PRESENCE through INTERACTION

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Introduction

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In this workshop, you will explore the art of Presence through the partner practice of Tai Chi Push Hands. What begins as a physical interaction quickly deepens into a mental, emotional, and relational exploration.

You'll delve into trust, vulnerability, personal space, and the subtleties of interaction using force and softness.

 

This workshop provides a fun way to cultivate self-empowerment through confident, skilful engagement with your immediate environment while offering a tool to observe and develop your interactions with others.

Enhance your capacity for meaningful and high-quality interaction on every level.

 

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Why Push Hands?

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Push Hands is a powerful tool for developing high-quality physical interaction. It teaches you how to engage with another person’s movements and intentions while maintaining your own balance and stability.

Think of this practice as a game where you offer your partner a direct connection to gravity through your hand.

The challenge lies in how effectively you can deliver this experience. Can you channel the unchanging force of gravity to them without it being distorted by your own physical, mental, or emotional filters?

Essentially, you’ll be learning to deliver gravity through your own body, creating a stable and grounded interaction that fosters trust and mutual understanding—all while enjoying the playful and dynamic nature of the practice.

As you will have learned during earlier workshops, gravity represents much more than simply the physical pressure. You are delivering the qualities of soft power which informs and deepens your non-physical interactions.

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The Art of Interaction

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Trust & Vulnerability: Push Hands invites you to explore the delicate balance between trust and vulnerability. As you learn to interact physically with your partner, you’ll discover how to maintain your own center while respecting the boundaries of others—within a safe, playful environment.

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Personal Space: Understanding and navigating personal space is crucial in any interaction. Push Hands helps you develop a heightened awareness of your own space and how it interacts with that of others, fostering a deeper sense of presence and connection, with an emphasis on exploration and play.

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Awareness of Force and Softness: Push Hands is an excellent practice for revealing where you are using force rather than flow, where you might be pushing when you could be yielding.

 

Just like in relationships, it shows you how your reactions can escalate tension. By practicing softness and sensitivity, you learn to navigate interactions with greater empathy and understanding.

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Mind-Body-Social Connection: Through the practice of Push Hands, explore the connection between physical movements, mental states, and social dynamics. Notice how force and resistance can disrupt your balance and how softness and awareness can create a more harmonious interaction.

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This understanding helps you maintain a calm and grounded presence, both physically and socially, improving your capacity for meaningful, positive connections.

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Play, Curiosity, and Relationship Dynamics: Engage with a sense of play and curiosity throughout the workshop. Push Hands isn't about winning or losing but about exploring the dynamics of interaction.

 

This playful approach helps you see your own habits in action, revealing where you may need to soften or adjust your approach. It's a powerful metaphor for all forms of human connection, encouraging you to engage with others with a greater sense of your own state of being.

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Physical Safety: One of the core principles of Push Hands is developing a sense of physical safety without overthinking. Through this practice, you will learn to rely on your body’s natural responses, building a foundation of self-assurance and calm in any situation. All while having fun.

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What You'll Explore

Simple and Fun: This workshop will keep the practice engaging and accessible, allowing you to experience the profound benefits of Push Hands without any prior experience, and ensuring that learning is both enjoyable and enlightening.

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Partnered Exercises: Engage in partnered exercises that are not only educational but also enjoyable, helping you to feel and respond to another person’s movements with sensitivity and awareness.

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Gravity Connection: Learn to deliver a high-quality connection to gravity through your hand to your partner, ensuring that your interactions are grounded, stable and flexible. 

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Human Upgrade

 

This workshop is more than just learning a technique. It's about evolving your capacity for presence and interaction in every area of life.

 

You gain insight into your own behavior patterns in social and relational contexts. You will learn to soften, yield, and engage with greater sensitivity and awareness, leading to more harmonious and fulfilling interactions.

The skills you develop here will enhance your emotional intelligence, helping you navigate complex relational dynamics with grace, empathy, and presence.​

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