r/taichi

Featuring taolu, tuishou, and open mat. Early registration discount. See website for details.

Every Tai Chi teacher says "relax." It might be the most useless instruction in the art — not because it's wrong, but because almost everyone hears it wrong.

When beginners hear "relax," they go limp. Shoulders drop, but so does the structure; the body collapses like a deflating balloon. That's not song. Then they overcorrect and stiffen up again. Most people bounce between these two for a long time without realizing there's a third thing.

Song isn't floppiness and it isn't tension — it's releasing unnecessary tension while keeping structural integrity. Think of a suspension bridge cable, or a fire hose with water running through it: not rigid, not slack, but alive and connected, holding its shape through organized tension rather than dead bracing. Your joints stay open, your frame stays connected from the ground up, and only the muscles not needed for the task let go.

The test I use: can someone press on your arm and feel that the force goes through you into the ground, rather than getting stuck in a tense shoulder (too stiff) or collapsing the frame (too limp)? When the push travels cleanly through a relaxed-but-connected structure into your root, that's song.

It took me embarrassingly long to understand that "relax" was never an instruction to do less — it was an instruction to do only what's necessary, and nothing parasitic. The hardest part of Tai Chi isn't learning to add the right things. It's learning to subtract the wrong ones.

How did song finally click for you? Always curious how different teachers cue it, because "just relax" clearly isn't doing the job for most people.

Where can I learn tai chi in St Kilda?

Cloud Hands (Waving Hands Like Clouds) is one of the most recognizable movements in Tai Chi, but it can be practiced in different ways depending on your goal.

In this video, I show you how to perform Cloud Hands step by step, including the correct hand positions, body turning, weight shifting, breathing method, and common mistakes to avoid.

I also explain two different approaches to training:

✅ Relaxation Method – release stress, calm the nervous system, and improve mind-body awareness.

✅ Strength Building Method – use a deeper stance to develop leg strength, endurance, balance, and stability.

Whether your goal is relaxation, health, mobility, or stronger legs, Cloud Hands can be adapted to meet your needs.

In this lesson you’ll learn:

• Proper Cloud Hands technique
• Weight shifting and body turning
• Coordinating breathing with movement
• How to use Cloud Hands for relaxation
• How to use Cloud Hands for leg strengthening
• Common mistakes and corrections
• Training duration and progression

Practice slowly, stay relaxed, and focus on smooth, coordinated movement.

00:00 Introduction & Demonstration
00:45 How to Perform Cloud Hands
04:02 Breathing Method
05:42 Quick Tip
06:46 Cloud Hands for Stress Relief
08:24 Cloud Hands for Building Strength
13:18 Common Mistakes to Avoid
16:03 Recommendations & Progression

I’m looking for perspective from other Tai Chi/qigong instructors who teach for nonprofits or community organizations.

I was hired by a large local nonprofit to teach a senior/community Tai Chi class. When we first discussed the role, I said the minimum I could teach for was $150/class because of the class size and travel time. They couldn’t meet that, so we initially parted ways amicably.

Later, they came back and offered $100/class with the understanding that the rate would be re-evaluated once the class got going. I accepted because I liked the mission, wanted the experience, and the class sounded like a good fit.

The class has gone very well. Attendance is often in the 50+ range, the participants are engaged, and the feedback has been very positive. After about six weeks, I brought up the rate again. The response was essentially that they were a grassroots nonprofit, funding was uncertain, and they needed to be fair to other teachers, who they said are paid less. (none of this is true according to Public records)

I accepted that for the moment and kept teaching, but the bigger issue now is payment timing. Payments have been inconsistent, but this month it has become much worse. Their payment system sent me an email telling me to send the invoice directly and cc the accountant, so I did. I was then told not to do that. I forwarded the message I had received and explained that I was following the instruction from their system.

Since then, there has been no payment update. I followed up after three weeks, and I still haven’t heard back.

The hard part is that I genuinely love teaching the class, and the participants seem to really value it. But I drive about 40 minutes each way, the pay is already below my usual minimum, and now the payment timing is becoming unreliable.

For instructors who work with nonprofits or community centers: at what point would you pause classes until payment terms are clarified? Would you continue teaching because the class itself is successful, or would you treat the delayed payment and lack of communication as a sign to step back?

I am willing to pay. Thank you

Hello hello.

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My 82 year old father has been bombarded with these AI slop Tai Chi ads on YouTube and he's adamant on wanting it.

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I instead found him some follow along videos instead, but for some reason he really wants a printable version.

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Is there anything available of the sort?

He can do stand up stuff, but is also looking for "chair tai chi".

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Thank you on advance.

Really, the title is the quest. What is the consensus? Is qi (氣) a phenomenon of bioelectric origin in the body (or elsewhere...). This may narrow down to is qi electricity? So, of course, one should ask, "What is (bio)electricity," and proceed from there(maybe?). Or, if one can be less mysterious, one might try to proceed from "What is qi?" and proceed from there. I imagine I have more experience with electricity.

Please try to be less erudite than sensible. I am neither very brilliant nor well schooled in the subject (from either side... electricity or qi). Also, I have a tendency to look for prime causes, universality (i.e., accessibility) and repeatability. Thanks in advance

Really liked this write up articulating the three cultures of tai chi. Whilst this is likely already intuitive and common knoweldge to many, it's good to write it down to put your finger on it.

I'm sure many of the debates held in the comment sections on these subs, is people from these different cultures cross talking with each other.

A healthy spine requires movement in multiple directions, including rotation. In this video, I demonstrate a series of Qigong twisting mobility exercises designed to improve spinal mobility, open the shoulders and Kua (hip joints), and develop greater whole-body flexibility.

This session begins with a simple arm-swinging warm-up, progress to shoulder-tapping twists, and then explore cross-body elbow-pulling movements that increase rotational mobility throughout the body. Along the way, I explain how the shoulders, Kua, knees, and feet work together to create a connected movement system rather than isolated stretches.

I also discuss the concept of whole-body elasticity, often described in internal martial arts as an elastic or rubber-band-like connection running through the body. By learning to stabilize one part of the body while rotating another, you can develop better mobility, coordination, body awareness, and a stronger mind-body connection.

The breathing coordination gets me every time. The moment I try to think about it consciously I lose the flow completely.

In this video, I demonstrate a traditional Qigong squat exercise that helps develop leg strength, hip mobility, balance, coordination, and body awareness.

Unlike many conventional squats, this exercise emphasizes loading the Kua (hip joints), maintaining proper alignment, and avoiding unnecessary pressure on the knees.

In this lesson, you’ll learn:

• Proper stance and hand position
• How to squat while loading the Kua
• How to find the right depth for your body
• Common mistakes that place stress on the knees
• Breathing coordination with the movement
• The role of relaxation and intention in Qigong training

Practice slowly and stay within a comfortable range of motion. Focus on quality of movement rather than how low you can squat.