The Sky is falling! Quick! Do Tai Chi!

Last week we drew attention to Grounding Energy and I mentioned briefly the concept of "Supporting the Sky". This week in class, we added a focus on Supporting the Sky to our Tai Chi practice. This is a high level concept that takes a lot of concentration (as many of our students learned) so please do not be discouraged if you do not grasp it on your first hundred attempts. ;-)

First things first...
Only once the foundational (grounding) posture is set can you begin to bring focus to your vertical, spinal posture. If your Grounding Energy is unsettled or comes loose as soon as you move there is no way you can create or maintain a strong, vertical spinal posture.

Anti-gravity for spinal strength...
Gravity takes its toll on our bodies over the years. Many of my students giggle when I mention the words "no sagging" during class. Albeit shoulders, head, fingers or spinal posture, we are all guilty of letting gravity have its way with our bodies. In the cases where we have a choice we need to pay attention. If you have a weak back or if you want to combat the effects of gravity on your spinal health then Supporting the Sky is just the pill to take.

What were you doing when you felt it pull?
There are many intricate muscles around the spine that we rarely pay attention and even abuse in our daily routines. Think about your favorite posture for watching TV, sitting at the computer or driving your car; your spine tends to stay in a fixed position for a long time, not healthy. What about when you have to lift heavy objects, open a stuck window or reach way out for something. What is your spine doing? Most of us can not recall because we are not paying attention, that is until we end up at the doctor's office trying to explain why we are having these sharp pains and spasms in our backs.

Visualization is an important tool...
Flexing your fingers is relatively easy; you can quickly see the results of your efforts. When you are trying to reach muscles that you can only feel (not see) it takes a lot more concentration. This is where visualization plays an important part in our Tai Chi training. There are several visualizations I suggest to students trying to create a "Supporting the Sky" taller posture for themselves. Each of these should set your shoulders back and down while drawing the chin in slightly and elongating the spine.

• Imagining there is a golden thread attached to the top of your spine, at the base of the skull, which is gently pulling straight up, past the top of your head, supporting your body weight.
• Imagine the top, rear part of your head (directly over the spine) is responsible for holding up the ceiling or clouds above.
• Visualize your spine as a gently coiled spring that is both connected at the ground and to the ceiling above, creating a gentle, potential energy, ready for anything. (My favorite)

There are just a few visualizations I have used to help me with this concept, you are free to create your own as long as it does not compromise your grounding energy in the process.

Patience, a very important part of Tai Chi training...
It takes time to develop the muscles strength to maintain a healthy, Supporting the Sky posture during your Tai Chi form training. It takes even longer to make it a natural way to hold your body however, in the long run, your health will be greatly improved for the efforts.

As I sit and write this entry, I am again reminded to watch my posture at the computer. ;-)