Welcome Freddye! We will be happy to see your Tai Chi Team practice notes. Blessings, Anna

9/21 Practiced Beginnings and Heaven. Found one challenge was staying focused.My mind tended to run to the future repeating "How are you going to learn all of this to teach others?" Another version was instead of concentrating on my form, I was thinking about how to teach it which again kept me from being present. Eventually, I relaxed into knowing that this is not linear learning and let go.  Once I was aware that I was too serious which was restrictive and compressed the chi, I loosened, began to let my internal smile come thru, and enjoyed. I corrected a posture (name?) seeing that I was leaning forward too much.

Day 2, 9/22. Solar system.  Practice was 10 or 15 minutes? Found the left side of my neck stiffer than the right. Became aware that because I am at the computer a lot, I can do the exercise of turning head from left to right rigth at the computer to ease neck tension. Have glaucoma so it will be interesting to see what the results of the next visual field will be and whether the Tai Chi exercise of exercising my eyes as I look back, translates to improved and/or stablized peripheral vision.

9/24 Practiced Earth and Growing Things which totaled approximately 30 minutes.  Back was less tight at end of practice, shoulders and face were relaxed. Chi heated body.

9/25 Practiced Birds and Animals and Rest and Rejuvenation for approximately 30 minutes prior to going to medical appointment for which I tend to be anxious.  Not only did m face, back and neck feel more relaxed, I was calm and anxiety ran away.

Freddye, that is great about the relief of anxiety surrounding the medical appointment. Good practical benefit from Qigong!

10/2.. Practiced Heaven for about 15 minutes.  Aware that my breathing is not rhythmic and once aware, made sure that it was  was regulated. Challenge was to watch the DVD, my posture, positions, and stances at the same time.  Became aware of how important it is to keep the feet shoulder length apart. Easy to lose balance, otherwise. Noticed that reaching to sky also stretched spine.

10/5 Solar System for 15 minutes. Sun and Moon I found loosened my tight shoulders. Carry the Moon was great exercise to improve my visual field and massage my internal organs. My neck gets tight and this posture was good for loosening it up and certainly helps with keeping the capacity to turn the neck when backing up a car. Planets orbit sun seemed to open my lymph glands.  Perhaps I am doing Around the World improperly for the only benefit I felt was that I had to focus on the progression of directions and I found myself distracted. If done slower, would I get more awareness of benefit?  Concentrating on getting my horse stance, positioning my feet, opening my knees. Lord!!!!!!!!!!! How my body has given into pain of tightness of thigh muscles and  right knee  joint and taken a posture that blocks my chi. .Working on letting the water through the hose. 

Around the World is great for weight shifting and learning to transfer the weight smoothly from one foot to another in various directions. Pushing off with the back leg and then pushing with the front on the return is great for strengthening the legs.

Begin by practicing stepping in just one direction (45 degrees forward to the right) and then back to center. Do that for 10 repetitions. Then do 10 reps 45 degrees to the left. Then step right 45 degrees then left 45 degrees--and repeat this alternating pattern 10 times. Do that for a few days. Focus on smooth and even transfers. Then move on to the next part of the drill (side stepping) and do a similar routine. check in w more questions. Anna

10/6 Practiced Earth for approx. 20 minutes and did Around the World for about 5 minutes. More aware of internal muscles being massaged, chi blockage, exercises which stretch such as Boundaries and Smooth Rough Places, smooth weight shifting such as Calm the Seas.I envisioned being on the beach smoothing the sand with my hands and my rough places began to smooth.

Boundaries and Smooth Rough Places are great for internal massage, digestion and moving chi in the major organs. They build core muscles as well as offering emotional refreshment. Smoothing the sand on the beach is a great image.

10/9  Growing Things and Birds and Animals.  Stretched arms, fingers, palms, waist, eyes, backs, quads (toooooooo tight), necks (thank you!),shoulders, loosened hips. Good lower and upper body combo.

10/15/12 Practiced Beginnings and Heaven which was approximately 30 minutes. Practiced for body memory. Spent extra time on Reaching Up to the Sky for stretching and relieving chronic tightness in lower spine. Enjoyed class last Thursday with Ingrid and Ken for tips that are helpful in doing the postures correctly. Missed you, Anna.

10/19--Practiced solar system and Earth.  Doing Around the World works best for me done slower for in that way I can make sure  I am shifting my weight, holding my arms correctly, and placing my feet and shifting weight at the same time.  Done quickly, I tend to just shift and step without consciousness of where and how my feet are positioned, losing sight of inhaling and exhaling rythmically.

Great job, Freddye! You are paying attention to the little stuff, which is actually the BIG stuff. Those nuances help you make real progress.  Keep up the good work!  Anna

10/27.Did Beginnings with sound and then without to build body memory of sequence. On mute, I was more conscious of posture and positioning of body as well as movement of body up and down as I concentrated on arms.

Hi Anna,

Noted same problem today after I did Earth which I have experienced in class,all along.. If I take the horse stance, knees bent and apart,I limp afterwards. Walking my daughter's dog, I had a yank while controlling him and something is not right with the right knee area.  What to do?

Hi Freddye, Sounds like a very gentle approach is needed of massaging the knee and gently loosening up the whole leg and hip area. Let's connect by phone.