Abdominal breathing: Ward-Off, Embrace Tree, Raise Hands, right side view - 10/11/10 (Autumn)
MIND FORMS
(Part 1 of 5)
"All the movements of Tai Chi Chuan are activated by pressure changes in the lower abdomen. As the pressure increases, the arms flow outward or upward. When it decreases the arms move inward or downward. The arms never move by themselves without the abdominal pressure changes.
"... in the movements of Tai Chi Chuan the arms never move alone or independently. If they do, the movements are not considered as Tai Chi Chuan.
"Abdominal pressure is the main source of power, especially, the center point of the lower abdomen, known as Tan Tien."
BODY MECHANICS OF TAI CHI CHUAN
William C.C. Chen
p. v
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The following is a description of "mind-breath-energy-body" training that I do periodically, to link up several powerful systems in my body which can function either independently, or as one unified coherent whole. When these systems work together, they help generate the type of "propelled movement" throughout my tai chi form that William C. C. Chen stresses in the above statements.
- Abdominal breathing. This activity happens whether I will it or not. I can be totally unconscious, sleeping, yet my breathing will continue without my willful involvement. My abdomen will continue to expand and contract with each inhalation and exhalation, even when I'm totally unconscious. I don't have to do anything on my part to breathe. Breathing happens automatically. It's controlled by my autonomic nervous system. I can extend some voluntary control over the depth and duration of each inhalation; I can take in more air; take deeper, slower breaths; slow down my exhalations for a while. But once I stop tinkering with this system, my breathing goes back to normal, natural breathing, without my having to think about it.
- Mind. Imagination / visualization. Mind-intent. I can visualize my body doing various activities while I'm lying motionless in bed, in the middle of the night. I can "see" myself doing something tomorrow, even though I am lying in bed, half asleep. Half dreaming, half awake, my imagination allows me to do a "run-through" in my mind of physical activities I plan to do later, after I get out of bed. My body is not moving at all while I am lying in bed, planning. I am "rehearsing" actions in my mind which I want my body to perform later on, after I get up.
- Energy / energizing my muscles. To actually move my body, I have to send brain signals through my nervous system and energize various muscles throughout my body to make them move in very specific ways. Energizing my body is an act of willful control over voluntary muscles. What I originally visualized myself doing while I was lying motionless, half asleep at night, I now actually do with my body. Imagination becomes reality. My body moves as I saw myself moving when I was lying in bed, half-asleep. I do all the things I intended to do while I was lying in bed, planning my day.
For example, while lying in bed, I see myself making this video, doing all the movements in this video. Later on, after I get up, I actualize my plan. I actually go to the park and shoot this video. I do all the movements I had seen myself doing while dreaming up this video. Imagination becomes reality. This video is the final product I had imagined while still half-asleep. The creative part of my mind imagines something. Then I actualize the plan. I energize my body, and make it actually do the things I only saw in my mind previously. First in the mind. Then, imagination becomes reality.
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Here is the "mind-breath-energy-body" drill . . .
Due to YouTube's space limitations for video descriptions, please see
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReAREwPbIKo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW1ua0j75p0
for parts 2a and 2b of this article.
ChiGuy396
ChiGuy396@yahoo.com
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5:28
Luis Molera Tai Chi Chuan (Willam C. C. Chen Form Part 1)by matai0071,244 views
You look like sifu Cheng more than any other of his followers on YT. Thank you so much for posting these lessons, master.
lebarosky 8 months ago