If you are
connected with the earth, you will become very sensitive and centred
– and that’s what is needed.
(Osho)
Elasticity
Encouraging your body to develop bow tension is one of the skills considered
during the beginners syllabus.
Imagine that your arms are attached to the ground by a huge elastic band...
When you lift the arms, gravity is making the action difficult.
Were the elastic band to be cut, your arms would drop and fall back to your
side.
Cutting the band fails to use the stored tension inherent within the elastic
band, and represents a common mistake in beginners practice.
Elasticity needs tension.
What we want is for the stretched elastic to work
with gravity; to build up until a point where the letting-go involves both
gravity and the release of the stored tension within the elastic.
'Opening and closing' is a neigong that deliberately expands the frame, then
contracts again.
This stretching and releasing should not be a by-the-numbers physical action - it needs to be
dynamic, energetic.
The stored kinetic energy cannot be impeded by postural
tension or any attempt
to control the release.
Levity
Chungliang Al Huang dances his tai chi.
He considers lightness of spirit and grace of movement to be important features
in encouraging energy flow.
Despite this levity of spirit, neigong,
form and
13 postures must be evident in the
movement.
Rather than stomp around the training hall, the tai chi student must move on
agile, light
feet.
The body should feel free and the movements effortless.
The root must sink deep without impeding agility.
Page created 2 April 2000