Seated Tai Chi for Back Pain
Important Notes for While Performing:
While performing each move emphasize rotating the body from the waist. With each turn rotate your torso and shoulders as far as you can without causing pain. Try to feel your back muscles winding up like a coiled spring as you turn to one side. Then filled them unwinding as you turn back. Proper breathing is important for muscle relaxation and pain control. Shallow breathing can increase muscle tension and pain. Inhale deeply from your diaphragm and exhale completely. Your shoulder muscles should remain relaxed at all times.
- Opening move
- Slowly lift your hands to shoulder height
- Bring them to the center and gently press down
- Brush knee and push hand
- Sweep your left hand in front of your face as you lift your right.
- Keep your body upright and relax your shoulders as the left hand moves across your knees.
- Bring your right hand beside your ear.
- Exhale as you push diagonally across your body.
- Wave hands like clouds
- With your palms facing inward make a clockwise circle with your right hand and a counter clockwise circle with your left.
- Inhale from the diaphragm and exhale completely.
- Jade girl works with shuttles
- While turning your body to the right, lift your right hand up just above your forehead and push the left palm across to the right.
- White crane spreads wings
- While turning your body to the left, circle your right hand across your abdomen and under the left as if holding a ball.
- As you turn your body to the right, lift your right arm upward above your right toe and press the left down to the side of your left thigh.
- Turn your body towards the center slightly dropping both arms keep your body upright and relax your shoulders.
- Brush Knee and push hand
- Sweep your right hand in front of your face as you lift the left
- Keep your body upright and relax your shoulders.
- As your right hand moves across your face bring your left hand beside your ear.
- Exhale as you push diagonally across your body.
- Wave hands in the clouds
- Turn your palms inward and make a counterclockwise circle with your left hand and a clockwise circle with your right.
- Inhale from your diaphragm and exhale completely.
- Jade girl works with shuttles
- While turning your body towards the left, lift your left hand up just above your forehead and push your left hand across to the left.
- White crane spreads wings
- While turning your body to the right, circle your left hand across your abdomen and under the right as if holding a ball.
- As you turn the body to the left, lift your left arm upward above your left temple and press the right arm down to the side of your thigh.
- Closing form
- Turn your body towards the center.
- Slightly drop both arms, keep your body upright and relax your shoulders as you bring both arms up to shoulder height.
- Bring arms to the center at shoulders width and gently press down.