Start in the Wuji position, emptiness, void, empty of thought.   You are facing NORTH, even if you are not.   Just think of NORTH as being the starting reference point.   The breathing should be deep and  natural.   The hands hang down in a natural manner.  

As the intention of doing Taijiquan starts in the mind, the hands begin to swell and open, the weight shifts from the center of the feet towards the heels, and the hands lower and go back, prior to raising and going forward.    As the hands reach the back swing the weight starts to shift first towards the center of the foot and then slightly towards the balls of the feet, simultaneously the hands reach out and up, with the palms facing each other, until shoulder height, with a slight bend in the elbows as the elbows stay down.

 
    The photo shows the hands after lifting them from the starting position.   After reaching shoulder height, stretch your arms forward by stretching from your heels without straightening your arms.   You stretch your arms forward by stretching from your shoulders, down your back and then to your feet.   At this point you will be more aware of the connection between the tips of your fingers and the toes of your feet.   You will be more aware of the Qi flow in your body when practicing these points.
  Now slowly  bring your arms down, turning them over until they reach the sides, at which point the palms are now facing the ground with finger tips forward.  Your hands are as if resting on a flat surface, with your fingers full of chi. (Not totally relaxed or stiff, but rather full of life, not dead, not stiff, but supple.   

This entire sequence, the turning over of the palms and the lowering of the arms until the hands reach the sides of the hips, should be done simultaneously.  

The more you lower the arms, the more the hands are turned over.    These two movements should be linked (as should all movements in Taijiquan).  When one part moves, all parts move.  

While the hands are rotating and lowering, the elbows come in rather tight to the sides of the body.   As the elbow reaches the side of the torso flare the elbows out to a forty five degree on the rear diagonals.   If you are facing north, then the elbows would come to rest at the southeast and southwest. 

 

  The photo above continues with the sinking of the body and the spiraling block using the right hand.   Think of someone punching towards you with their right fist.    As the punch comes towards your face (yikes) sink down, and simultaneously arc your right hand from your waist, spiraling forward and up to the right, ending with a nice bow with your right arm, with your palm towards your face, index finger tip opposite your nose.  

Your hand is twisted outwards slightly, with the tips of the index and middle finger slightly more twisted out, essentially creating a skate board type ramp on which the opponent's fist and arm ride at which time the punch is redirected past the side of your head. 

 

  Shift your weight towards the left side of your body, which also helps to move your center out of the path of the punch,  as you pivot on your right heel to the right (EAST) ninety degrees.   This leads the punch past you on the right side, without trying to oppose its energy.  The weight is mainly on the rear left leg.   But now that you have turned your right foot ninety degrees, you are about to shift your weight to the right leg as you pivot on the ball of your rear left foot. (See next photo)  

  Your left hand moves forward as the right hand leads their right punch by leading the opponent's energy to the right.   The left hand moves forward, and the weight shifts onto the right foot as the left foot pivots on the ball.

You are now going to move your left leg forward and place the toe lightly on the ground just forward and to the left of your right leg.   The photos skip this step.   As you place the toe lightly on the ground, with 95% of your weight balanced on your right leg, you then gaze to the northeast, which would be just a little to your left, which prepares you for the next step with the left foot, shown with the next photo.

 

 

  Not shown in this photo is another in between position.   When you begin to make this step with the right foot, you first sink comfortably, then place your left heel lightly on the ground.   Do not commit to this step until after you have placed your heel.  Then, because you want to move up and out to the left, you would first sink and turn slightly to the right, at the same time flattening the left foot.   You then stand up while pulling down with the right hand and warding off up and out to the left with the left hand.

The application instructions would be to step out diagonally to the left, sink under the armpit of the opponent, grasp their right wrist and pull down to the right and rear, and then straighten up and ward off left with the left hand, essentially using PENG and LIEH (ward off and split) to spin the opponent over your left thigh and onto the ground.

  Pivot on the ball of the left foot slightly to the left as you turn your right palm up as you scoop under with the right hand, pivoting on the ball of the right foot as well.   Form a ball and twist your waist to the left, the weight coming onto the left foot.

 

 
 

 

Step forward into the bow stance.    You move the right arm forward and up as you move your right leg forward, placing the heel on the ground.   At the same time the left arm drops until it is about six inches behind the front hand, with the tips of the left hand fingers lining up with the pinky edge of your right hand.  As you flatten the right foot the left palm presses forward, by bending the wrist.   All of this happens simultaneously.  

The transition to the next move begins with "folding" the right and left hands.   The palms essentially reverse, with the right palm facing down to the left and the left palm facing up towards the right.   (See next photo)

 

   
 

 

 

         

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    
SEPARATE HANDS AND WITHDRAW