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RELAXATION – A FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE OF T’AI CHI

Complete relaxation means having a relaxed body and a relaxed mind.  The two must be in harmony.  Balancing is a difficult aspect of T’ai Chi, especially for beginners.  If we are not balanced, we cannot be relaxed, and if we are not relaxed, we cannot be balanced.  Being physically relaxed means using only those muscles needed for the task at hand, all other muscles should be resting, so if the mind and body are in harmony, only those parts of the mind that need to work will be are active and the remainder will be resting.  If we are not properly relaxed, we cannot have the correct T’ai Chi posture, as unwanted muscle tension will pull the body out of alignment.  If we are not properly grounded, we cannot be properly balanced and therefore cannot be relaxed.

Thus……..

                    CORRECT BODY ALIGNMENT

        |

BALANCE <———-> RELAXATION <———-> GROUNDING

                                            |

                     MIND & BODY IN HARMONY

The location of the Yung Ch’uan points on the soles of the feet is important.  They are the body’s connection to the earth, and are the centres of balance of the soles of the feet.  In the following exercises, focus the mind on the Yung Ch’uan points and on the weight distribution on the soles of the feet.

Stand “military style”, knees locked, chest out, shoulders back.  Notice the tension in the lower legs and the uneven weight distribution on the soles of the feet.  Now relax the body into “T’ai Chi style”, shoulders rounded, knees slightly bent.  Feel how the weight distribution on the soles of the feet is around the Yung Ch’uan, and feel how the tension in the lower legs has gone.

Rock gently forwards and backwards a few centimetres.  Notice how the weight distribution shifts.  Rock gently sideways; see how the weight distribution shifts on the soles of the feet.  Return to a comfortable position with the weight centred on Yung Ch’uan.

Transfer all the weight to the right foot.  When centred on Yung Ch’uan and balanced, gently lift the left foot off the ground, keeping it relaxed. Put the foot gently back on the ground.  Repeat several times with each foot.

Transfer all the weight to the right foot.  Lift the left foot, move it straight forwards and put it down, centred on Yung Ch’uan.  Lean forwards and shake the left knee with your hand, to ensure it’s “empty” of weight and is relaxed.  Now gradually transfer the weight to the left foot, but imagine that you are standing on ice of unknown thickness.  Move very carefully to test the thickness of the ice.  Will the ice support your weight?  Will you slip?  Repeat several times with each foot.  You have just learnt a new way to walk!

Try the same as 4, but going backwards.  This time move each foot straight backwards but put it down angled at 45°, as in the Repulse Monkey movement of Short Form.  When the back foot is grounded on Yung Ch’uan, smoothly transfer the weight to it.  As the weight comes off the front foot relax it and it will automatically turn to become parallel to the direction of movement.

Sit on a chair and examine the leg muscles to determine, simplistically, what each set of muscles does.  Hold a hand against the thin muscle on the outside of the shin bone and lift the toe, keeping the heel on the floor.  Feel the muscle work.  Now push the toe down into the floor, that muscle is relaxed, but the one at the back of the leg is working.  Now feel the front thigh muscle (still sitting) and raise the foot off the floor.  Feel the muscle working.  This is the muscle that lifts the leg, so the muscles of the lower leg should be resting and relaxed when making walking movements in T’ai Chi.

Repeat exercises 2 to 5, concentrating on the leg muscles, using only the ones that are needed for the movement and relaxing all the others.

Stand, and with the hands feel the “lower back” muscles, in the vicinity of the pelvis and sacrum.  Concentrate on the muscles.  Tense them and relax them.  When they are completely relaxed the body will naturally have the correct posture here, with the pelvis tucked in.

Put the left hand over the right shoulder and feel the right scapula (shoulder blade) and the powerful muscles attached to it.  Repeat for the left scapula.  Let the arms relax and pull the scapulas up, pull them down.  Now relax the scapula muscles and as the scapulas sink, the shoulders will round and the chest loosen into the correct T’ai Chi posture.  Pull the scapulas outwards, pull them inwards, feel the muscles working.  Relax them again.  Raise the right arm in front using the scapula.  Use the left hand to check that upper and lower arm muscles are relaxed.  Repeat for the left arm.  Use the scapula muscles to lift both arms in front of you, as in the first movement of Short Form.

Stand behind a lightweight upright chair.  Tilt the chair forwards so that it is balanced in its front legs.  Support it with the hands palm upwards, fingers hooked under the top of the chair back.  Relax the arm muscles.  Ground your feet to Yung Ch’uan, draw energy from the earth, up the legs, up the spine.  When the energy reaches the scapulas, use the energy to gently lift the chair off the floor, using the scapula muscles, not the arm muscles.

Practice a Short Form, concentrating on the things learned from the above – grounding, stepping, balance, relaxation and muscle control.  Try to apply these principles in all Forms and other T’ai Chi exercises such as Push Hands and Ta Lui.

Suggested reading – The T’ai Chi Workbook, by Paul Crompton.  Shambala Publications Inc, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. ©1986 by Paul Crompton.