What is key in Tai Chi? Eric P. Trunnell, PhD Associate Professor Department of Health Promotion & Education University of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah

What is key in Tai Chi? Tai Chi Classics: From posture to posture, the energy is unbroken. Principles: Circularity in Curves, arcs, circles not linearity. [Continuous, coordinated, connected]

Key Points in Tai Chi 1.Proper Alignments 2.Pulsing: Opening and Closing a)Piercing the shell (working with internals) 3.Energy work a)Releasing and Dropping (Sung) energy 4.Meditation in Movement a)Paying Attention b)Rhythm and Flow in Opening and Closing c)Dissolving

It’s the Wine, not the Container! Tai Chi Classics (TCC) TCC: Separate and combine. TCC: Empty and full must be clearly differentiated. TCC: One part moves, all parts move; one part stops, all parts stop. TCC: The big moves the small, the small changes the big.

Scale #1: Based loosely on Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory Please rate (1-10) how confident you are in your ability to… 1.Release any tension in your body. 2.Align your joints and extremities. 3.Empty one leg and fill the other. 4.Lower your tailbone. 5.Bend and stretch. 6.Moderate your extensions to 70-80%.

Self-Efficacy Tai Chi Scale Please rate how confident you are in your ability to… 7.Coordinate my movements within each posture. 8.Place my attention on my body when doing the form. 9.Shift my awareness when moving. 10. Be engaged in doing Tai Chi. 11. Be open to learning and practicing. 12. Move seamlessly from one posture to the next.

Changing Focus of your TCC Scale to other levels and situations (Bandura)? Scale #1: Focus is on person’s ability to perform the behaviors and skills you had just learned during the training. Scale #2: Focus is on performing behaviors and skills in different levels of difficulty and different situations. – Level of confidence (degree) in paying attention while performing TC form when in low, moderate, and high (level) stressed situations (generality).

Example of Items on Scale #2 Situation #1: Sung in everyday activities Please rate your level of confidence in… 1.Dropping my energy (sung) when standing at a checkout at the grocery store (low). 2.Dropping my energy (sung) when I am walking to class (mod). 3.Dropping my energy (sung) when I am walking fast to get to class (high).

Scale #2, Cont’d Situation #2: Alignments, while walking, hiking Please rate each item your level of confidence in alignments while walking… 4. Proper alignment while walking to class (low). 5.Proper alignment while walking the lake in the park (mod). 6.Proper alignment while hiking in the hills (high).

Scale #2, Cont’d Situation #3: Performing cloud hands in activities with different degrees of stress. Please rate your level of confidence in pulsing your joints while performing… 7.Cloud hands in class (low) 8.Cloud hands in front of a small group (mod) 9.Cloud hands in an auditorium for Junior High students (high)

Immediate Effects of Tai Chi 1.Acquire a still & tranquil mind 2.More present and mindful 3.Greater degree of flowing movements 1.Produces a sense of flow in life 2.Smoothes out the transitions and lessens gaps 4.Increase balance and circulation by activating 5 fluid systems

Long Term Effects of Tai Chi 1.Effects all five levels of our being over time a)Physical, mental, emotional, soul, and spirit 2.Research shows Tai Chi… a)Improves circulation, diabetes management, sleep, immune system, and balance b)Improves strength, balance, and flexibility c)Helps in Arthritis (joints), multiple sclerosis (balance), CVD (circulation)