Central equilibrium | ||
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Finding
balance
Many people think that peng is the most important concern in tai chi.
This is incorrect.
Central equilibrium comes first.
It is the last of the 13 methods, but also the lynchpin of the entire
art.
Central equilibrium
Without central equilibrium nothing else will work. That is how relevant it is.
Stability
One aspect of central equilibrium is the notion of stability. Stabilising the
centre does not involve any form of tension. It is about awareness, rather than
doing.
Cultivate awareness
By allowing the skeleton to work naturally and being conscious of the body in
motion; a student can develop their sense of 'centre'.
The training with begins with basic qigong exercises and develops into more
complex form movements.
Application
Keen ability with centre allows the student to manipulate other people's centre
without sacrificing their own.
Centre of balance
By maintaining stability during tai chi practice, you learn not to lean. An
upright, stable body works constructively with gravity rather than slumping.
Central equilibrium feels as if somebody has their hands on your pelvis as you
move, supporting the body.
You can begin to move from the centre in the knowledge that your body is
balanced.
Suspended from above
The torso rotates around the vertical axis - like a tree trunk - as the body
connects from the crown down to the feet.
Your body will feel light and comfortable, agile
and mobile - as if 'suspended from above' - when
this connection is established.
When you are suspended from above, like a puppet, the torso, spine, joints and
legs are all free to move. You can spontaneously
move in any direction you choose. There is no holding
or fixity.
Losing the natural curvature
Instead of relaxing the lower back and allowing the pelvis to remain neutral,
many people shorten the lower back. The spine loses its natural curvature and
becomes weaker; more vulnerable to injury.
They are typically unaware of this habit because it is 'familiar' and seems
'normal' to them.
Releasing the lower back is easy. However, you need to monitor it repeatedly
throughout the day until it becomes an established habit.
Hips (vertical)
Bending at the hips is incorrect long-term (too exaggerated) but necessary for
some years. It trains the body to hinge at the hip rather than slouch, stoop or
lock the legs.
Without an ingrained ability to bend at the the hip, the student cannot use the
hip kwa nor explore 5 bows and ultimately jing.
Hips (horizontal)
In terms of horizontal movement, leave the hips alone. Think of movement
originating from the back, not the front.
The sacroiliac enables the spine to stay erect without unduly involving the hip
joint or unbalancing the knees.
Stance
Stances must be kept natural and comfortable.
Any exertion will serve to destabilise the entire frame. The
feet should be far enough apart to ensure balance, mobility and stability.
Marriage of heaven and earth
The 'marriage of heaven and earth' is the balance between upper and lower body.
Below the hips, the body needs to be internally sunk and stable - without
becoming unduly heavy.
Above the hips, the body must be light and loose. The stability of the 'physical
centre' represents the middle ground.
Heaven
With the support of a dynamic, balanced lower body, the upper body can relax
fully.
This enables the internal practitioner to move the spine, waist and torso
without encountering any instability that would weaken usage.
The upper body draws its power from the ground.
Earth
If the centre is firm (not tense), the
legs can sink just enough to establish a
dynamic relationship with the ground.
The compressed muscles store power by allowing gravity to draw the weight of the
body down.
It is important not to slump, otherwise the leg
muscles pass the point of optimal use and rely upon the knees instead.
Deep stances are favoured by some styles of tai chi, but
Sifu Waller's approach remains quite high.
The highest level of tai chi practice
is high stance and small circle. In high stance and small circle you can
conserve your energy to a maximum level. This is very crucial in battle.
Endurance has always been the crucial key to survival in a long battle.
Moreover, due to high stance and smaller shape you can reach to the
deepest relaxed stage, the mind is highly concentrated, and the sensitivity
and alertness can be extremely sharp.
(Yang Jwing-Ming)
Feeling the stability
If you experience difficultly feeling the stability of the centre, try
'constructive rest'. It will assist you considerably. The entire body must
begin to align itself appropriately with gravity; it must root.
Root
'Rooting' means that your feet feel as if they are growing out of the
ground. By internally relaxing you allow the body to sink. If pushed, you
seem firm yet pliable and not resistant.
This is a passive skill and requires allowing rather than doing. Your feet
do not want to feel collapsed or heavy; they must be agile, nimble and
responsive.
Biomechanical
advantage
With a deep root, your body feels incredibly stable. It is very difficult to
fall over, be pushed or pulled off-balance. Your body still yields but the
centre feels dense and settled.
Error
One of the major errors with central equilibrium occurs when the student
tenses up their torso and seeks to become immovable. They are simply
bracing/anticipating.
This mistake is a serious one because at that stage you are no longer
yielding and no longer doing tai chi. The idea of an immovable centre is
more suited to xingyiquan than
tai chi.
Page
created 1 July 1998
Last updated
16 June 2023
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