What is key in Tai Chi?

Eric P. Trunnell, PhDAssociate Professor

Department of Health Promotion & EducationUniversity of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah 84112eric.trunnell@health.utah.edu

What is key in Tai Chi?Tai Chi Classics: From posture to posture, the energy is unbroken.

Principles: Circularity in Curves, arcs, circles not linearity. [Continuous, coordinated, connected]

Key Points in Tai Chi

1. Proper Alignments2. Pulsing: Opening and Closing

a) Piercing the shell (working with internals)

3. Energy worka) Releasing and Dropping (Sung) energy

4. Meditation in Movementa) Paying Attentionb) Rhythm and Flow in Opening and Closingc) Dissolving

It’s the Wine, not the Container!Tai Chi Classics (TCC)

• TCC: Separate and combine.• TCC: Empty and full must be clearly

differentiated.• TCC: One part moves, all parts move; one

part stops, all parts stop.• TCC: The big moves the small, the small

changes the big.

Scale #1: Based loosely on Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory

Please rate (1-10) how confident you are in your ability to…

1. Release any tension in your body.2. Align your joints and extremities.3. Empty one leg and fill the other.4. Lower your tailbone.5. Bend and stretch.6. Moderate your extensions to 70-80%.

Self-Efficacy Tai Chi Scale

Please rate how confident you are in your ability to…

7. Coordinate my movements within each posture.8. Place my attention on my body when doing the

form.9. Shift my awareness when moving.10. Be engaged in doing Tai Chi.11. Be open to learning and practicing.12. Move seamlessly from one posture to the next.

Changing Focus of your TCC Scale to other levels and situations (Bandura)?

• Scale #1: Focus is on person’s ability to perform the behaviors and skills you had just learned during the training.

• Scale #2: Focus is on performing behaviors and skills in different levels of difficulty and different situations.– Level of confidence (degree) in paying attention

while performing TC form when in low, moderate, and high (level) stressed situations (generality).

Example of Items on Scale #2

Situation #1: Sung in everyday activitiesPlease rate your level of confidence in…1. Dropping my energy (sung) when standing at

a checkout at the grocery store (low).2. Dropping my energy (sung) when I am

walking to class (mod).3. Dropping my energy (sung) when I am

walking fast to get to class (high).

Scale #2, Cont’d

Situation #2: Alignments, while walking, hikingPlease rate each item your level of confidence

in alignments while walking…4. Proper alignment while walking to class (low).5. Proper alignment while walking the lake in

the park (mod).6. Proper alignment while hiking in the hills

(high).

Scale #2, Cont’d

Situation #3: Performing cloud hands in activities with different degrees of stress.

Please rate your level of confidence in pulsing your joints while performing…

7. Cloud hands in class (low)8. Cloud hands in front of a small group (mod)9. Cloud hands in an auditorium for Junior High

students (high)

Immediate Effects of Tai Chi

1. Acquire a still & tranquil mind2. More present and mindful3. Greater degree of flowing movements

1. Produces a sense of flow in life2. Smoothes out the transitions and lessens gaps

4. Increase balance and circulation by activating 5 fluid systems

Long Term Effects of Tai Chi

1. Effects all five levels of our being over timea) Physical, mental, emotional, soul, and spirit

2. Research shows Tai Chi…a) Improves circulation, diabetes management,

sleep, immune system, and balanceb) Improves strength, balance, and flexibility c) Helps in Arthritis (joints), multiple sclerosis

(balance), CVD (circulation)