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Each day, millions of people worldwide practice Tai Chi Chuan, which has been known for centuries to promote deep relaxation and excellent health, to prevent injuries and illnesses, and to improve martial skills.
Tai Chi has steadily become a popular form of Mind/Body exercise as more and more
But, what is Tai Chi really?
This book clearly introduces the history and underlying principles of Tai Chi Chuan (taijiquan) from a modern and unique perspective. For the beginner, this program is a comprehensive introduction to authentic Tai Chi, allowing you to fine-tune your Mind/Body skills and create balance among them. For the intermediate and advanced, it includes important directions and instructions, helping you improve and expand Mind/Body knowledge. In the end, you will understand and experience the ultimate goal of Tai Chi; the harmonizing of the three forces – human, earth, and heaven.
* Develop symmetry and balance between strength and flexibility
* Loosen and strengthen muscles, tendons, and ligaments
* Improve circulation of blood and Qi energy
* Learn how to increase bone density
* Massage internal organs with gentle movement
* Boost your immune system to help heal chronic conditions, including Arthritis, Osteoperosis, Sarcopenia, and Cancer
* Improve your quality of life and daily physical performance
* Tap into the abundant energy of the universe
* Learn and improve your martial arts skills
Ramel Rones, a martial arts gold medalist, works as a Scientific Consultant of Mind/Body Therapies at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and the Harvard and Tufts Medical Schools, as well as co-author of numerous scientific publications. He is the author of the best-selling DVD, Sunrise Tai Chi. Ramel resides in Boston, Massachusetts.
'Working with Rami for the last five years helped me to repair a debilitating back problem, and contributed to a better quality of life. Nevertheless, what has been more important is Rami's consistent teaching of deep breathing and the meditative mind, which has helped me to maintain some calm on the emotional rollercoaster of my life.'-Larry Lucchino, President and CEO of the Boston Red Sox
'I have personally worked with Rami and experienced the benefis and insights of his blend of tai chi, yoga, and balance control. This book adds an emotional tool to our efforts to motivate people to adopt and use healthy practices to strengthen body and mind. Sunrise Tai Chi provides every reader the knowledge and practical advice to live a healthier, fuller life.' (from the Foreword)-Miriam E. Nelson, Ph.D. School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University,author of the strong Women book series.
'Deeply versed, passionate and informed, Mr. Rones is a committed and caring teacher of the Asian mind/body arts, including Qigong, Tai Chi, and yoga.'-Ted Kaptchuk Harvard Medical School, author of the Web that Has No Weaver
'I have learned how to energize my life, deal with stress, and stay healthy.'-Cathy Kerr, Ph.D. Instructor, Harvard Medical School
Contents
Romanization of Chinese words
Foreword by Miriam E. Nelson Ph.D.
Acknowledgements
How to use this book
Chapter 1 What is tai chi?
Introduction
History
Chapter 2 Human energy: Internal visualization
Goals of the mind/body approach
Pillars of the mind/body approach
Between awake & asleep
Physical movements & mental visualizations
First steps in the journey of internal visualization-Step 1: Physical journey; Step 2: Mental journey; Step 3: Relaxing the physical body
Three spheres-Sphere 1: The lumbar spine and abdominal muscles; Sphere 2: The thoracic spine and shoulders/Upper back/Upper chest; Sphere 3: The cervical spine/top of the head/Face muscles
Center of gravity energy center
Empty & full moon
Buddhist breathing
Taoist breathing
Pituitary gland energy center visualization
External baton visualization
Baton visualization
Bubble visualization (guardian energy)
Baton/bubble breathing visualization (bone marrow-skin breathing)
Four gates breathing
Third eye pulsing or spiritual breathing
Baton/bubble and four gates spiritual breathing
Chapter 3 Sunrise tai chi mind/body program
1 Sitting meditation
2 Standing meditation
3 Cleansing the body
4 Nourishing the body
5 Organ massage
6 Three chambers breathing
7 Vitamin L-Lower back stretch
8 Four gates breathing
9 Two bows breathing
10 Tai chi ball
11 Vitamin H-Hamstring stretch
12 Loosening leg joints
13 Loosening the neck
14 Flamingo stretch
15 Squat down
16 Outer hip
17 Walk and kick back
18 Walk like a warrior
19 Up like smoke, down like a feather
20 Crane lifts to heaven
21 Sun nourishing
Chapter 4 Understanding tai chi movements
Before beginning your moving stances: Tai chi drills & form-Sacrum dropped; Head suspended, shoulders dropped; Empty/full moon; Elbows dropped & sunk; Weight through the knees and not into the knees; Turn & lift using the heels; Tai chi hand form
Stances-Keypoints aboiut the stances; Mountain stance; Begin tai chi stance; Horse stance; Forward stance; back stance; Empty stance; Tame the tiger stance
Moving stances
1 From mountain stance to begin tai chi stance
2 From horse stance to empty stance
3 Forward stance (or mountain climbing stance) to back stance
4 From horse stance to tame the tiger stance to empty stance
5 Forward stance to forward stance
6 From back stance to back stance
Stationary tai chi movements-Drills
1a Grasp the sparrow's tail: Legs stationary
1b Grasp the sparrow's tail: Legs moving
2a Diagonal flying: Legs stationary
2b Diagonal flying: Legs moving
3a Ward off: Legs stationary
3b Ward off: Legs moving
4a Press: Legs stationary
4b Press: Legs moving
5a Push: Legs stationary
5b Push: Legs moving
6a Single whip: Legs stationary
6b Single whip: Legs moving
Ward off, rollback, press, & push: Legs stationary
Ward off, rollback, press, & push: Legs moving
The five building blocks
Chapter 5 Sunrise tai chi form
Elements of the sunrise tai chi form
Mountain stance
Begin tai chi
Begin tai chi
Grasp the sparrow's tail-right
Diagonal flying
Ward off (Peng)
Rollback, press, and push-Rollback (Lu); Press (Ji); Push (An); Keypoints
Single whip
Cleanse & close tai chi
Chapter 6 Epilogue
Glossary of Chinese terms
Recommended readings (bibliography)
Index
Tai Chi has steadily become a popular form of Mind/Body exercise as more and more
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people in the west discover the rich rewards of living in a holistic way. Tai Chi is a journey through the mind, the body, and the spirit, that can be practiced by everyone. Increasingly, you can see people practicing in the park – moving slowly in a meditative state, or even perfecting their martial arts skills. But, what is Tai Chi really?
This book clearly introduces the history and underlying principles of Tai Chi Chuan (taijiquan) from a modern and unique perspective. For the beginner, this program is a comprehensive introduction to authentic Tai Chi, allowing you to fine-tune your Mind/Body skills and create balance among them. For the intermediate and advanced, it includes important directions and instructions, helping you improve and expand Mind/Body knowledge. In the end, you will understand and experience the ultimate goal of Tai Chi; the harmonizing of the three forces – human, earth, and heaven.
* Develop symmetry and balance between strength and flexibility
* Loosen and strengthen muscles, tendons, and ligaments
* Improve circulation of blood and Qi energy
* Learn how to increase bone density
* Massage internal organs with gentle movement
* Boost your immune system to help heal chronic conditions, including Arthritis, Osteoperosis, Sarcopenia, and Cancer
* Improve your quality of life and daily physical performance
* Tap into the abundant energy of the universe
* Learn and improve your martial arts skills
Ramel Rones, a martial arts gold medalist, works as a Scientific Consultant of Mind/Body Therapies at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and the Harvard and Tufts Medical Schools, as well as co-author of numerous scientific publications. He is the author of the best-selling DVD, Sunrise Tai Chi. Ramel resides in Boston, Massachusetts.
'Working with Rami for the last five years helped me to repair a debilitating back problem, and contributed to a better quality of life. Nevertheless, what has been more important is Rami's consistent teaching of deep breathing and the meditative mind, which has helped me to maintain some calm on the emotional rollercoaster of my life.'-Larry Lucchino, President and CEO of the Boston Red Sox
'I have personally worked with Rami and experienced the benefis and insights of his blend of tai chi, yoga, and balance control. This book adds an emotional tool to our efforts to motivate people to adopt and use healthy practices to strengthen body and mind. Sunrise Tai Chi provides every reader the knowledge and practical advice to live a healthier, fuller life.' (from the Foreword)-Miriam E. Nelson, Ph.D. School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University,author of the strong Women book series.
'Deeply versed, passionate and informed, Mr. Rones is a committed and caring teacher of the Asian mind/body arts, including Qigong, Tai Chi, and yoga.'-Ted Kaptchuk Harvard Medical School, author of the Web that Has No Weaver
'I have learned how to energize my life, deal with stress, and stay healthy.'-Cathy Kerr, Ph.D. Instructor, Harvard Medical School
Contents
Romanization of Chinese words
Foreword by Miriam E. Nelson Ph.D.
Acknowledgements
How to use this book
Chapter 1 What is tai chi?
Introduction
History
Chapter 2 Human energy: Internal visualization
Goals of the mind/body approach
Pillars of the mind/body approach
Between awake & asleep
Physical movements & mental visualizations
First steps in the journey of internal visualization-Step 1: Physical journey; Step 2: Mental journey; Step 3: Relaxing the physical body
Three spheres-Sphere 1: The lumbar spine and abdominal muscles; Sphere 2: The thoracic spine and shoulders/Upper back/Upper chest; Sphere 3: The cervical spine/top of the head/Face muscles
Center of gravity energy center
Empty & full moon
Buddhist breathing
Taoist breathing
Pituitary gland energy center visualization
External baton visualization
Baton visualization
Bubble visualization (guardian energy)
Baton/bubble breathing visualization (bone marrow-skin breathing)
Four gates breathing
Third eye pulsing or spiritual breathing
Baton/bubble and four gates spiritual breathing
Chapter 3 Sunrise tai chi mind/body program
1 Sitting meditation
2 Standing meditation
3 Cleansing the body
4 Nourishing the body
5 Organ massage
6 Three chambers breathing
7 Vitamin L-Lower back stretch
8 Four gates breathing
9 Two bows breathing
10 Tai chi ball
11 Vitamin H-Hamstring stretch
12 Loosening leg joints
13 Loosening the neck
14 Flamingo stretch
15 Squat down
16 Outer hip
17 Walk and kick back
18 Walk like a warrior
19 Up like smoke, down like a feather
20 Crane lifts to heaven
21 Sun nourishing
Chapter 4 Understanding tai chi movements
Before beginning your moving stances: Tai chi drills & form-Sacrum dropped; Head suspended, shoulders dropped; Empty/full moon; Elbows dropped & sunk; Weight through the knees and not into the knees; Turn & lift using the heels; Tai chi hand form
Stances-Keypoints aboiut the stances; Mountain stance; Begin tai chi stance; Horse stance; Forward stance; back stance; Empty stance; Tame the tiger stance
Moving stances
1 From mountain stance to begin tai chi stance
2 From horse stance to empty stance
3 Forward stance (or mountain climbing stance) to back stance
4 From horse stance to tame the tiger stance to empty stance
5 Forward stance to forward stance
6 From back stance to back stance
Stationary tai chi movements-Drills
1a Grasp the sparrow's tail: Legs stationary
1b Grasp the sparrow's tail: Legs moving
2a Diagonal flying: Legs stationary
2b Diagonal flying: Legs moving
3a Ward off: Legs stationary
3b Ward off: Legs moving
4a Press: Legs stationary
4b Press: Legs moving
5a Push: Legs stationary
5b Push: Legs moving
6a Single whip: Legs stationary
6b Single whip: Legs moving
Ward off, rollback, press, & push: Legs stationary
Ward off, rollback, press, & push: Legs moving
The five building blocks
Chapter 5 Sunrise tai chi form
Elements of the sunrise tai chi form
Mountain stance
Begin tai chi
Begin tai chi
Grasp the sparrow's tail-right
Diagonal flying
Ward off (Peng)
Rollback, press, and push-Rollback (Lu); Press (Ji); Push (An); Keypoints
Single whip
Cleanse & close tai chi
Chapter 6 Epilogue
Glossary of Chinese terms
Recommended readings (bibliography)
Index
Show Less
ISBN
1594390835 / 9781594390838
Publication
Publisher Unknown, 199 pages