Master Zi always says "Your eyes follow your chi ". Especially when he spot someone in the class looking around the room or being distracted. Yes, your eyes are part of your body and therefore a vital part of Tai Chi.

When I stand in the front of the room and teach, I see what Master Zi was saying. There are people who are so immersed in what they are doing that their eyes were part of the movements.  Others were looking everywhere as if they were lost in the foreign country. For people who are still unsure of what to do with their eyes,  remember the expression "Your eyes follows the Chi"

Breath is life. We have a lungs to bring in oxygen and remove built up toxins and carbon dioxide from our body. It is said that the average person only uses about twenty percent of their lung capacity. With Tai Chi practice, you can learn to bring more oxygen into your body and improve your heath through deep breath into your stomach.

So what is "Breathe into your stomach"? If you are a singer, actor, or yogi, the answer may be obvious to your body, but for the rest of us, breathing deep into the stomach on regular basis can be a new territory in our body. (Otherwise why would so many people need to be reminded?)

Whenever I do Tai Chi, I am recalibrating my own senses and relieving any congestion in my body.  This all starts from standing straight and straightening the spine.

When I say "straighten your spine" in class, everyone becomes taller and their energy becomes focused.  This is a great start.  Once you start to get present with yourself standing straight in silence, you will notice there are so many things going on in your body and your mind.  There is so much to this simple expression "straighten your spine".  Let's take a look at it so you can get the maximum benefit from just standing around!

So now, you are ready to visit your first Tai Chi class. You may be excited and nervous at the same time. Here are some tips I have for you.

What to wear

Wear comfortable and easy-to-move clothes. Example: Loose T-shirts and comfortable pants that you can squat in. Once I wore slightly tight pants, and I was concerned about not ripping my pants when I was doing some moves.

If it's inside, you can go barefoot, if not; comfortable exercise shoes will work fine.