High Energy Taoist Tai Chi and Taoist Yoga (Lishi)

It is important to prepare the body for exercise.

In this video we introduce the Lishi Daoist Tai Chi Warm-up and cover some basic health and safety points.

Starting from the centre

Some gentle exercises for warming up your core.

Rotating the joints

In this video we circle the different joints of the arm so that the muscles, tendons and ligaments are ready for exercise.

Release the tension

The neck often stores a lot of tension and in this section we do a few exercises to ease that off and relax the muscles deeply through movements and self-massage.

The wheels on the bus

In Tai Chi, all of our movement begins with the legs and feet so it is important that they are warmed and ready to carry the rest of our body as we do the moves.

A quick reminder

A review of the warm-up so that you can start to remember all of the sections and can easily make this a part of your daily routine for a healthier life.

It's not the same as what you've been doing all your life

The breathe is key to a healthy, high energy lifestyle and yet few people do it right.

Baby breathing

This is the key to being able to relax deeply whenever you want as well as energising the body so you feel exhilarated by life.

Strengthen those lungs

The Daoist Healing Sound of the S-Breath will strengthen your lungs, increase your lung capacity and give you a feeling of internal power.

Extending the breath to all 4 corners of the world

This exercise generates heat in the body and trains you to express your energy so you feel confident and centred.

The Best Way to Start Your Day

Happy Days breathing exercise does exactly what it says on the tin. It is a refreshing breathing exercise that as you develop your stamina will tone your body and put you in a great mood for the day ahead.

The Building Blocks

A house needs firm foundations and the practice of Tai Chi is built on strong stance-work. In this video we introduce the importance of the animal stances.

3 Neutral Stances

With your weight in the middle, discover the first 3 basic standing stances that you will use in the Tai Chi form and the Standing Qigong sections.

Ancient Wisdom is Contained in Your Body

Unlock the energy of the dynamic animal stances of Monkey, Snake, Dragon and Leopard. Being familiar with these stances will make it easier to learn the Tai Chi moves.

Test yourself

A quick quiz to check how well you are learning the stance names and positions.

I have also included a blank stances worksheet for you to test your ability to name the stances plus a Stances Sheet as a handy reference guide to help you whilst you are learning.

A Quick Reminder

A review of the stances section and a heads up about what we'll be covering next.

Work Your Energy

An explanation of how to say Qi Gong and what it means for your practice.

Getting Started

Here I explain how to do the basic standing qigong exercise giving you some key points to focus on and then you can do a 1 minute standing qigong exercise with me.

A Short Hack

We practise together what you learned in the previous video but this time for twice as long so you can start to condition your body and build up your stamina for this exercise.

Out on the Open Trail

Only to be attempted once you've been around the block a few times. Now we are really starting to work our energy and do qigong for real.

Daoist Yoga

Also called Kai Men, these exercises open the door to a deeper understanding of your body whilst increasing your flexibility, suppleness and strength in a wide range of movement.

Flex and Lengthen from your Fingertips to your Toes

Remembering to be gentle with your body, this exercise will increase your flexibility and strength throughout your body. DO THE EXERCISE AT A LEVEL THAT IS APPROPRIATE TO YOU. Dao Yoga is not about competing with anyone, it is about listening to your body and gently increasing it's range of movement over time.

Lengthening Your Sides

It is important to be flexible in all directions. The Leopard Dao Yoga exercise works to increase your suppleness along the sides of your legs, body, neck, shoulders and arms.

Dao Yoga on the Beach

Join me as we practise the sequence and the extension of the duck to dragon Dao yoga. Remember to be gentle with your body, don't push or strain and only take the moves to your own limit.

Reflect on your Progress so far

A quick review of the Dao Yoga section to help consolidate your learning.

The Moment You've Been Waiting For

Time to get started learning the Lishi Daoist Tai Chi Form.

Gather Celestial Energy

Simple moves that set the scene for the Lishi Daoist Tai Chi Form.

Play the Guitar

A slightly trickier sequence as we start to combine the hand and arm movements with the feet and leg movements.

Fair Lady Weaving

Smooth graceful movements help you combine stance transition and circular arm movements.

Tai Chi on the Beach in Norway

Follow along with all three sequences combined into one flowing sequence. Start to experience moving meditation.

Reflect on the Lishi Daoist Tai Chi Form

You will be feeling that you have made good progress with your practice. Time for a quick review.

5 Lotus Blossoms

A calming breathing exercise to centre yourself and relax the body. This one helps ensure you don't waste energy after a practice session. It is also great to do if you have difficulty sleeping at night.

Look at how far you've come

Now that you've finished the course for the first time, we review the different exercises covered and help solidify the learnings in your mind and body.

This Could be the Beginning of Something Wonderful

Hopefully this course has given you a little taste of the Daoist Arts of Lishi and introduced you to the Daoist idea of a high energy lifestyle. There are many more exercises in Lishi and lots of opportunities to learn. We run classes in Europe, US and China as well as doing winter retreats in Sunny Tenerife. We also plan to create more online courses where you can go deeper in your practice and learn the full Tai Chi form as well as other exercises and forms.

Meet others who enjoy Lishi

We have classes all around the world and you can look for one near you at www.lishi.org/find-a-class

What does this all mean?

This course was an introduction to High Energy Tai Chi but the Tai Chi form that we practise is part of a much bigger system of Daoist exercise called Lishi (pronounced "Lee" "Sher"). In this video I give you a brief explanation and point you towards where you can discover more.

I have also provided a number of PDF resources for you to get a better idea of what Lishi is all about.