On The Opening Move of Taiji Forms

1) Thinking about the tip of your nose, and align your nose with your rigth toe. By so doing your body weight is on the front of your right foot, and your left leg is totally freed. Now slowly move your left leg towards the left, until about shoulder width.

2) With your right pinky finger moving towards the back of your rigth thigh, your body weight starts to shift slowly to the right heel, and your left toe touches the ground.

3) Then thinking about your right ring finger, and moving towards your pinky fingers, your second toe touches the ground, and so on until both your feet are firmaly planted.

4) Now the arms go up (with power from the shoulder and back). All this time think about the finger tips of both hands trying to reach the palms (note: not literally reaching them).

5) Once your wrists are at or slightly above shoulder height, think about your palms, thus stopping the upward movement of your arms.

6) Think about the wrists, and your arms should slowly come down. The feeling should be like having your arms resting on a body of water, until it slowly sinks to the side of and the thumbs pointing at your hips.