I Tai Chi...Therefore, I Sink...

This week we paid close attention to our foundations. When building a house, if you use something unstable, such as sand, for a foundation, your house will not be well supported, begin to falter and eventually collapse. This is equally true of our bodies. If we harbor poor posture, misalignments and weakened supporting muscles we will suffer the consequences long into our lives through acute and eventually chronic disease. What may start out as an occasional sore back can turn into a swollen disk, maybe a bulging disk which creates pain on the sciatic nerve leading to sciatica, then, if allowed to continue unchecked, can lead to a rupture, fusion surgery and further spinal damage through the added stress to the upper and lower disks around the fusion which, in my experience, typically leads to more fusions. WHEW! That is a lot to think about and sure, you can take an ostrich like "this won't happen to me" attitude but Fayne and I LITERALLY see this everyday in our Tai Chi classes. Along with many more issues DIRECTLY related to poor structural posture and a lifetime of bad habits.

Sit Uboo Sit!
The Tai Chi principal for Sinking Energy or Grounding Energy begins at the Dan Tien, (below the naval) travels through the hips, knees, ankles, the three points on the feet and deep into the ground. The more you train, the deeper and stronger your "foundation" becomes. Because we work with many physically challenged students, our concept of sinking energy starts with simply bending the knees with your feet hip width and parallel to each other drawing attention into the three points on the feet. As our training progresses, we encourage students to sit into their stance a bit more and feel the three point balance while they settle their hips and relax their lower back a bit. I have heard some Tai Chi Instructors speak of "flattening" the lower back to achieve a proper Tai Chi stance. I strongly disagree with this concept since the spine has four natural curves that need to be respected. These curves can be softened a bit but the goal should never be to flatten or eliminate them to create proper posture. Stretching and flexing such as in traditional Yoga training is very healthy when done properly, and I teach many exercises that flex the spine, however, for proper daily posture these curves need to be there. It is nature's design.

Supporting the Sky
Proper posture not only starts with our grounding energy, there is also a rising energy that begins at the Dan Tien and travels up the spine. Once you have established a solid foundation you can begin to "support the sky" with tall posture to strengthen the spine and surrounding core muscles. If the hips are loose, the spinal "core" muscle development will be sporadic at best. Just try standing tall with one foot pointing out to the side and your weight on one hip to see what I mean.

Grounding Energy and the Tai Chi Form
So you are standing in meditation, preparing to start a Tai Chi form, you have your hips set, feet connected to the ground, posture is tall and now its time to move. YIKES! Where did all that grounding energy go? As soon as you move your attention starts to wander towards your hands, feet, the technique, flow, breath, anywhere but the grounding energy you just created when standing still. It takes a lot of focus to keep your body in strong posture through the slow graceful movements of Tai Chi. I find that as students progress in their understanding of the basic Tai Chi movements they start to relax their minds, begin to focus more attention into their grounding energy and flow in the form with a more solid posture.

Lighting in a body...
I find it helpful to think of my spine as a lightning rod for my Chi or energy flow through the body. If it is not connected to the ground (top and bottom) effectively then the energy is blocked from flowing as it should. In Chinese Medicine, if this flow is interrupted, then wherever the energy is allowed to "stagnate" will create heat or excess chi, which can result in significant diseases of the body, mind and spirit. In addition where ever the Chi is not allowed to flow can create cold and disease as well. When you hear someone say they wish they could calm down or be more centered, less angry; grounding energy is what they seek. This is one of the main reasons that people feel calmer, rested and more stable when they have practiced their Tai Chi and/or Qigong. I know for myself, I may come to class with a million things on my mind but as soon as we start breathing, moving and smiling, it all fades away to takes its proper place in big picture of my life.

Nothing ever comes easy and Tai Chi is no exception. Consistent training routines, attention to detail, a relaxed body and attitude with a genuine, smiling heart are each very important to your grounding energy. Practice with this type of focus and your grounding energy will become stronger each day, not just in Tai Chi but in everything you do.