Tai Chi Tuesday: Wu Chi Position, or How to Increase Chi Flow

If you have been practicing Tai Chi Chuan for a couple of years abut you do not not feel chi flow through your entire body, check your body positioning.

Get into your best wu chi position. Have someone take a picture of your positioning.

Now, ask yourself the following questions about your position:

1. Back: slightly rounded?
2. Crown of your head: pointed upward. (chin slightly and gently tucked downward).
3. Hips: tucked underneath you?
4. Knees: bent enough? (For most people, it's about two inches.)
5. Chest: slightly rounded and hollow?
6. Feet: about shoulder width apart?
7. Sole of the foot: can you feel it? (Triangle made by the ball of the little toe, ball of the big toe and the heel).
8. Shoulders: down and relaxed?

Make adjustments as necessary.

When you are ready, form a small ball with your hands in front of your body. (Your arms should be down and relaxed, hands relaxed with fingers slightly opened).

Breathe into your dan tien. After a minute or two, you should feel your tai chi ball.

Remember, the feeling is not the same for everyone: you could be heat, vibration, tingling or magnetic with opposing polarities.

When you do get a sensation, hold it for a couple of minutes, and repeat to be sure what you felt was real (though, in most cases, there is little doubt).

Be sure to practice often — and find a class, and a teacher, in your area to help you. Feel free to e-mail me if you have questions or need help finding a class.

Chi-Developing Exercises

When you practice Tai Chi, if you can complete the form with good flow consistently but your not aware of chi flow, here are a couple of hints to better chi cultivation.

• It’s all in the breath. Breathe deep. Expand and contract your abdomen with each breath. Expanding only your lungs does not provide enough inner flow through your entire system.
• Visualize your energy. Be mindful of the direction in which you move. This will help guide your chi.
• Stay rooted to the ground. With each step, be gentle -- but be rooted before taking the next step.
• Stay loose. Chi flow is limited when joints tense. Keep your shoulders down, elbows down and knees slightly bent.
• Practice breathing while standing in wu chi position. Practice getting to five minutes, then increase time as you can. This gives you the time to truly relax so you can feel the energy.
• Practice with a partner. "Push hands" is a valuable tool for building sensitivity.