Yang Chen Fu's 10 Essentials

1. Lift the head and raise the spirit
Hold the head up straight without using force. Do not let the neck become tense, thus allowing for good blood circulation and energy flow. Visualize yourself suspended from a string like a puppet. Appear youthful and alive. Express vitality and spirit. To achieve the correct position of the head while performing Tai Chi, imagine an object balanced on top of your head. Other parts of the head such as the face, mouth, and eyes are also important in a discussion of the head's positioning. Always keep your eyes forward following the movement of the hands. Keep your face relaxed, inhale through your nose, and exhale through your mouth. Remember to gently touch the tongue to the roof of your mouth as you inhale.

2 Settle the shoulders and drop the elbows
Shoulders should settle into their natural position. To relax is the key. By allowing the shoulders to relax, the elbows should naturally drop down pointing to the ground. This allows for good energy flow and power. If you cannot relax, you will become tense and waste energy and power. Do not direct your power in an upward direction: instead use internal strength originating from your center (or dan tien area) about three inches below the navel.

3.Relax the chest and pluck the back
When practicing Tai Ch do not push the chest out; instead allow the chest to sink inward slightly, which reduces the pressure on the lungs. By relaxing the chest, you will naturally facilitate deep-relaxed breathing. This gentle movement also helps stimulate the surrounding organs in a healthy way. When the chest is relaxed and slightly sunk in, the back will naturally assume the correct raised position. Plucking the back is similar to a cocked gun ready to fire. An explosion of power is released from the dan tien via the spine and back. To relax the back is to allow the energy to circulate and flow freely from the dan tien area.

4. Loosen the waist and relax the hips.
Loosening and relaxing the waist and hips are vital to Tai Chi Chuan. This is because of all movement beginning at the center of the body. By relaxing the waist, you will naturally have better foundational stability, and control of the legs, during the shift from empty to full (insubstantial to substantial). Avoid unnatural or forced waist movement: this will cause a loss of power, control and accuracy of movement.

5. Incorporate the principle of substantial and insubstantial
A fundamental understanding of substantial and insubstantial is necessary to grasp the basic movement of Tai Chi Chuan. This fundamental originates from the (ying/yang) principle. Substantial (full or yang) and insubstantial (empty or yin) refers to the legs and weight distribution. In Tai Chi Chuan, the student must have an awareness of the continual shifting of the weight in the legs. When one leg empties the other becomes full. This firmly placed leg is considered substantial. The insubstantial or empty leg can then easily change direction because all the weight is in the other leg. This principle is the key to understanding the footwork of Tai Chi Chuan.

6. Harmonize the upper and lower body movements
Harmony of movement is an important aspect of Tai Chi Chuan. An old adage states, "The root is in the feet, dispensed through the legs, controlled by the waist, and orchestrated in the fingers." When energy moves from the feet, to the legs, to the waist, your gaze must follow the movements. This means the entire body moves in synchronization. If one part of the body stops completely and another continues, you have chaos. This is the meaning of harmony between the upper and lower body.

7. Use the mind, not force
Among Tai Chi practitioners it is often said, "Lead entirely with your mind, do not use force in movement." When practicing Tai Chi your entire body remains relaxed not stiff. This includes joints and veins, as well as muscles. (For example, the veins and tendons should not appear on the back of the hand; this is often referred to as beautiful lady's hand.) Any stiffness will inhibit vital energy flow and transference. To lead with the mind means that wherever the mind goes the energy will follow. To incorporate this principle, the student must concentrate on the movement just slightly in the future. In this way, the mind leads the movement. This is just the beginning of internal strength gained through practice.

8. Harmonize the internal and external parts
In Tai Chi, the individual spirit is expressed through training. The spirit is the leader and the body is the follower. If the spirit is tranquil, the body is light, graceful and alive. The physical movements of Tai Chi are nothing more than empty/full, and open/closed. Your intention must become empty or full, open or closed; thus, using your mind you must lead the physical movements of your four limbs. To bring harmony between the physical and the internal is to achieve completeness in Tai Chi Chuan.

9. Understand the principle of continuity ----Never ceasing
In many hard style schools of martial arts, a movement has a beginning and a end. When a move is at its end, just before it begins again, the student is vulnerable to attack because of an interruption of energy flow. The constant starting and stopping is the problem here. With Tai Chi, this emphasis is on the mind, not using force. Tai Chi is like a great river which flows continuously or like unraveling silk from a cocoon. (In Tai Chi, a movement does not stop, but rather just changes direction) Chi energy harmoniously links as one long movement.

!0. Seek serenity in motion
Hard-style or external schools of martial arts often high-energy moves, such as jumping and spinning. After practice, students often become tired and out of breath. In Tai Chi, the student remains serene during movement. Slower is better. This slow movement has a calming effect on the body. You can breathe deeper and more controlled, concentrating on sinking energy to the dan tien. Your mind, body, and pulse will remain calm during practice. Contemplate this concept in depth to understand its true value.