If you do these warm-up exercises, according to T'ai Chi principles - for example, centered, rooted and mindful - then you gain their benefits of health and relaxation as if these were T'ai Chi form. In particular, Paul Lam asks us to imagine the body as a string: Feel the stretch, as you pull the string at the top and at the bottom. That gentle stretch is what you ought to feel, when you do T'ai Chi.
Like the warm-up, the cool-down exercises ought to be done according to T'ai Chi principles, too. At the end of your form, be sure to take a few moments to settle your energy. I've encouraged my students to commit the sensation of doing T'ai Chi to memory. This way, they can call upon it at any time during their day.
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