10. Shoulders Finding Reasons To Let Go

This lecture introduces another two components of our 40-movement
routine: cloud hands and single whip. Cloud hands picks up where
parting the horse’s mane leaves off. After we’ve covered those two
movements we’ll move on to close with a somewhat counterintuitive
concept: Tai chi should be easy.
Yúnshǒu (“Cloud Hands”)
● In this lecture, we’ll begin with a three-step movement called
yúnshǒu, meaning “cloud hands.”
● From the final position of parting the horse’s mane, sit back and
shift the weight onto the left foot and turn the body to the left. At
the same time, scoop the right hand downward toward the belly
and lift the left hand upward, rotating the left forearm outward so
that the palm turns up toward the face.
● Shift the weight onto the left foot and turn the body gradually to
the left. The left hand makes a curve past the face, with the palm
slowly turning outward. The right hand moves in a curve past the
belly, then upward to the shoulder, with the palm turned in. The
left hand drops and moves in a curve past the belly; it then circles
upward to the right shoulder, palm turned in. Meanwhile, bring the
right foot to the side of the left foot so that they are side by side.
Look at the left hand.
● For the second step of this move, turn the waist to the right and
shift the weight onto the right foot. The right hand continues to move to the right—past the face—with the palm turning slowly
outward. At the same time, the left hand makes a curve past the
belly and upward to the right shoulder. While all this is going on,
the left foot makes a step outward to the left.
● Repeat this pattern two more times, finishing with the right foot
stepping in side by side with the left.
Dān biān (“Single Whip”)
● Our next move is dān biān, or “single whip.”
● First, shift the weight onto the right foot. At the same time, press
the left hand down and arc it into the belly. The right hand curves
past the belly and up to the left shoulder.
● Turn the torso to the right. At the same time, the right hand moves
to the southwest corner (45 degrees) to form a hook hand. The left
hand curves past the belly, then upward to the right shoulder—
palm turned inward. Look at the left hand.
● Turn the body slightly to the left while the left foot steps east to
form a bow step; don’t forget to leave a channel. While shifting
your weight into the left foot to form the bow step, press the back
of the rounded left arm in an arc past the face and to the left,
turning the palm out to face east at the end.
Counterintuitive Difficulty
● An important idea to keep in mind is that tai chi is easy, even
though it might not seem like it. You always have to overcome
homeostasis, not only with your body, but also with your mind
and energy.
● Little by little we circulate and cultivate the qi energy. Little by little
we change the body. Little by little we change the way we think.
● That can feel very frustrating. How do you keep yourself motivated?
The ancient tai chi masters had an answer: Understand why you’re
doing it. Keep the outcome you want to achieve in mind.
● Sometimes the outcome is very personal: You want to get
something. Sometimes the outcome is more altruistic: You want
to give something back. It doesn’t matter what the reason is as
long as you have one, because reasons are what drive you to
overcome the resistance.