Tai Chi Classes
Are You Thinking About Taking Tai Chi Classes?
Are you thinking about taking Tai Chi classes? Tai Chi has become popular as a mainstream exercise all over the world because of the benefits that Tai Chi classes offer. By focusing on good balance and posture, deep breathing and mind/body coordination of movements, practicing Tai Chi results in calmness, inner awareness, and stillness. Tai Chi helps to enhance your body coordination and improve your balance, as well as reduce stress, anxiety and depression.
There are five major styles of Tai Chi, each named after the Chinese family from which it originated. If you plan on starting Tai Chi classes, it is helpful to understand the differences of each style, so that you can choose the one that suits you. Here at Flowing Mobility Tai Chi, I teach three different styles of Tai Chi: Sun Style Tai Chi, Chen Style Tai Chi, Yang Style Tai Chi. Below, you will find a brief explanation of the different styles, so you can familiarize yourself with them.
Sun Style Tai Chi
Sun, the youngest of the five major Tai Chi styles, was developed by Sun Lu-tang. Sun style is characterized in what is called “Follow Steps”. Follow steps is when one foot moves forward or backward, and the other foot follows. When the back foot touches the ground, the ball of the foot pushes downward to generate force. Follow steps of Sun Style Tai Chi provide balance, flexibility and agility, while also helping to improve and prevent mobility problems. Because of the follow steps Sun Style Tai Chi tends to be a bit faster and more lively than the other styles. The movements are fluid and continuous, and the tempo stays the same throughout the form.
Chen Style Tai Chi
Chen Style Tai Chi was developed in Chen Village and is considered to be the oldest and parent form of the five traditional family styles of tai chi. Chen Style tai chi is characterized by alternating fast and slow motions, bursts of power and what is known as silk reeling. Silk reeling exercise is a training method used to develop coordination, unity in movement, internal energy, strength and body awareness. Another main characteristic in Chen style is power emission, known as fajin. Fajin is a skill that gets refined over time until you can execute martial power with fast and sudden force.
Yang Style Tai Chi
Yang Style Tai Chi is another form that came from Chen Village and is regarded as the most popular style of Tai Chi practiced today. You are probably unaware, but you are probably more familiar with Yang Style Tai Chi. This style of tai chi is the one that you often see practiced at parks. Yang Style Tai Chi is characterized by its large sweeping, graceful and slow movements. Its emphasis is on maintaining a large frame combined with a series of expansive opening and closing movements. Because of the slow and graceful movement, it allows for people of all ages and fitness levels to easily start and continue on with training in a safe manner. It also allows practitioners to focus more on the internal aspects of tai chi without the distraction of fancy, fast movements.
There are many benefits to taking Tai Chi classes. If you are interested in taking Tai Chi classes, contact me today for more information. I offer both online and in person Tai Chi classes, so you practice Tai Chi both in the comfort of your own home and at the onsite classes. Contact me to learn more or go to https://www.taichisusan.com/.