Haven’t we heard about maintaining good posture since we were kids? After so many grueling months of dealing with the pandemic, social and political discord, and environmental issues, we have a tendency to bend under our stress. Have you noticed how many people are stooped forward when sitting or walking? Bear with me a minute while we talk about why good posture is important in general before we talk specifically about Qigong and/or Tai Chi.
There are several reasons why maintaining good posture is important. Let’s briefly look at a few.
Being able to expand the chest and diaphragm allows oxygen to enter our body, including our spine and brain. This intake of fresh oxygen helps to carry away gasses and carbon dioxide.
Good posture takes pressure off parts of the body where pressure should not reside. Pain is reduced, as well as chance of injury.
Erect, correct alignment has been shown to improve mood and reduce stress.
Makes sense, doesn’t it? Postural alignment is important in Tai Chi, Qigong, and just about every art or sport where there is movement. In a previous blog, we discussed posture and alignment of the body in Tai Chi. Let’s look a little deeper as to why it’s important.
When building a foundation for Qigong or Tai Chi practice, learning postural alignment and correct stances is vital to developing strong and healthy Qi. The body must be centered and stable without leaning or tilting. Without good posture, balance will be off and Qi flow will be inhibited. Locked joints inhibit Qi, which is why we keep our knees soft (slightly bent). Our elbows and shoulders and kept loose and dropped which helps keep our posture stable. Misalignment of the body, no matter how small, as well as incorrect or misaligned stances will result in Qi being inhibited. When this happens, the practitioner (student or instructor) is also not rooted.
Let’s talk a little about rooting. In order for your foot to be rooted, the foot, including the heel, must be connected to the ground. Of course, the foot must be properly aligned with the body. When we walk, the un-rooted foot moves forward in order to take a step. When rooting, visualize the Qi flowing through your feet “into the ground like the roots of a tree.” Unnecessary up and down movements will disturb your root. Once you are properly rooted and aligned, you should be aware your Qi flow and be able to notice even slight changes.
Rooting is not very hard when you are standing in one place with both feet on the ground. Where problems arise is when we change positions or shift our weight. Be sure to practice rooting before changing positions, using intention (your mind). We need to root down before we move. When we are moving from two legs to one, be sure to uproot one leg while transferring weight to the other. In this way, you should be able to maintain your balance and your root. Tai Chi Walking can also help you to learn rooting. Poor rooting equals poor posture!
Some Qigong postures are dynamic while others are static (or still). Proper stance (such as Horse Stance) provides you with a good foundation. If a stance is too wide, you will have difficulty changing positions and you will not be balanced. If it is too narrow, your balance will be compromised, posture will be incorrect, and it will be difficult (sometimes impossible) to root.
Qigong stances also require that your posture be relaxed which can also reduce lower back pain. Fortunately these stances are easy to learn. Bottom line: in order to refine and promote circulation of Qi, both proper alignment and rooting are necessary. Tai Chi and Qigong postures and stances, when done correctly, can help correct poor posture or a misaligned spine and also improve balance and rootedness.
Most of us recognize that proper alignment is important when practice Qigong or Tai Chi for health. Proper alignment is also important for martial practice, not just for the flow of Qi, but to defend yourself. For example, Ward off in Yang Style Tai Chi is meant to protect your face. If your alignment if poor, you may not be able to defend against (or block) or defect an incoming force. The same goes for Play Guitar or Play the Lute, Brush Knee and numerous other movements.
Hopefully, the good posture and alignment we learn in Qigong or Tai Chi practice will carry over to our everyday lives. Remember that correct posture requires awareness and focus whether we are sitting, standing, lying down, walking and/or doing form. When it comes to good posture, you can’t slack off. After years of poor alignment, it could take many years to restructure your body. And, as we all know, bad habits are hard to break!
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