52-Minute Tai Chi Class: Long Joint Warm-Up and Silk Reeling

Step by step 14

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

1. Gather the qi: breathe in as the arms rise above the head, breathe out as you guide them down to the feet. 0:32
2. Wrist circles both ways and palms pressed towards the ground to stretch the forearms, then elbow circles. 2:19
3. Shoulders and sides: open the chest and shoulder blades, then side stretches and arm rotations. 5:41
4. Neck: bend the knees, lower the head, circle the chin, look behind each shoulder and stretch the sides. 10:55
5. Pelvis circles with the knees bent and waist turns, then tap the belly, back, ribs, chest and shoulders. 15:25
6. Whole-body stretch, then a held forward bend, bending the knees to come up; side and front stretches follow. 18:37
7. Hip circles, then knee lifts that open and close the hips, alternating legs. 24:18
8. Lunges: step forward and lunge, then progressive lunges, each side, coming out of them slowly. 27:42
9. Knees and ankles: warm the knees with your hands, knee circles and straightening, then ankle rotations. 30:33
10. Stretch up and release, then shake out the arms, legs and spine, warm the palms and rub the lower back. 34:09
11. Standing pole: knees bent, elbows sunk, a relaxed upright posture and calm breathing. 37:33
12. Silk reeling on a fixed side step, one arm then the other, then with both hands on a diagonal step. 38:45
13. Move the hands like clouds on a fixed side step. 44:40
14. The four energies on a diagonal step, each side: ward off, roll back, press and push, then standing pole. 46:20

The steps are a summary in our words, checked against the video — the coach shows every move.