“Even if your head is in the “Clouds” sometimes!”
The foundation of Tai Chi is to relax, because if you are unable to relax, no energy can be cultivated and deployed. So how do you relax while at the same time, learn a form that requires some element of co-ordination?
Learning anything new causes a mix of excitement and tension in the trying or “efforting” in order to get it right.
If you ever heard of the saying, ‘Yard by Yard it’s hard, but Inch by Inch it’s Cinch,’ you can apply it here. Learning any Tai Chi form is easier when broken into smaller chunks.
Tai Chi Cloud Hands
A movement that some students often find a challenge is Waving Hands in The Clouds, sometimes called Cloud Hands.
As I said in the opening sentence, the foundation of Tai Chi is relaxation. This is key to any further development. Relaxation is almost an art in itself.
I have put up a small video lesson for those of you who would like to understand Cloud Hands a little better.
Once you have the basic movement down, relax and congratulate yourself. Once that’s done, practise it.
A top tip to get you to relax instantly, is to simply SMILE. It nearly always does the trick. I hope this will encourage you to keep up your practise. Enjoy your health.
Frank Murphy
