Body Should Maintain an Erect Posture

Hanging off the first point, this one is also a core principle to great health and longevity.

  • Your Body Should Maintain an Erect Posture!

dermatomesIt’s an easy one to compromise.

Many people teach and practice T’ai-chi Ch’üan with a leaning or a stooped posture. Besides that, several peculiar postures are commonly taught with a bend…

  • Needle at the Bottom of the Sea
  • Snake Creeps Down
  • Punch to Groin

As we explore the Discussion of T’ai-chi Ch’üan Practice, the challenge becomes applying the Discussion to every posture.

Straighten up!

Here’s what Yang Cheng-fu says:

“The body should maintain an erect posture without leaning; spine and tailbone should hang in vertical alignment without inclining. Beginners must pay special attention to this as they execute active movements involving opening and closing, relaxing the chest and raising the back, sinking the shoulders and turning the waist. Otherwise it will be difficult to correct this after a while and will lead to stiffness. Even though one may have devoted a great deal of time, there will be little benefit or practical advantage.”

—Yang Cheng-fu from Yang Family Secret Transmissions, pp. 5-6

He covers a lot of ground, in a short paragraph, discussing:

  1. spine
  2. tailbone
  3. chest
  4. back
  5. shoulders
  6. waist

In the next video, let’s take a peek at each one.

Watch: Body Should Maintain an Erect Posture

Did you use the HD quality?

Your notes are a welcome addition to the Discussion of T’ai-chi Ch’üan Practice…consider describing your experience of maintaining an erect posture.

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