| Tai Chi gives us the opportunity to discover | | | | 3) Slightly rotate the shoulders forward. |
| ourselves. | | | | 4) Move the chin slightly up and back. (As if your |
| Each of us has a center of gravity. That place | | | | head was hung from a string attached to the |
| where we truly reside, both mentally and | | | | ceiling. |
| physically. The Chinese call it the Tan Tien. The | | | | 5) Relax the entire body and envision your upper |
| Japanese call it the tanden. It is a place located in | | | | body supported by your lower body. (This state |
| the center of our lower abdominal region, | | | | of relaxation takes a long time to master. That is |
| approximately 2-3 inches below our naval and 1/3 | | | | why I had to wait 3 years) |
| the distance between the front and back of our | | | | At the moment I set my chin in proper position |
| body. In Japan the whole lower abdominal region is | | | | and relaxed my body, I felt a pulling sensation in |
| called the Hara. In order to find this special place, | | | | the lower abdominal region, much like a wide |
| we need to sit or stand in a meditative posture | | | | rubber band stretching and opening up. Then the |
| while putting our concentration at this point. The | | | | rubber band like feeling began to vibrate and |
| Tan den or Tan Tien is something we all were all | | | | slightly expand. This feeling stayed with me as the |
| born with, however we never knew it was there | | | | class practiced the form and has never left me. |
| and what function it served. The following is my | | | | I had found my center, which was always there. |
| experience in finding the Tan Tien. | | | | To me our life gives us the opportunity to |
| I had been studying Tai Chi for about 3 years and | | | | discover within us those attributes like love, |
| was well aware of the Tan Tien, however I | | | | compassion and honesty, which are needed for |
| never could find it, so I stopped looking for it. | | | | self-realization. These attributes were always |
| Then one day at practice my teacher instructed | | | | within us awaiting our discovery. We just need |
| us to stand in a hip width stance and do the | | | | the will and discipline to keep searching. In time |
| following adjustments to our stance. | | | | happiness surfaces and we become that which |
| 1) Slightly bend the knees | | | | we truly are, complete human being's. |
| 2) Slightly rotate the pelvis up | | | | |