Have you considered how important your hands are? Hands, fingers, and palms can do many things both negative and positive. They can soothe or hurt, build or damage, and oh so many things in between.
One quarter of all your bones are located in your hands. Hand movements use about one sixth of all your muscles. You have about 21,000 sensors of heat, pressure, and pain per square inch in your fingertips. According to Basic Human Physiology (Arthur Guyton, M.D., 1977) “The finger muscles have far more representation in the motor cortex than do the muscles of the upper arm.”
In Tai Chi and/or Qigong (as well as all classical combat martial arts), hand positions, movements, and gestures are extremely important. Each position or gesture has a martial, health, and aesthetic component. When hand positions are correct, your movements will become smooth, more graceful, and pleasing to the eye. When you use and practice correct hand positions and gestures, you also improve hand dexterity, circulation, and strength. The meridians in your hands can also improve your health and Qi circulation. By using the wrong hand position (or wrist alignment), you can injure yourself more than your opponent!
The hands and arms are for ‘listening’ in Tai Chi and/or Qigong. They need to be held in an ‘open’ relaxed (not tense) manner. When we open the hands we are releasing or sending out Qi. The opposite would be true: when we close our hands, we gather or block the Qi.
According to Master William CC Chen, “The fingers are the proper instruments for Tai Chi players; when the fingers are energized they form the palm as they move into a Tai Chi posture while the arms and the body stay relaxed.” Many postures in Tai Chi have your palms pushing out. Practicing in slow motion and non-impact action, releases energy from the fingers (especially the pinkie finger) and gradually escalates the energy compression with little effort. The soft palms and relaxed fists throughout the entire movement is like “a flowing cloud in a calm sky”.
Master Jesse Tsao in Practical Tai Chi Training, states that slightly flexed(concave) palms draw energy into the meridian channels. The fingers should be separated but not be overextended, which blocks energy from reaching the fingertips. The thumb should be relaxed and held away from the fingers. Palms should feel like a small stretching “breath”when they reach out,fingers at nose level and wrists about shoulder level.. They relax as they return to your torso. And as mentioned in a previous blog, we don’t raise our finger tips, we let the wrists “sit”. If your fingertips are lower, your arms will tire easily.
When you “push”, the palms open and express energy (Yang phase) as well as strengthen the connection between the joints. More experienced Tai Chi practitioners may sense the “opening and closing of many more body joints.” In fact, at some point, the entire body may feel like it is opening and closing. At the end of the posture, your palm returns to neutral (Yin phase).
In Qigong practice, the hands move in many different positions and directions. The hands both transmit and receive energy.It is important for any practitioner to consider and understand the meaning of the hand movements. It is often suggested that you rub your palms together to stimulate the Laogong point and the points on your fingers prior to a Qiqong session. There are many Qigong hand massage methods. These massages help calm you, stimulate blood and energy flow, decrease fatigue, and some even say are good for facial “wrinkle prevention.
Bottom line: Do pay attention to your hands, fingers and palms, particularly when practicing any martial arts. Be aware of how and where you are holding them. Don’t just let them dangle from your body. Their movements and positions are very important!
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