Pet the Tiger (Tai Chi)

Pet the Tiger is a tai chi movement in the tiger sequence. The Tiger is known for its physical strength and mobility, and the movements in this sequence help strengthen the muscles of the legs, while maintaining a fluid motion throughout the body.

Pet the Tiger is similar to a side lunge but is gentler on your bones and joints.

Get into a nice wide athletic stance with your knees slightly bent. Begin by shifting your weight side to side. Your toes should be pointed forward and slightly outward at 11 and 1.  

Imagine that there’s a tiger in front of you and you’re going to pet the tiger. As you pet the tiger you’ll shift your weight from one leg to the other.

Shift your body weight to the right and pet the tiger to the left.

Shift your bodyweight back and forth again.

Now, shift your weight to the left and pet the tiger to the right.

• As you lunge side to side, ensure that your knees are not going past your toes.
• To make this harder, you can have your legs wider apart, or to make this easier your legs can be closer together.