In Tai Chi and Qigong, we frequently discuss ‘structural integrity’, but what does that actually mean? Simply put, our posture has to be correctly aligned in order to hold our weight correctly. Martially, structural integrity is what allows you to receive and absorb any force coming at you. You may choose to either deflect, divert, and/or respond with force. In this blog, we will concentrate on structural integrity and dynamic relaxation as they pertain to the hip and pelvic region (mainly the Kwa and Psoas).
You may or may not be familiar with the concept of 'dynamic relaxation'. This is best described as using “the least amount of muscle contraction or release needed to perform a movement”. In Tai Chi and Qigong, we aim to soften and eliminate any tension around the hip joint, groin, and glutes. You may be familiar with the term “Song” and that’s the goal here.
The Kwa
The Kwa begins at the inguinal groove (hip folds where each leg meets the torso) and goes through the inside of the body to the pelvic crest. The Psoas is actually part of the Kwa which plays a vital part in structural integrity. The Kwa includes: the hip joint, iliopsoas (which includes three muscles: the Iliacus, the Psoas major, and the Psoas minor), adductor muscles, lymph nodes, and other structures “in and around this area”.
For example, “folding from the Kwa” (bending from the hips rather than the waist) will help prevent back strain, something many people deal with in their lives. NOTE: when folding forward from the Kwa, it is important to keep your spine neutral in order to protect it and to maintain hip range of motion. Again, the goal here is relaxation and proper internal and external alignment which will also allow body fluids to move freely.
NOTE: If you do not move the spine through its range of motion frequently, your back health and overall health will suffer.
The Psoas
As stated in the previous blog, it’s important to relax the Psoas muscle because it assists in stabilizing and improving spine and pelvic alignment. Obviously, relaxing the Psoas is vital when it comes to Tai Chi or Qigong movements.
Because it’s such an important muscle, let’s look at what might cause the Psoas to become weak or shortened:
Contraction due to long periods of stress, tension, and even negative emotions (remember it is linked to our fight or flight response.
Lengthy periods of sitting, walking, running, jogging, etc.
Sleeping in a fetal position which moves the head and pelvis closer together.
And once the Psoas becomes weak or shortened:
Your breathing may become shallow.
You may experience pain and/or compression in your low back, thoracic area, hips, glutes, abdomen, knees, sciatica nerve, etc.
Your bowels won’t move smoothly which may cause pain, gas, bloating, and constipation.
You may experience restriction of the pelvic and abdominal organs.
Rotation of the pelvis and compression of the hip socket may occur.
Hip degeneration is possible.
When training new students, many Tai Chi and/or Qigong instructors suggest starting with static training to improve posture when standing still. Standing practice or Zhan Zhuang eases the transition into more complex Tai Chi and/or Qigong movements. An important benefit: Zhan Zhuang meditation can also strengthen and relax the Psoas.
Bottom line and the hard part: keep your body as relaxed as you can. It takes effort to keep your spine neutral with your legs properly aligned beneath. Here we are talking again about dynamic relaxation - using as little effort as you can while you train your body to move smoothly, efficiently, and in a relaxed manner. Yes, this is going to take some consistent practice!
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