Yang style Tai Chi is mostly divided into two classifications: big frame and small frame. I remember my Tai Chi teacher, Dr. Kay-Chi Leung, saying that “When you start your Tai Chi training, you should first learn and focus on the big frame. Learning and practicing the big frame will get your sinews and vessels stretched out, boosting the flow of blood and energy. This will put you in a position to then manifest skill. When you get advanced and the time comes to apply the techniques, you will have to be quick and agile, and for that you will need to learn the small frame.”
We start all our students with Yang style Tai Chi big frame. Big movements are extremely healthy for the body, stretching and strengthening it as you learn to relax and de-stress.
That is why the first thing you should learn is how to let go of your tension in the body, especially around the neck, shoulders and chest area. These are areas that are prone for storing daily stress and lead to all kinds of ailments. Your body has a direct effect on how you feel and think. If there is discomfort in the physical body, the mind will in return be affected. The key element to remember is to let go of the tension in the body.
When the tension in the body is released the mind can become calm, allowing the body to strengthen and heal itself. The slow movements in Tai Chi will help you focus your mind on your breath while at the same time using more muscles, which will force more blood flow through the body improving your circulation and muscle tone.
It is a slow process in which the journey should be enjoyed as the body transforms slowly and leads you to gain all the benefits of greater strength, better health and competent skills in Tai Chi.