Tai chi opening: how to do it
Your arms float up and sink down while you stand tall. The image: your hands rest on water, and the water lifts them up, then lets them settle. This is the start of the classic form, called Commencement. Works: whole body, breathing and shoulders.
How to do it
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees soft. Let your arms hang.
- Breathe in. Let your hands float forward and up to shoulder height, palms down, as if the water is lifting them.
- Pause with your elbows soft and your shoulders low.
- Breathe out. Bend your knees a little as your palms sink down to your thighs.
- Repeat 6 times, slowly.
As you go
- Your arms are light. Your breath does the lifting.
- Breathe out as you sink. Keep breathing.
- Keep your knees soft.
What it works
- Works
- whole body, breathing and shoulders
- Position
- Standing
- Have nearby
- a sturdy chair
- Effort
- Gentle
An easier and a harder version
Lift your hands only to waist height, and rest one hand on the wall or counter.
Slow each lift and sink to 6 counts, or do 10 rounds.
Sit tall with your feet flat. Float your hands up on the in breath and let them sink to your thighs on the out breath. Everything else is the same.
Take care
- Balance: keep a wall or counter within reach. Stay in the range of knee bend that feels steady.
- Sensitive shoulders: lift your hands only to chest height.
- Sensitive knees: bend only a little.
Where it is in the plans
In our walking plan: 25 of 28 days, first on day 1, Find your feet.
| Plan | Days | First time | How much, that day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walking plan | 25 of 28 days: 1 to 6, 8 to 13, 15 to 20 and 22 to 28 | Day 1, week 1: Find your feet | 1 min |
| Walking plan, round 2 | 25 of 28 days: 1 to 6, 8 to 13, 15 to 20 and 22 to 28 | Day 1, week 1: Stronger roots | 2 min 20 s |
| Week | Day | How much | The plan's note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1 min | Arms float up, palms sink down. Six slow rounds. |
| 2 | 8 | 45 s | Float up, sink down. |
| 3 | 15 | 1 min | Arms rise with the in breath and sink with the out breath. |
| 4 | 22 | 1 min | Hands float up, palms sink. |
In the plan, this move plays as a looping video with a spoken cue.
Tai chi opening: day 1 of a 28-day walking plan
Short daily sessions at home, a step harder as you get stronger.
What the guidelines say
Tai chi is a balance exercise. Have a sturdy chair or wall nearby.
National Institute on Aging (NIH), Three Types of Exercise
Stop if anything hurts, or if you feel dizzy, short of breath or chest pressure.
General information, not medical advice.