine you are a geyser in a remote, pristine mountain, bobbing gracefully up and down while you are breathing in clean and fresh air.
Movement Two: Open Your Heart and Mind
The Movement: As you conclude the last movement, straighten up, start inhaling and continue to raise your arms in front, palms facing down (keep your hands limp). When your hands are at shoulder level, flip them so that the fingers form a gate in front of you. In the same motion, open your arms sideway as far as you can go. Then, exhale and move your arms horizontally back to the front until they are a few inches apart, at which point move your hands downward in a graceful curve until they are at your waist. As you lower your hands, crouch down as in the last movement. This is one movement cycle. Do this six times.
The Breathing: Inhale when you raise and open your arms; exhale when you close and lower your arms.
The Imagery: Imagine you are standing on top of a high mountain with the whole world under your feet. You are opening your heart and mind to the world. You have nothing to hide, just love to share.
Movement Three: The Rainbow Dance
The Movement: Continuing from the last movement, as you stand up and started to inhale, raise your right arm in a clock-wise movement to form a curve over your head and move your left arm to an outstretched position. Keep your arms relaxed and your hands limp, your head facing left and your weight on your right foot. Smile. Then, begin to exhale and move your weight to your left foot with your body leaning slightly to the left while swapping the position of the two arms by slowly swing the curved right arms to the right until it is outstretched and the left arms curved over your head. Turn your face to the right. This is one movement cycle. Do this six times.
The Breathing: Inhale when facing left; exhale when facing right.
The Imagery: Imagine you were performing the Chinese rainbow (or ribbon) dance and your arms were the ribbons. Coordinate your body’s swinging with the movement of your arms. Smile to your audience.
(To acquire a DVD video of Taichi Light, go to www.taichilight.com)
Feb 11, 2008
What is Taichi Light? Part 1
The official name is The Body-Mind Exercise (BME); Taichi Light is just a nickname. But since Taichi Light is a lot more catchy, I tend to use it instead. This is a combination Taichi and Qi-Gong exercise because it incorporates the physical movements of Taichi and the breathing and mental imagery of Qi-Gong. (Strictly speaking, Taichi is a form of Qi-Gong.)
There are dozens of varieties of Taichi (or Tai Chi) exercises, and more are being developed every year. They are all based on the same 60 or so basic movements (or poses, or forms)that were invented centuries ago. Some exercises consist of 88 moves or longer whereas others only 24 or 18. So what "jia" (or "shi", meaning family or school)of Taichi you study, or how many moves in the exercise, is not that important. What's important is that you get the "spirit" of it and you practice it consistently.
The Taichi Light exercise I am introducing here is not a sophisticated one. It is a very simple one. You may say it is not for the "serious-minded" or high-level Taichi exercisers. But it is ideal for the beginner and the physically-challenged people like some senior citizens because it is easier to learn and doesn't require a lot of physical strength. Having said that, I would also suggest that this exercise is good for the middle-aged or even younger people who don't have a lot of time to exercise but do need to exercise, such as the busy executives and professionals.
There are three aspects of this exercise: The physical movements which include 18 different movements each repeated six times according to a specific sequence; the deep breathing which accompanies each repetition of a movement; and the mental imagery that accompanies each movement. A beginner would first learn each of the 18 movements until he/she is able to go through the entire exercise (about 15 minutes)continuously breathing normally. He/she then begins to slow down and lengthen the breathing to coincide with the physical movements. Finally, the purpose of the mental imagery is to take the exerciser's mind out of his/her immediately environment and into a meditative mode so that the mind can be totally relaxed.
The 18 movements, as I mentioned earlier, are taken from the basic movements in traditional Taichi exercise. I have, however, changed their names from the rather arcane Chinese names into something more modern sounding. I have also modified the movements somewhat by building transitions between them so that one movement can flow smoothly into the next, making the entire exercise like a continuous dance. The movements are:
Movement 1: A good beginning
Movement 2: Open your heart and mind
Movement 3: The ribbon dance
Movement 4: Parting the cloud
Movement 5: The roller-coaster
Movement 6: The butterfly stroke
Movement 7: Saluting the sun
Movement 8: Throwing the water melon
Movement 9: The perfect handshake
Movement 10: The Light House
Movement 11: Casting the big fish net
Movement 12: Playing with the waves
Movement 13: Big bird cruising the sky
Movement 14: The Kung Fu Pose
Movement 15: The do-do bird
Movement 16: The fly wheel
Movement 17: The bouncing ball
Movement 18: The closing
Each round of Taichi Light exercise would include a one-minute meditation in the beginning and another minute at the end. Between them the exerciser would perform each movement six times, totaling 108 movement/time, and doing 108 deep breathings, in about 15 minutes. A beginner would tend to work rather fast and finish the exercise in 10 or 12 minutes; but after a while, serenity will take over the he/she will be able to complete the exercise in 15 or even 18 minutes. The exercise is not about speed or strength; it is about serenity, gracefulness, introspection and relaxation.
I will describe each of the movements in future postings.
(To acquire a DVD video of the Taichi Light exercise, go to www.taichilight.com)
There are dozens of varieties of Taichi (or Tai Chi) exercises, and more are being developed every year. They are all based on the same 60 or so basic movements (or poses, or forms)that were invented centuries ago. Some exercises consist of 88 moves or longer whereas others only 24 or 18. So what "jia" (or "shi", meaning family or school)of Taichi you study, or how many moves in the exercise, is not that important. What's important is that you get the "spirit" of it and you practice it consistently.
The Taichi Light exercise I am introducing here is not a sophisticated one. It is a very simple one. You may say it is not for the "serious-minded" or high-level Taichi exercisers. But it is ideal for the beginner and the physically-challenged people like some senior citizens because it is easier to learn and doesn't require a lot of physical strength. Having said that, I would also suggest that this exercise is good for the middle-aged or even younger people who don't have a lot of time to exercise but do need to exercise, such as the busy executives and professionals.
There are three aspects of this exercise: The physical movements which include 18 different movements each repeated six times according to a specific sequence; the deep breathing which accompanies each repetition of a movement; and the mental imagery that accompanies each movement. A beginner would first learn each of the 18 movements until he/she is able to go through the entire exercise (about 15 minutes)continuously breathing normally. He/she then begins to slow down and lengthen the breathing to coincide with the physical movements. Finally, the purpose of the mental imagery is to take the exerciser's mind out of his/her immediately environment and into a meditative mode so that the mind can be totally relaxed.
The 18 movements, as I mentioned earlier, are taken from the basic movements in traditional Taichi exercise. I have, however, changed their names from the rather arcane Chinese names into something more modern sounding. I have also modified the movements somewhat by building transitions between them so that one movement can flow smoothly into the next, making the entire exercise like a continuous dance. The movements are:
Movement 1: A good beginning
Movement 2: Open your heart and mind
Movement 3: The ribbon dance
Movement 4: Parting the cloud
Movement 5: The roller-coaster
Movement 6: The butterfly stroke
Movement 7: Saluting the sun
Movement 8: Throwing the water melon
Movement 9: The perfect handshake
Movement 10: The Light House
Movement 11: Casting the big fish net
Movement 12: Playing with the waves
Movement 13: Big bird cruising the sky
Movement 14: The Kung Fu Pose
Movement 15: The do-do bird
Movement 16: The fly wheel
Movement 17: The bouncing ball
Movement 18: The closing
Each round of Taichi Light exercise would include a one-minute meditation in the beginning and another minute at the end. Between them the exerciser would perform each movement six times, totaling 108 movement/time, and doing 108 deep breathings, in about 15 minutes. A beginner would tend to work rather fast and finish the exercise in 10 or 12 minutes; but after a while, serenity will take over the he/she will be able to complete the exercise in 15 or even 18 minutes. The exercise is not about speed or strength; it is about serenity, gracefulness, introspection and relaxation.
I will describe each of the movements in future postings.
(To acquire a DVD video of the Taichi Light exercise, go to www.taichilight.com)
Feb 1, 2008
Why Taichi Light?
The reasons why I am so fascinated with this new, simplified Taichi exercise are these: I had always known the health benefits of Taichi and Qigong exercises. In fact about 30 years ago I had taking some classes but I felt at the time that, as a go-go young man with a family to care for, it took too much time to learn and to practice. Now that I am retired and have more time and even a greater urgency to maintain good health, it's time to seriously going for it.
Secondly, this exercise is very simple compared to the traditional exercises. It has 18 movements, each repeated six times, and can be completed in 15 minutes. It is also much less strenuous. This is something I can learn to do at home instead of going to a studio somewhere to take lessons. This is a god-sent to older peoples. In any case, right there reading the booklet on the plane, I decided to learn it myself as soon as I got home. Since the booklet is in Chinese, I was also thinking about all the people who can't read Chinese. In the next several months, I rewrote the booklet in English and rewrote it several times as I learned the movements. In the process, I also slightly changed some of the movements and fashion the transition from one movement to next so that the entire exercise flows smoothly from beginning to end.
Every time I practiced in the morning, I try to imagine how other people could follow my writing and learn the movements correctly since I had a lot of trouble learning them myself. The more I thought about it, the more I felt that it would take a very determined and disciplined person to learn from written descriptions. So I came up with the idea of producing a DVD or VHS tape for the exercise, and I plunged into the work of writing the script. Being a major in radio/television reporting from a journalism school, this is a natural for me and a lot of fun to do. I hired a production company in Metuchen, NJ to do the job and have the DVD done in 2006. I name the exercise "Body-Mind Exercise" and nickname it "Taichi Light."
In the next posting, I will describe Taichi Light in details.
Secondly, this exercise is very simple compared to the traditional exercises. It has 18 movements, each repeated six times, and can be completed in 15 minutes. It is also much less strenuous. This is something I can learn to do at home instead of going to a studio somewhere to take lessons. This is a god-sent to older peoples. In any case, right there reading the booklet on the plane, I decided to learn it myself as soon as I got home. Since the booklet is in Chinese, I was also thinking about all the people who can't read Chinese. In the next several months, I rewrote the booklet in English and rewrote it several times as I learned the movements. In the process, I also slightly changed some of the movements and fashion the transition from one movement to next so that the entire exercise flows smoothly from beginning to end.
Every time I practiced in the morning, I try to imagine how other people could follow my writing and learn the movements correctly since I had a lot of trouble learning them myself. The more I thought about it, the more I felt that it would take a very determined and disciplined person to learn from written descriptions. So I came up with the idea of producing a DVD or VHS tape for the exercise, and I plunged into the work of writing the script. Being a major in radio/television reporting from a journalism school, this is a natural for me and a lot of fun to do. I hired a production company in Metuchen, NJ to do the job and have the DVD done in 2006. I name the exercise "Body-Mind Exercise" and nickname it "Taichi Light."
In the next posting, I will describe Taichi Light in details.
Jan 30, 2008
Have You Heard of Tai Chi Light?
Just as I stumbled into practicing meditation, I became a Taichi/Qigong practitioner quite by accident. Almost 30 years ago, I did joint a taichi practicing group for a while, but was discouraged by its complexity and slow pace. Plus I had a quite busy job at that time and had very little time to spare. About 8 years ago, on a business trip to Shanghai, my brother asked me to look for a book about an exercise call "Taichi/Qigong in 18 forms." With some difficulty I did find this out-of-print booklet. As I read it on my flight back, I was fascinated by the simplicity of this form of taichi exercise. I thought it really makes sense.
Unlike the traditional Taichi and Qigong exercises which involve anywhere from 24 to 98 or even more consecutive moves that need to be memorized, this one has 18 rather simple moves to be performed six times each. I thought I could do that and reap similar benefit as from traditional taichi. In fact, I thought this form of taichi exercise would be perfect for the very busy people or people of advanced age since it is easy to learn, easy on the body, and takes only 15 minutes to practice.
Being a writer, I then spent a month or so to have the Chinese text rewritten into English while changing some of the archaic terms into more modern terms. With much difficulty, I followed the written description of the moves and learn the exercise. In the process, I also streamlined some of the moves and created transitions from one move to the next so the entire exercise flows fluently. I have been practicing this exercise regularly ever since. Two years ago, after numerous rewriting and incorporating my insight from my personal experience, I produced an instructional DVD for the exercise, which I call "Body-Mind Exercise" (BME) and nickname "Taichi Light."
In a future post I will describe the benefits of this exercise.
Unlike the traditional Taichi and Qigong exercises which involve anywhere from 24 to 98 or even more consecutive moves that need to be memorized, this one has 18 rather simple moves to be performed six times each. I thought I could do that and reap similar benefit as from traditional taichi. In fact, I thought this form of taichi exercise would be perfect for the very busy people or people of advanced age since it is easy to learn, easy on the body, and takes only 15 minutes to practice.
Being a writer, I then spent a month or so to have the Chinese text rewritten into English while changing some of the archaic terms into more modern terms. With much difficulty, I followed the written description of the moves and learn the exercise. In the process, I also streamlined some of the moves and created transitions from one move to the next so the entire exercise flows fluently. I have been practicing this exercise regularly ever since. Two years ago, after numerous rewriting and incorporating my insight from my personal experience, I produced an instructional DVD for the exercise, which I call "Body-Mind Exercise" (BME) and nickname "Taichi Light."
In a future post I will describe the benefits of this exercise.
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