NOTESon the Neijing
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Movement & balance · 太极入门

Tai chi first steps: soften, settle, shift.

You have been sitting for hours. Your shoulders are up, your legs feel stiff and another demanding workout is the last thing you want. Begin with a small, unhurried change of position.

Updated

By Notes on the Neijing · Editorial direction: Jackie Yuen · Editorial process & sources

Recognise an everyday moment

A long stretch of sitting. A chance to move.

Recognise the situation, then choose a manageable change in position or a familiar walk.

A woman in a light blue shirt sits at a modern desk and rests a hand on her lower back.

After a long time at the desk

One position has filled much of the day. Start by changing the task or position.

The same woman in the same clothes takes an easy walk on a level garden path.

A comfortable movement break

Choose a safe route and a pace that leaves room for the rest of your day.

AI-created scenes illustrating everyday choices.

A useful first encounter

Tai chi combines deliberate movement, posture and attention. In Chinese culture, its changing balance offers a familiar image of yin and yang: one side receives weight as the other becomes lighter. You can explore that relationship without learning a whole sequence on day one.

Our three illustrated choices come from Tai Chi Shibashi Qigong: commencing, opening the chest and cloud hands. This is a gentle qigong introduction, not a complete tai chi boxing form. Torbay and South Devon NHS Trust’s Shibashi teaching page provides the reference context and official demonstrations.

Follow the start, change, comfortable position and return pictures beneath each silent sequence. The figures are original AI illustrations of simplified movements. They have not been assessed by a movement instructor. NCCIH’s tai chi overview describes research involving repeated practice; a short introduction does not reproduce those results.

Make the space ordinary and secure

Clear a dry patch of floor. Wear comfortable clothing and footwear with reliable grip. Put a sturdy chair against a wall, or stand beside a fixed countertop. Keep support close enough to hold without leaning after it. The NHS balance-exercise guide also recommends a wall or stable chair and building up gradually.

If you have fallen recently, are recovering from surgery, have an unstable medical condition or feel dizzy when standing, get advice about suitable movement before trying weight shifts alone. A seated option can still give you a gentle movement break.

Settle before the first movement

Stand with feet comfortably apart and toes pointing forward. Keep both soles down, knees soft and your head above your chest and pelvis. Let the arms rest. Take a few ordinary breaths; you do not need to squat low or follow a breathing count. If you need one hand on a support, move only the free arm or use the seated option below.

Three Shibashi qigong movements, in pictures

Begin with one movement. Watch its silent sequence, check the key positions, then try one or two easy repetitions. You can work through the three in order when comfortable, and finish with the settling movement below.

Original AI illustrations show simplified movement paths. Small hand or face changes can occur between frames. These are selected introductions, not a complete routine or an instructor-assessed demonstration.

01 · Watch the path, then read the positions

Commencing form 起势

A simple beginning: let the hands rise together, then settle them again.

Silent preview. The video loads only when you press Play.

Keep it easy

Keep both feet down, knees soft and shoulders easy. The arms can stop lower than the picture.

Watch first. Then try a small, comfortable version at your own pace. The loop shows the route; the numbered pictures explain where to begin, change and finish.

  1. A woman standing upright with feet apart and arms resting down.
    1 Begin

    Stand comfortably, arms resting beside you. Let your weight settle evenly through both feet.

  2. The same woman raising both arms forward with soft elbows.
    2 Raise

    Let both hands float forward, with elbows softly bent. Keep your chin level.

  3. Both arms raised forward around shoulder height while the body stays upright.
    3 Comfortable height

    Stop below or around shoulder height, without lifting the shoulders or leaning back.

  4. The woman returning her arms down beside her body.
    4 Return

    Lower the hands smoothly. Return to the same quiet standing position before another repetition.

02 · Watch the path, then read the positions

Open the chest 扩胸

After sitting, explore an easy opening and closing of the arms.

Silent preview. The video loads only when you press Play.

Keep it easy

Use a comfortable shoulder range. Do not pull the arms behind you or force a stretch across the chest.

Watch first. Then try a small, comfortable version at your own pace. The loop shows the route; the numbered pictures explain where to begin, change and finish.

  1. A woman standing evenly with both arms resting beside her body.
    1 Begin

    Stand evenly with the arms resting beside you. Keep your shoulders relaxed.

  2. The woman holding both arms forward at lower-chest height with palms facing each other.
    2 Bring the hands forward

    Raise both hands to a comfortable lower-chest height, palms facing each other and elbows soft.

  3. Both arms opened to a comfortable width with softly bent elbows.
    3 Open comfortably

    Let the hands travel apart in an easy arc. Pause at a comfortable width, without lifting the shoulders.

  4. The woman standing with both arms relaxed down after the chest-opening movement.
    4 Return

    Bring the hands toward each other in front, then let the arms lower beside you. Begin again only when ready.

03 · Watch the path, then read the positions

Cloud hands 云手

Let one hand rise as the other lowers, then change sides in a small, flowing movement.

Silent preview. The video loads only when you press Play.

Keep it easy

This fixed-foot introduction leaves out stepping. Keep the turn small and avoid twisting hard through the knees.

Watch first. Then try a small, comfortable version at your own pace. The loop shows the route; the numbered pictures explain where to begin, change and finish.

  1. A woman facing forward with her hands loosely cradled in front of her body.
    1 Begin in the middle

    Face forward with both feet planted. Hold the hands loosely in front, one above the other, with elbows relaxed.

  2. The woman turning to one side with one palm raised and the other lower.
    2 Turn to one side

    Guide the hands to one side with a small upper-body turn. Let one palm rise while the other stays lower.

  3. The hands in opposite high and low positions on the other side.
    3 Arrive on the other side

    Let the hands exchange places, with a small turn through the upper body and no forced reach.

  4. The woman facing forward again with her hands loosely cradled in front.
    4 Return to the middle

    Face forward and bring the hands back in front. After your last pair, let the arms settle down.

Bring the practice to a quiet finish

Use this simple settling ending after one movement or after your short selection. It is shared by both of our short practices. You do not need to finish every demonstration before stopping.

A clear ending

Finish and settle 收势

Give the practice an ending. Bring the arms down and return to ordinary standing.

Silent preview. The video loads only when you press Play.

Keep it easy

Keep your feet where they are until you feel settled. Breathe normally; there is no need to hold the breath.

Watch first. Then try a small, comfortable version at your own pace. The finish plays once and rests; follow the three positions below.

  1. A woman facing forward with both hands raised in front at comfortable chest height.
    1 Face forward

    Face forward with the hands in front at a comfortable chest height. Relax the elbows and shoulders.

  2. The woman lowering both hands with relaxed shoulders.
    2 Let them lower

    Lower the hands slowly, releasing any effort through the shoulders and jaw.

  3. The woman standing naturally with arms resting beside her body.
    3 Finish

    Rest the arms beside you. Pause for a few ordinary breaths, then move on when you feel steady.

Make it fit your day

For a seated version, use a firm chair without wheels, feet flat and comfortably apart. Stay upright and explore only the easy arm raise; leave standing weight shifts for a supported lesson. The VA explains seated and standing adaptations. After a long spell at a desk, one gentle practice can be a manageable transition into a short walk.

Finish while you still feel comfortable. Later that day, notice whether you feel pleasantly moved or more sore and tired. Use that information to reduce the range or repetitions next time. Consistency can grow from a modest beginning.

When to stop

Stop for sharp or increasing pain, dizziness, feeling faint or unusual breathlessness. New chest pain, collapse or severe breathing difficulty needs urgent medical help. If an exercise repeatedly causes discomfort, have an instructor or clinician help you adapt it.

See an instructor move

For a next step, open the VA’s “Tai Chi in 10” lesson with Cynthia Frusha. It includes a warm-up and breaks movements down. Watch first, then follow only the parts that fit your ability. An instructor who welcomes beginners and can adapt for chairs, joints or balance is more useful than trying to copy the deepest stance on screen.

Sources and teaching context

Source check: 20 October 2026. English explanations, short practice choices and adaptations are our editorial work. These pages have not received an individual clinical or movement-instructor assessment.

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