Tai Chi Journal

Wu Chi for me

Later in the day, after I posted Yet more on Wu Chi, I made a startling discovery.

I was playing with one of my cats, teasing him up on my bed with the Kitty Tease, which put me right by the full length mirror. I just happened to notice that I normally stand with my knees softened or bent about the right amount for standing in Wu Chi position!

I hadn't noticed that before!

So, I reasoned, given that fact, what do I have to do to assume Wu Chi posture? It was obvious in the mirror that my pelvis, the way I normally carry it, was too far forward. Perhaps if I poke my fanny out a bit ...

That alone wasn't enough, though. But I remembered that in Wu Chi the top of the head is being tugged upward by a "golden thread." What if I honor that dictum by slightly unbending my usually too-bowed upper spine, a process which just naturally causes me to inhale deeply? Yesssss! That's it! I immediately felt the head-clearing benefit of being in Wu Chi position.

Of course, I was standing with my feet in the right position, and also with my arms and hands in acceptable Wu Chi arrangement. Given those preconditions, it turns out all I have to do to enter Wu Chi is poke my fanny back, lift my head and neck, and breathe from the Tan Tien rather than from the chest!

What this means is that my ordinary posture is enough unlike most people's that some of the instructions for entering Wu Chi don't apply in my case. Such as the instruction to bend or soften the knee — already done! Such as the instruction to tuck the pelvis in — in my case, I need to untuck it by poking my fanny somewhat out. And such as the instruction to let my chest cave in — in my case, I need to open up my chest, since I normally have a pronounced upper-torso slouch.

I'm going to keep trying out this idiosyncratic technique for entering Wu Chi and make sure it really works for me!

Fair warning: don't try this at home. Your own everyday posture is probably different than mine.

posted by eric @ 4:56 PM