Cloud hands – knee alignment in unweighted leg

[Anonymous]

Hi,

Am wondering if anyone could advise me regarding the correct knee alignment as the leg becomes unweighted during the weight transfer in the Cloud Hands chi gung. I am clear that the knee of the weighted leg should point directly forward aligned with the foot. Should the knee of the unweighted leg also point directly forward or is it permissible to let it turn in a bit as it becomes unweighted?

When I keep both knees pointed directly forward throughout I feel a stretch in the inside of the unweighted leg as the hips turn, however if I leave the unweighted knee turn in slightly I feel the stretch in the hip of the weighted leg. Any advice as to the correct approach would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Éamonn

[Anonymous]

Hi Éamonn,

the knees always point forwards.

You turn and twist the tissues of your legs to accommodate the horizontal rotation of your pelvis the but the bones only move from left to right. They should not turn.

If you feel the bones of your legs turning or your feet rocking from side to side rather than being flat and stable on the ground then your a going beyond your 70%. If you make the turn smaller and/or bring your fee closer together you will allow your body to relax and open up safely. The goal is to release the nervous system to get a greater range of motion rather than stretching tissues.

Trevor

[Anonymous]

The first thought is -from your description- that you are turning (to the side, around the vert-axis) further than you system is ‘currently’ able to. (the 70% rule is the Prime Directive.. and so often it is thought as, first to “do the shape” and then after that, work within limit…) -the progression of the alignments and connection-connective-link(s) of standing continue in the CloudHands (ie as the slight change in frame happens, there is no “break” nor disconnection).
So first I’d say- feel through the “supporting-leg” (weighted as you call it, but not so much “receiving the weight” as that term is objectifying it, rather support down, and support up, through the alignment-flow.. what the sinking waves through)…

feel that as you start to step-reach, shift, and turn.. and before (or at least, at) the moment you start to lose that connection, stop (whether stepping, or shifting, or turning)… ie don’t go further than that.. and if you find you have lost that sense of connection.. then you slipped past that point (a moment of distraction where you didn’t notice the disconnection as it happens.. or just charging ahead)…
-Second, after focusing on the supporting-side (and thus beginning to stablize that side-channel), then focus on the “other-side” (such that it has the same sense of connection through the lower-back, and hip and then leg to ground… on both sides.. that the supporting-side stays stable, as change both from front-to-side, then back side-to-front; and the other-leg (you called unweighted) has that same sense of connection as the supporting…

How it “looks” to stay connected? -feel that connection and keep and deepen it … moment by moment. (and don’t turn too far, nor too wide a step, or too much a shift- etc.) The point of the exer is to open-up, but if feel as a “Stretch” likely one is forcing, and thus already dinsconnected..

I find that the rear side is rarely supporting the turn, but more as if that trailing hip is thrust across, as if turning until caught in tension- this lifts the following leg-foot from the ground. (To stay linked, as turn, doesn’t have that satisfying thud feeling, but rather a gradual settling.. harder to easily jump and feel the motion… and that reversing of direction is tricky to keep aligned in, but as much through center and across…) [feel the one-state]

[Author]

Posts