Creating range of motion and flexibility with Tai Chi

This week was a culmination of the past few weeks work. We had focused on Trusting Energy, proper alignment and posture, relaxing and smiling from the heart, clearing out mental and physical clutter and being in the moment. All of which led into this week's focus of creating range of motion and flexibility within Tai Chi Training.

One Tai Chi Step at a time...
I think the most difficult thing new students face is the acceptance that Tai Chi is a different way of training the body. Especially in the Western "civilized" World people have been taught that faster is better; no pain no gain, push past pain to get results, even things such as "Pain is weakness leaving the body". I have come to know that this mind set is nothing but GARBAGE. A detriment to the way our bodies were designed to operate. Sure, if you are a professional athlete, pushing the limits of your body is part of the job. Have you ever wondered why athletes are making so much money? One of the main reasons is because their "athletic life expectancy" is typically 10, 15 or 20 years at best. Many of which have the "career ending injury" that cut their earning potential short. For the rest of us, trying to push our bodies to these extremes is not only unwise, it is unhealthy. In Tai Chi, we train hard but we train smart. Carefully maintaining posture, alignment, relaxation (important for strength development), deep breathing and mental clarity. Our process has been scientifically proven to be very effective but it does take time and a certain level of commitment to the process.

Stretching the Tai Chi Way...
I have mentioned before how creating a trust within the body is important to effective training. Well it is even more important when working on your range of motion and flexibility. There is a hierarchical structure to our bodies that starts at the skin, fascia, muscle, then tendon, ligament and joint. In order to open a joint, the connecting ligaments must have room to stretch. For the ligaments to stretch, the tendons and adjoining muscles must relax which in turn will allow the surrounding fascia to stretch as well. This harmonized dance of connective tissues is why Tai Chi takes so much concentration to perform effectively. Here is an example, from my training. For many years I had trained to jump, move quickly on my feet (plyometrics) using tools like running, jumping rope and other drills; all of which created extremely tight achillies tendons and adjoining calf muscles. Cramps and spasms were a norm in my routine. Something I dealt with as part of the training. "Comes with the territory" I heard from instructors and told myself. Then I met Dr. Chen who was NOT surprised at how tight I was, especially considering the training I had been through. He showed me that forced stretching would not do any good (it had not for years in my body anyway) and that I needed to move smaller and softer, creating a trust in the body that would allow it to relax and stretch based on the natural process. Over time, I noticed that my steps became longer and more relaxed, naturally. As I became stronger, I was able to gently challenge my flexibility through a patient, attentive process we call Tai Chi. Even with all the forced stretching, bouncing, machines, pain and strain, I am MUCH more relaxed and flexible now than I even have been.

Tai Chi Back Step...A great place to start.
Most of us have tight calves so lets start there. Using the Tai Chi Back Step, place your foot empty to the back. First touch the toes, sink at the supporting knee and rest the back heel empty to the floor. There should be no weight on the back foot at all. If you can not get it to the floor in a relaxed way then you have stepped beyond your available flexibility. Shorten your step until that back foot can relax completely to the floor with all your weight to the front foot in good posture. Now slowly shift weight to a 50/50 stance and begin the process over to the other side. Remember to keep your steps small enough to maintain an empty step back. Meaning, once your back foot is fully to the floor you should be able to pick it right back up without shifting weight.

Deep Breathing...Part of our training.
Long ago, Oyster Divers would amaze people at their ability to stay under water for very long periods of time. They had trained their bodies to increase their lung capacity and become more efficient at managing their oxygen consumption. This is yet another example of how well our bodies respond to consistent demands placed upon them. It further shows that if you want to increase your lung capacity, improve your oxygen exchange, all you have to do is relax, practice consistently and be patient, it will come.

The training process I am proposing and sharing with you does take a lot of patience and consistent practice but the rewards are a more relaxed, health body that is stronger, faster and more flexible than ever before. All this without PAIN!