These warm ups are used in most classes to help prepare the body for doing taiji.

Push up the sky

Bend the knees and sit down, folding the body. Your arms come to rest on top of the head with the palms facing up and the fingers facing towards each other.

Push the feet into the ground and use that pressure to let the body rise up.

Roll the neck

Turn your head from side to side gently 9 times.

Try to touch your ears to your shoulders 9 times.

Raise and lower the head from the chest 9 times.

Turn half circles with the chin touching the chest.

Turn full circles with neck and shoulders relaxed.

Swimming exercise

Rotate your arms forward as though swimming. Loosen your shoulders and try to move at the maximum range of motion through the shoulders.

Repeat in reverse.

Turn the waist

Rotate the body from side to side letting your arms strike into the kidney area and the liver area.

Raise your arms to shoulder height and repeat.

Do this with a weight shift and arms back at shoulder height.

Raise the vertex

Link your fingers together and stand in a natural stance. Rise onto your toes and raise your arms so they are forward of the forehead on a 45-degree angle.

Turn the beach ball

Stand in a horse stance with your arms extended to the front as though holding a beach ball at shoulder height. Turn 90-degrees to the left and sit down 2 inches. As you sit your arms sink with you. Turn 180-degrees, still sitting, then rise. As you rise your arms rise with you. Repeat 9 times to the left, then 9 times to the right.

Remember to hold the head 'as though suspended from above'.

Open the shoulder

Stand in a natural stance and turn the upper body to a 45-degree angle. Extend one arm to your front with the fingers pointing forward. Rotate your shoulder so that the palm of your hand turns upward. Loosen the shoulder and extend through your arm.

Repeat 3 times to each side.

Open the back - upper

Place your arms in a 'wing' position with the fingertips pointing directly forward at chest level. Round your upper back, stretching across the shoulder blade area. Stretch out into the elbows and hold for a few seconds. Repeat three times.

Rolling the shoulders

Hold your arms by your side so that your fingers touch your thigh. Roll your shoulders forward in a large circle 9 times then roll backwards 9 times.

Open the back - middle

Place your arms in a 'wing' position with the fingers pointing downward on a 45-degree angel. Round the middle back area and stretch it open. Pull out into the elbows and hold for a few seconds. Repeat 3 times.

Open the back - lower

Bend at the kua and sit into your legs. Pull the lower back inwards strongly and hold it. Release it outwards and hold that stretch for a few seconds. Repeat 3 times.

Sacral stretch

Bring your feet closer together and lock your knees and head into place. Rotate your hips in a large circle 9 times in one direction and 9 times in the other. Be sure you do not bend your knees or move your head.

Step wide and repeat the exercise with the legs apart.

Leg stretches

Drop into a Warriors Stance and stretch the front of the thigh. Extend your front leg forward and stretch into it keeping your back very straight. Bend only at the waist. Repeat to the other leg.

Step into a mid width split and straighten both legs. Bend over and hang loosely.

Reach towards one ankle and hold for a few seconds. Repeat to the other side.

Step in so your feet are close together again. Hang loosely keeping your knees straight.

Bend your legs and sit into them. Use your legs to rise back to your starting position.

After completing the moving Warm Ups we often hold Standing Post for anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes.

Standing Post

 

End of Warm Ups