Tai Chi Rooting Partner Exercises

Video Transcript

"In this segment we're going to be using a partner to help us test our rooting. Rooting is one of the most important concepts in Tai Chi. Without root, there is no Tai Chi. So what we can do with the partner, this partner stands in front of us in a good Zhan Zhuang, Standing Form Meditation. There's a good alignment, hips and shoulders are in alignment, the knees are soft, the neck is against the collar. The other person is going to come here and lightly press the hand right on the sternum. And of course, be mindful who your partner is. Right? Be respectful of the person. Now as I start to push, I'm going to push straight through. I don't want to try and push up, I'm not trying to push down. It's not a win-lose. This is to help each other out. So as I slowly, very slowly start to increase my pressure coming in, what Rey is going to want to do is to feel that force coming in on him. As that force comes in on him, he doesn't want to pay attention to what I'm doing. What he's going to want to pay attention to is the force being redirected down into his feet. So he's thinking of like that, is like water or sap from a tree, whatever he can do with his imagination. Keeping the good structure of alignment. Allowing that force to be redirected down into the ground."