Walk of the Tiger – Garuda Tibetan Tai-chi Albuquerque, NM faculty

Walk of the Tiger Workshop Notes

A practical introduction to balance, breathing, movement, and awareness

Walk of the Tiger is drawn from the movement principles of Tibetan Tai-chi. In the workshop we explored a simple idea:

Weight must leave before weight can arrive.

Rather than moving a foot while it is still carrying weight, we first allow it to become empty. Then it can move freely, be placed deliberately, and receive weight smoothly.

That simple change gives us a way to explore balance, coordination, breathing, attention, and the quality of ordinary movement.

Try It Again

Stand comfortably with your feet about shoulder width apart.

Let your spine lengthen. Bring the chin slightly back, allow the shoulders to drop, and relax your face.

Begin shifting your weight slowly from one leg to the other.

As one leg becomes full, notice the other becoming empty. When the weight has left the empty foot, you should be able to lift it without first shifting or lurching.

As the weight arrives on the receiving leg, allow that knee to bend slightly.

Now let the empty foot skim the floor and trace a small arc forward.

Place the foot before transferring your weight onto it.

Then transfer your weight smoothly and continuously.

No bounce. No rush.

The foot gets placed rather than plopped.

At any point in the movement, stop.

Can you remain relaxed, stable, and aware?

That is part of what we mean by moving like the Tiger.

Add the Breath

One useful starting rhythm is:

Inhale: 1 1000 — 2 1000 — 3 1000
Exhale: 1 1000 — 2 1000 — 3 1000

Allow the rib cage to expand as you inhale.

Let the exhale become complete without forcing it.

The three-count breath is a practice tool, not a rule. A shorter rhythm can encourage flow; a longer one can develop strength and control.

During ordinary walking or hiking, there is no need to force your steps to match your breathing.

Take the Tiger fur a Walk

You don’t need to walk around tracing obvious arcs with your feet.

The transferable principle is simpler:

Let the foot become empty before it moves.

While walking, notice the instant when the moving leg passes the rooted or supporting leg.

Try several steps while attending to that transition.

Does the stride become smoother?

Does the foot arrive more deliberately?

You may find that walking begins to feel less like a sequence of controlled falls and more like gliding.

Near and Far

Awareness doesn’t have to remain fixed in one place.

For a few moments, bring your attention close:

Where is your weight?

What do your feet feel?

What is your breath doing?

Then let your attention expand outward:

Notice the room.

The sounds around you.

The people nearby.

The larger environment.

Moving attention between near and far can become another part of the practice.

The Three Tibetan Tai-chi Movements We Demonstrated

At the workshop we demonstrated the first three movements of the Tibetan Tai-chi form:

Pushing Hands
Right — Left — Both

Grab the Bird by the Tail
Right — Left

Lion Goes Down the Hill
Right — Left

As you watched, you may have noticed the same principles appearing again: weight shift, coordinated arm movement, breathing, visual attention, and tempo.

The Walk of the Tiger isn’t separate from the form. It gives you a way to begin feeling some of its underlying organization.

Practice Without Moving

You can also practice mentally.

Stand or sit quietly and visualize yourself doing the Walk of the Tiger.

Feel yourself shifting the weight.

Feel one foot becoming empty.

Imagine placing it.

Feel the weight transferring smoothly.

Include the breathing.

Then imagine yourself remembering to do it later—at home, on a walk, standing in line, or wherever it naturally occurs to you.

Physical movement and vividly imagined movement can both be ways of cultivating attention. You may notice changes in your sense of balance, organization, mood, or energy.

Three Questions

You don’t need to remember the entire workshop.

From time to time, simply ask:

Where is my weight?

Am I breathing?

Am I here?

See what changes.

Want to Explore Further?

If you’d like to review what we did, schedule a refresher, or learn more about Tibetan Tai-chi, you’re welcome to visit us at Garuda Studio.

Bring a friend, family member, or anyone else who might enjoy exploring this with you.

Cost should not be what prevents someone from trying the practice. Ask us about our current introductory and donation options.

Sign up for a class or request a refresher →

Garuda Studio / Chinastics LLC
10900 Menaul NE, Suite L
Albuquerque, NM 87112

505-903-2243
info@tibetantaichi.com

About the System

Tibetan Tai-chi is a movement system transmitted through Grand Master Liu Siong (Count Willem Reeders) and continued at Garuda Studio through his widow and certified lineage holder, Marilyn Feeney.

The complete system goes considerably beyond the introductory exercises presented in Walk of the Tiger. Students progressively develop balance, coordination, breathing, attention, movement vocabulary, and the Tibetan Tai-chi form.

Walk of the Tiger is an introduction—not something you have to master in one afternoon.

The useful experiment is simply to notice what happens when you bring a little more awareness to the next step.

Terrain Training: Take a Hike… With Us

Learn how to get some glide in your stride.

We also take these principles out of the studio and onto the trail. Garuda’s Terrain Training explores practical ways to walk and hike more efficiently, comfortably, and consciously over varied terrain.

We work with techniques including:

Glide in your stride — using the full/empty principle to make walking smoother and more economical.
Falling uphill — using weight shift and gravity rather than fighting the slope.
Power breathing — using the breath to support effort and recovery.
Rest stepping — turning each step into a brief opportunity for muscular recovery on sustained climbs.

Take a hike with us. Ask about upcoming Terrain Training walks and introductory sessions at Garuda.

Terrain Training is also part of our broader exploration of movement, balance, coordination, and sensory training through Chinastics.

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Suggested attribution:
Walk of the Tiger, Garuda Studio / Tibetan Tai-chi, tibetantaichi.com/wot/