To do this it should be clear that it is a long-term process of physical and mental training (xiu yang) - "xiu” is to amend, modify, and repair what do not conform to the requirements of Taijiquan principles; “yang” is to nurture, cultivate and develop a physical and mental state in line with the requirements of Taijiquan. This process should be carried out from beginning to end, with the adjustment of body and mind being the prerequisite of practice. There are a few perspectives to consider:
“From wuji taiji grows” is a well-known expression. In this context a person who has not trained and incorporated the taiji principle is said to not have anything (wu), and those that had is said to “have”(something). The Daoist term "wuji" also refers to the body. Therefore the body that is silent and still is said to be in a state of wuji. As soon as the mind indicates an action, or the mind takes on an idea taiji occurs as the body changes from “nothing” to “something". This involves the activation and movement of the spirit, intention and energy. This "something coming out of nothing" also refers to the process whereby Taijiquan practitioners accumulate and produce a special energetic state and a new kind of biomass through long-term practice and understanding - as the old timers of taijiquan said, "something’s in the body" or "gongfu ascends the body". Making something out of nothing is the general principle of Taijiquan practice, by stripping away and discarding the superfluous followed by cultivating and rebuilding.
Understand the distributions of weight and centre of gravity. The key is to distinguish substantial and insubstantial. Approach it in two areas. Firstly, from physical adjustments - using the feet, adjust the centre of gravity (substantial) so that the body is centrally balanced, then adjust the body by placing the weight on the sole, centre of the foot or heel as appropriate, so that the whole body is balanced front and back. Different movements have different positions to balance each other. Secondly, from mental adjustments - using mind intention. Wherever the mind intention is, qi follows and concentrates (substantial). As there is less concentration of qi in the opposite direction, it is therefore insubstantial. Pay careful attention during the process of practice. In addition, in movements, if there is strength forward, then the mind should be backward; If there strength at the back, then the mind should be at the front and so on.
Circularity and connectedness. Generally speaking, circles mean several things. First, in the composition of an action, there should be roundness in the running process of each action. Second, the various parts of the body should be kept round. If it is not, it is easy to become stiff, stagnating qi circulation and flow. This is the so-called "correct method is revealed in a circular space". To achieve roundness according to Taijiquan theory sayings such as "the armpit holds a hot steamed bun", "rein in the waist control the qi to brace the crotch" are coined to help learners. Connectedness and continuity is mainly divided into three points: 1. the continuous and connected flow of actions - no matter what the postures all movements along the process should be uniform and the conversion between the movements should be continuous. 2. qi continuity - in every action, not just the body but also the energetic flow must be continuous and connected. 3. the mind intention must be continuous and unbroken. In order to improve the energetic quality and integration of the hands, a simple method is to imagine a sphere within the hands during both expanding and gathering movements. The ball expands and contracts but should never be dropped. This is a simple way to train the habit of continuous and unbroken actions using mind intention.
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