Centre 4
Sinking is the refinement of relaxing.
Sinking means the same as anchoring yourself.
(Barefoot Doctor)
Sinking & rooting
By allowing the knees to relax
slightly, they bend naturally. This bend is not deep or in any way forced.
By thinking about the physical centre, the hips and the feet -
the weight will sink deeper into the ground - without the student bending
the knees further.
The body will feel more centred and the spine upright.
Rather than feeling to be in the hands or the feet, the student will now
feel to be in the torso.
They will feel stable like a tree; rooted in the earth, centred and
balanced.
Standing
qigong exercise encourages the body to
relax deeper into to the ground, to lower the centre of gravity.
Xingyiquan, baguazhang, tai chi and centre
It is said that
xingyiquan firms the centre, baguazhang moves the centre, whilst
tai chi
empties the centre.
What does 'emptying the centre' mean?
An opponent should not be able to find or take your centre; it should feel
insubstantial to them.
Being centred
Being centred is concerned with having
emotional balance in the
tai chi practice and your life.
Tai chi invites us to see the
splendour of the
natural world, to realise that we are never
alone in this life and to find happiness where we can.
Without centre you feel unsettled and awkward.
Page created 23 March 2000