| Internet-based Lessons |
| Chen Family style Tai Chi Chuan - beginners |
| Tools - Tai Chi ball |
| The exercises are good for anyone, but are especially useful for people with arthritis or any |
| progressive stiffening in the fingers, hand, wrists, forearms, elbows or shoulders. The key is |
| slow and easy - there is nothing to be gained here from fast movements, and you will likely |
| hurt the muscles, ligaments and tendons we are trying to help. For example, in the first exercise |
| the directions are rotate 90 degrees. In the beginning go slowly to 45 degrees, and then even more |
| slowly keep going. Listen to your body. If there is the beginning of any pain STOP. You can always |
| stretch another inch tomorrow. What you want to do is focus on the very center (inside) of the |
| ball. You want that NOT to move. Then you want to keep the hands moving on equal tracks. The |
| right hand goes up and the fingers stay pointed straight forward perpendicular to the hips. |
| The left hand rotates so the palm is up and the hand and fingers are parallel to the line of the hips. |
| The reverse the motion. Repeat three more times. Then do it four times with the left hand on top. |
| The second level of this exercise is to have the right hip open slightly and the left hip close so the |
| the dantien (an inch below your navel and inside about an inch) rotates the ball and the hands. |
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