Hey everyone,
I'm relatively new to my Tai Chi journey and for the longest time, I struggled with feeling stiff and unstable in the basic stances. I knew flexibility was important, but I didn't know where to start without risking injury.
A very experienced instructor recently showed me these 6 essential stretching and "pressure leg" (压腿 - Yā Tuǐ) drills, and they have completely transformed my practice. They specifically target the hip flexors, hamstrings, and inner thighs, which are crucial for building a strong root and smooth transitions.
I found a fantastic video that breaks them down perfectly. It clearly demonstrates each exercise, which I've listed below with their Chinese names:
Bow Stance Stretch (弓步压腿 - Gōngbù Yā Tuǐ)
Crouching Stance Stretch (扑步压腿 - Pūbù Yā Tuǐ)
Horse Stance Hip Opening (马步开胯 - Mǎbù Kāi Kuà)
Side Leg Stretch (侧压腿 - Cè Yā Tuǐ)
Front Leg Stretch (正压腿 - Zhèng Yā Tuǐ)
Single-Leg Balance Stretch (独立步压腿 - Dúlìbù Yā Tuǐ)
Here is the link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Puh6iMUZ2Us
The video is super beginner-friendly. Since I've been doing these for a few weeks, my Bow Stance is deeper and my balance during Single-Leg postures has improved dramatically.
I'm curious to hear from others:
For the experienced practitioners: Are these the core stretches you would also recommend? Any other drills you'd add?
For my fellow beginners: Have you tried these? What has your experience been?
Hope this helps others as much as it helped me!
I'm relatively new to my Tai Chi journey and for the longest time, I struggled with feeling stiff and unstable in the basic stances. I knew flexibility was important, but I didn't know where to start without risking injury.
A very experienced instructor recently showed me these 6 essential stretching and "pressure leg" (压腿 - Yā Tuǐ) drills, and they have completely transformed my practice. They specifically target the hip flexors, hamstrings, and inner thighs, which are crucial for building a strong root and smooth transitions.
I found a fantastic video that breaks them down perfectly. It clearly demonstrates each exercise, which I've listed below with their Chinese names:
Bow Stance Stretch (弓步压腿 - Gōngbù Yā Tuǐ)
Crouching Stance Stretch (扑步压腿 - Pūbù Yā Tuǐ)
Horse Stance Hip Opening (马步开胯 - Mǎbù Kāi Kuà)
Side Leg Stretch (侧压腿 - Cè Yā Tuǐ)
Front Leg Stretch (正压腿 - Zhèng Yā Tuǐ)
Single-Leg Balance Stretch (独立步压腿 - Dúlìbù Yā Tuǐ)
Here is the link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Puh6iMUZ2Us
The video is super beginner-friendly. Since I've been doing these for a few weeks, my Bow Stance is deeper and my balance during Single-Leg postures has improved dramatically.
I'm curious to hear from others:
For the experienced practitioners: Are these the core stretches you would also recommend? Any other drills you'd add?
For my fellow beginners: Have you tried these? What has your experience been?
Hope this helps others as much as it helped me!
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