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Hi everyone,
I’ve said in other posts but will say again that i have no experience with bagua and limited experience in taiji. But have been working internally since earlier this year. I’ve been reaching levels of relaxation that have allowed me to experience my energy and have been learning to try and use it to make the movements, The problem i have is that i haven’t properly learned exact, correct alignments until now… therefore when i assume, for instance, the warm-up posture (cross-over) i get a lot of tension trying to keep the exact alignment and lose the energy. So my question is…should i keep the relaxation even though the alignment isn’t exact and slowly work my way into proper alignment, or should i assume the proper posture and slowly learn to relax into it and eventually get the energy back? My alignment isn’t way off, but there are adjustments that need to be made. Any suggestions?
Patrick
I’d go with alexkrig on this one myself. Better be safe than sorry.
Worth considering perhaps is being more relaxed and in alignment in an easier position. When you say you have been working internally does that include standing in the basic Wu-Chi position?
Thank you all, and i was leaning in that direction, it just seemed like the more natural approach. And yes Gerry basically sitting meditation, wuchi, and laying meditation before going to sleep has been my “go to” daily routine.
Patrick
My experience is also that it comes gradually by assuming the closest possible, and relaxing through it.
Usually for me it happens suddenly, most often when I’m not thinking of how it “should” be. It just clicks after enough work, when the relaxation spreads to allow the proper alignment.
How long are you standing for?
Well, if i can get to that point that joakim mentioned where i get the “click” and everything spreads and falls into place i usually will stand for around 30 minutes. I could possibly go longer but don’t try to push it. But if im only focusing on getting everything aligned properly i go about 15 minutes because there’s too much tension and i can’t get into the proper state of mind.
Paralece,
Sounds like you’re on the right track. Awesome that you’re doing a daily practice of standing! That regular practice is truly the most important thing and will eventually work out any minor kinks in understanding through your own direct experience (the only exception would be if you were practicing something potentially hazardous, but following the 70% should navigate around that).
It seems like you’re doing a good job of not “losing the forest for the trees.” The core purpose of a standing practice is moving towards a more open and integrated system, so if you find that trying for a “perfect” version of an alignment is leading to a build up of strain in the system, better to back off a couple notches in favor of allowing your body to open at its own pace. If something is forced open, there is usually a “snap back” effect in which you quickly go back to being as tight or tighter than when you started. But if the new signal that you’re sending through your nerves is a relaxed and smooth one, in can be accepted and integrated as a new baseline for day to day affairs.
That being said, getting into a better alignment will certainly not always be completely comfortable off the bat and can sometimes feel downright weird. Bruce likes to say that if Quasimodo got straightened up overnight, he’d feel really weird too! You’re working with imbalances and blockages that have most likely been formed over a long period of time, so it’s only fair to give yourself the time to unwind them at a reasonable pace.
Again, FANTASTIC that you’re practicing daily!
“For bagua purposes, this standing warm-up is done only five to ten minutes.” – Bruce ( from the workbook )
Where exactly are you having the tension? Is it the pigeon-toed foot positions that are giving you the problem or the arm positions?
Gerry, i meant that i was spending 30 minutes in wuchi. I stick to the 5-10 minute cross-over warmup, but the tension there is in the sacrum and hips when i try too hard to get the tailbone down and/or forward, and also when i try too hard to keep the spine straight. When i try too much for all of those things, the entire lower body gets stiff. I can keep it soft and relaxed and energetic but the tailbone trieds to go out a little and the thoracic vertebre aren’t exactly straight. It’s not too bad but i wouldn’t say it’s completely correct. I was planning on starting the kua pump warm-up too, but i think i’m going to stay here on the first warm-up until i can get both aspects.
Hey Paul thanks a lot, i sent you an email on the address listed on the instructor page and if you got it then that’s my return address. Please contact me if you can get the time.
Dude, listen to Sifu’s interviews. When he first met Sifu Wang, and he was asked to stand in a particular Baqua posture, Did he seek comfort or knowledge? Look, this is where I am coming from. I have never met Sifu. I have never studied his material in depth. But, that said I have in some small way suffered a similar fate. But for Internal martial arts Qigong and discipline I would be dead or a vegetable. I survived a head-on collision with an eighteen wheeler. I was in a sports car going into a corner entering the freeway. Some sphincter tried to pass me and away I went right into the path of Mr. big wheels. Why am I still here? Does it matter? I am here now. I am in major pain 24/7. The only things that help me be reasonably sane are Qigong and Internal martial arts. I am not an expert, but I will tell this. The more precise I am the better I feel. The less pain I experience. The pain never really goes away but it is more reasonable to deal with. The more precise I am getting the more freely I can life my life. Don’t bullshit yourself.
Be as precise as you can be at all times. If you have watched the DVDs and listened to CDs and you were in the presence of Sifu and asked him what you are asking us now. What do you think he would say?
I practice relaxation since 22 years (mainly Taiji, Qigong and Push Hands) and still can relax more every day. Relaxation is endless.
We have to leave the comfort zone to explore and uncover something new.
Again and again…
Kram, Im sorry to hear about your misfortune honestly. But i am glad that the arts give you some relief and have helped you to a great degree. I can’t really speculate too much on what Master Frantzis might have to say on the specific question, otherwise i wouldn’t have had to ask. But i will say that i can definitely see where you and Martin are coming from and i agree to a large extent. However, Paul is a certified instructor and he mentioned not forcing things to open or they can close back up abruptly. So i have been trying to find a good middle ground over the last couple of days. I want to keep the sense of flow, because that is the point of the exercises, but i also want to develop the proper technique as well. So i’ve been going to a point that could be called “bearable tension” where i still have some internal activity going on while at the same time a certain level of slight tension and discomfort. That way i am working toward the ideal while at the same time enjoying the fruits of work already done. Thank you both for your posts.
Patrick
Use a friend/partner to give you feedback. They don’t have to be knowledgeable about alignments – you tell them what you are aiming for. Mirrors are limited – you end up with tension. Feedback should include some gentle touching to help you feel the new position. Good luck.
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