MS: Strengthen Your Mind and Body With Tai Chi
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[MUSIC PLAYING]
Spasms may occur or you may notice stiffness. Beginning with gentle movements will help us ease into practice. Should a spasm occur or you notice stiffness, allow the moment to happen without judgment. And then return to practice as soon as you feel comfortable enough to do so.
The first thing we do is warm up with some soft bounces to bring awareness to our spine, hips, knees, and ankles. Work your range of motion. Add side to side movement. Breathing naturally forward, back, forward, and back. And rotational movement. A gentle sway.
Breathing naturally and working within your own range of motion. This is what a seated variation would look like.
The next part of our warm up is lifting and lowering hands. We want to bring awareness to the whole body. With lift hands, I begin by bending the knees and ankles. And I lift the hands and lower, allowing the whole body to sink.
Lift with the whole body. Lower with the whole body. Lift and lower. Lift and lower.
The first exercise we'll do is Teacup. To begin Teacup, I step a bit wider to shoulder width and bend my knees. I allow my arms to hang naturally at my side and create a gentle curve as I lift them up. And then I'll bend side to side.
As you're doing this, make sure your knees and ankles are bent, and that you're breathing naturally in through the nose, out through the mouth. And here's the seated variation of Teacup.
The second exercise we'll be doing is called Press Heaven and Earth. I begin with my feet hip width. And I cross my hands across my chest. And then breathing naturally, bend the knees. Press the inside hand up, the outside hand down.
Let the one at the top drop. The bottom rise. And they rotate to the starting position. And we repeat. Press Heaven and Earth. Press Heaven and Earth. Press Heaven and Earth.
If you're sitting, this is how you do Heaven and Earth. The third exercise we'll do is Brushed Knee. We'll begin with our feet at hips width. Our arms hanging naturally at our side.
We'll lift hands. Bring a hand horizontally across the body. As you lift the other hand, sink the weight to that side. Empty the opposite foot. Step forward, Brush Knee and push.
Return to neutral stance. The opposite hand horizontally across the body. Lift the other hand. Empty the foot. Step forward, Brush Knee and push. Return to neutral stance, and horizontal.
Lift and settle. Brush and push. Return to neutral. Hand horizontal. Lift and settle. Brush and push. Return to neutral. This is what Brushed Knee looks like while seated.
To complete our exercises, we will have a centering cool down. Find yourself a comfortable position. Allow your awareness to come to your breath. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Close your eyes.
Breathe in. Settle the breath. Breathe out. Thank you, friends, for joining us today. [MUSIC CONTINUES]
MARK GUINN
Hello, friends. Today, we'll be doing Tai Chi exercises that can be done either standing or sitting. These exercises can help with balance or help center your mind in a crazy day. Spasms may occur or you may notice stiffness. Beginning with gentle movements will help us ease into practice. Should a spasm occur or you notice stiffness, allow the moment to happen without judgment. And then return to practice as soon as you feel comfortable enough to do so.
The first thing we do is warm up with some soft bounces to bring awareness to our spine, hips, knees, and ankles. Work your range of motion. Add side to side movement. Breathing naturally forward, back, forward, and back. And rotational movement. A gentle sway.
Breathing naturally and working within your own range of motion. This is what a seated variation would look like.
The next part of our warm up is lifting and lowering hands. We want to bring awareness to the whole body. With lift hands, I begin by bending the knees and ankles. And I lift the hands and lower, allowing the whole body to sink.
Lift with the whole body. Lower with the whole body. Lift and lower. Lift and lower.
The first exercise we'll do is Teacup. To begin Teacup, I step a bit wider to shoulder width and bend my knees. I allow my arms to hang naturally at my side and create a gentle curve as I lift them up. And then I'll bend side to side.
As you're doing this, make sure your knees and ankles are bent, and that you're breathing naturally in through the nose, out through the mouth. And here's the seated variation of Teacup.
The second exercise we'll be doing is called Press Heaven and Earth. I begin with my feet hip width. And I cross my hands across my chest. And then breathing naturally, bend the knees. Press the inside hand up, the outside hand down.
Let the one at the top drop. The bottom rise. And they rotate to the starting position. And we repeat. Press Heaven and Earth. Press Heaven and Earth. Press Heaven and Earth.
If you're sitting, this is how you do Heaven and Earth. The third exercise we'll do is Brushed Knee. We'll begin with our feet at hips width. Our arms hanging naturally at our side.
We'll lift hands. Bring a hand horizontally across the body. As you lift the other hand, sink the weight to that side. Empty the opposite foot. Step forward, Brush Knee and push.
Return to neutral stance. The opposite hand horizontally across the body. Lift the other hand. Empty the foot. Step forward, Brush Knee and push. Return to neutral stance, and horizontal.
Lift and settle. Brush and push. Return to neutral. Hand horizontal. Lift and settle. Brush and push. Return to neutral. This is what Brushed Knee looks like while seated.
To complete our exercises, we will have a centering cool down. Find yourself a comfortable position. Allow your awareness to come to your breath. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Close your eyes.
Breathe in. Settle the breath. Breathe out. Thank you, friends, for joining us today. [MUSIC CONTINUES]
