Sensing With Hands – 9/6/21

In Tai Chi, the hands are our connection from our mind to someone or something else. It is important to develop sensitivity, and for the form, a sense of reality. Usually in classes, we work with partners to gain this skill, but now with the pandemic, we tend to limit our touching and just use our imagination. Or our own body. Let me explain.

Place your left palm in front of your left hip, like you were asking for “spare change”, palm up. Then take your right hand, also palm up, and place it on top of the left palm. Now feel the connection between the two hands. Do you feel the palm of the left and the the back of the right hand? Try moving the right hand in different places on the left palm and feel how that changes the information you receive. Tense the left palm so the fingers get stiff. How does that affect the sensing? Try grasping the right hand with the left. Where is the best place to do this? Doesn’t a relaxed hand work best? And moving the left hand more to the wrist, gives more control. Are you getting information from both hands? Is one a stronger signal than the other? It is important that you use both hands for receiving signals, even though one might be dominant. So play with this and whatever else you can come up with.

Another fun and interesting exercise. With the back of the right hand resting on the left palm, move the hands to the center of the waist, near the belly button. You are going to turn both hands over, so the right ends up palm down on the bottom and the left ends up on top of the back of the right hand, palm down. Notice how the hands slide and rotate as they change orientation from up to down. See if you can do this without losing contact, and making a smooth, easy movement.

Now put your right hand down by your right thigh and feel the shape of the thigh. You need a soft, open hand, one that molds to a different shape than the previous hand on hand. Try the back of the palm, the edges. Can you feel as well?

Ideally you have a training partner to play this sensing game. If not, you can still gain skill and the body/mind connection needed to bring reality to your form. The more you get the mind involved with your form, the more chi will be increased and focused. Enjoy!

Starting Monday, September 13, we will begin our close examination of the Yang Style 108. We will progress slowly and steadily as we did with the 54 Form. We will work on the Long Form on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10 to 11. Saturdays during the same time period we will practice the 34, 54 and 108.

On the same days, we will explore our Tai Chi Qigong from 9 to 10. All classes in Chetzemoka Park. In case of rain or drizzle, we will work in the gazebo. As always, there is no charge. Just show up.Tell your friends..