Zhaobao Tai Chi attracts many health lovers with its unique charm. Here, please follow us to enter the world of Zhaobao Tai Chi and conduct the decomposition teaching of Zhaobao Tai Chi, so that you can also quickly learn this health boxing.
Starting position: Tranquility preparation of body and mind
Standing in the practice field, the first thing to do is to adjust your breathing and let your heart slowly calm down. Spread your feet slightly apart, shoulder-width apart, and bend your knees slightly, as if rooted in the earth. Let your hands hang naturally on both sides of your body, feeling the relaxation of your body. It’s like the first ray of sunshine in the morning sprinkled on your body, dispelling the fatigue of the night. This starting position is not only a preparation for the body, but also a precipitation of the mind.
A practitioner, before practicing Zhaobao Tai Chi every day, he would close his eyes and take a few deep breaths. He said that this would allow him to put aside distractions and devote himself to practice. This is just like the ancients said: “When the heart is calm, the qi is smooth, and when the qi is smooth, the body is at peace.” Although the starting position is simple, it contains profound health-preserving methods. It allows us to withdraw from the noisy world and return to the inner tranquility.
Lan Que Wei: The wisdom of using softness to overcome hardness
Lan Que Wei includes four movements: Peng, Lu, Ji, and An. It is a classic move in Zhaobao Tai Chi. When Peng, both hands are like holding a big balloon, with arms slightly bent and stretched outward, feeling a force rising from the soles of the feet and passing through the body to the arms. This is like when facing pressure in life, we do not confront it forcefully, but deal with it with an attitude of tolerance and buffering.
There was a Zhaobao Tai Chi practitioner named Li who encountered great competitive pressure in the workplace. After he began to learn Zhaobao Tai Chi, he realized the wisdom of using softness to overcome hardness from the move Lan Que Wei. He no longer confronted his colleagues, but used a gentle attitude and excellent ability to resolve conflicts. Just like in practice, the action of Lu is to follow the trend and guide the opponent’s power, rather than forcibly change it. Ji and An are to apply appropriate force at the right time, just right.
Single Whip: The Art of Stretch and Balance
In the Single Whip movement, the body is stretched to one side, one hand is pushed forward, like a whip is swung straight out, and the other hand is pulled back to keep the body balanced. In this process, it is important to note that the central axis of the body cannot be deviated, just like in life, we must maintain inner balance while pursuing our goals.
I once heard a story about an old Chinese doctor in the village. He spent his life treating patients and saving lives, busy with trivial matters in the world, but he would practice Zhaobao Tai Chi every day, especially focusing on the Single Whip movement. He said that this movement reminded him to always remind himself that while helping others, he should also take care of his body and mind. The stretching of the body is like us actively exploring the world, while balance is not being disturbed by the outside world and sticking to one’s original intention.
Cloud Hands: The agility of flowing clouds and water
The movement of Cloud Hands is like clouds floating in the air, light and smooth. The hands alternately draw circles, the feet move accordingly, and the center of gravity of the body is constantly shifting. This requires our body coordination and flexibility. In life, we often face various changes and challenges. Cloud Hands teaches us to be like clouds, go with the flow and respond flexibly.
Once when we participated in an outdoor activity, we encountered some emergencies and the route was changed temporarily, and everyone was a little flustered. However, a Zhaobao Tai Chi enthusiast who was traveling with us was very calm. He said that when he practiced Cloud Hands, he learned how to stay stable in the changes and not be affected by the changes in the outside world. His body and mind can quickly adapt to new situations, just like the movements of Cloud Hands, which are natural and smooth.
When a set of Zhaobao Tai Chi is about to end, the closing movement allows the body and breath to slowly return to the original state. Slowly retract your hands and place them at the Dantian, quietly feeling the flow of breath in the body. This is a perfect ending and a new beginning.
After a busy day, we return home at night, sit quietly for a while, review the experience of the day, and let our body and mind rest and adjust. The closing movement tells us that health preservation is a cycle, and every practice is a nourishment for the body and mind, allowing us to welcome a new life in a better state.
Learning Zhaobao Tai Chi is not just about learning a set of boxing techniques, but also about understanding life and health. I hope that everyone can appreciate the wisdom of health preservation behind each movement during practice. I hope that you can find your own health and tranquility between each starting and ending, and deal with everything on the stage of life as calmly and gracefully as boxing. Let us embark on the health preservation journey of Zhaobao Tai Chi and gain health and beauty.
What benefits have you gained from the decomposition teaching of Zhaobao Tai Chi?