In 1953 Charles Olson gave a series of lectures at Black Mountain College in which he implied that man's greatest achievement was standing upright: of having gravity so delicately as no other 4 foot has it. For a long time I have thought of TaiChi as the investigation of our verticality and the various engagements that implies and imposes.
Firstly, TaiChi should be considered a completion of the vertical because the evolutionary process of achieving it is still incomplete: most of us lean forwards from the hips and have then adjusted to vertical in the lumbar region: the sacrum leans forward whilst our mid-back leans back to compensate, causing a sway-back (it was Nitsan Michaeli who first pointed this out to me). It is absolutely crucial to have the sacrum vertical (the bum tucked in), otherwise energy engagements of any power are not possible.
Engaging your own energy. When the sacrum is tucked in energy naturally sinks down your back and into the Earth. With a tiny adjustment, brought about by a compassionate interest in the space in front of you, the belly lifts and this energy naturally rises up the front: a continuous energy-circuit is established: down the back and up the front.
Engaging the Earth. The bottom of the sacrum (where it joins the coccyx) should feel as though it is driving down into the weighted heel. When this happens relaxedly energy naturally kicks up the spine from the heel causing the upper spine to straighten slightly and the crown of the head to rise and the chin to tuck in a little.
Engaging the Heavens. A natural consequence to engaging the Earth through relaxed sinking. It should not be stiffly imposed: an improved posture should always result from a deepening understanding of relaxation - an opening to gravity - sinking the energy; then you feel not only a sinking down, but also the reaction to that - the rising of the Earth into you. Similarly as the head naturally rises towards the Heavens, the Heavens bear down into the head (to meet the rising Earth in the heart and belly). Feeling and allowing these opposing forces ("having gravity so delicately") is an aspect of softness. This is unique to our TaiChi. Other disciplines such as hatha yoga and Alexander Technique work on lengthening the spine but don't engage the Earth and Heavens softly as we do and they certainly know nothing of our fourth engagement:
Engaging the person in front of you. In classical TaiChi the opponent is engaged by hollowing the chest and rounding the shoulders, which requires action. We have found that the energy circuit mentioned above can be extended to include the other person in the rising part of the circuit. This happens naturally when one's spirit or compassion are stimulated (when you take the other into your heart). Through extended practice this can become a permanent aspect of your energy: it will flow constantly through those you hold in your heart, day and night. This will eventually give your presence the feeling that it has yielded (connected and undermined) a long time before contact is made.
On another level the heart engages with the other's heart by opening up and allowing something to leap across the gap between you. Here the tail-bone needs to loosen and straighten and dig down into the supporting foot whilst keeping the sacrum driving down and forwards. If the sole of the weighted foot lightens (almost as though it is going to come off the ground), then a ripple of energy rises up the spine and out of the heart (the sacrum must be directly under the heart), like a tentacle licking into the other's heart. It is a bit like using the spine as a whip and uses the natural curved S-shape of the spine with a suppleness and light burst of spirit.
Engaging with Heaven and Earth straightens out the natural S-shape of the spine. It requires an internal stillness, especially when moving (move as though not moving), and a delicate relationship to gravity - what Olson calls Man as Plant. Engaging the other person makes use of the natural S-shape of the spine, combined with a passionate interest in consuming what confronts you, which implies a pulsing, ceaseless, restless movement: Man as Animal. So, our 'imperfect' S-shaped spine and our 'imperfect' appetites and desires allow us to bite into the other and make stirring, emotional connexions.
By the way, Olson continues by saying, "I ask the question whether one needs the word progress because I ask what, exactly, is added to any one of us by what men have done ... I ask if it isn't what other men have worked on which is of use to us". (OLSON: The Journal of the Charles Olson Archives, vol10, 1978)
"Stance is very much a source & result of maximal attention"
Firstly, TaiChi should be considered a completion of the vertical because the evolutionary process of achieving it is still incomplete: most of us lean forwards from the hips and have then adjusted to vertical in the lumbar region: the sacrum leans forward whilst our mid-back leans back to compensate, causing a sway-back (it was Nitsan Michaeli who first pointed this out to me). It is absolutely crucial to have the sacrum vertical (the bum tucked in), otherwise energy engagements of any power are not possible.
Engaging your own energy. When the sacrum is tucked in energy naturally sinks down your back and into the Earth. With a tiny adjustment, brought about by a compassionate interest in the space in front of you, the belly lifts and this energy naturally rises up the front: a continuous energy-circuit is established: down the back and up the front.
Engaging the Earth. The bottom of the sacrum (where it joins the coccyx) should feel as though it is driving down into the weighted heel. When this happens relaxedly energy naturally kicks up the spine from the heel causing the upper spine to straighten slightly and the crown of the head to rise and the chin to tuck in a little.
Engaging the Heavens. A natural consequence to engaging the Earth through relaxed sinking. It should not be stiffly imposed: an improved posture should always result from a deepening understanding of relaxation - an opening to gravity - sinking the energy; then you feel not only a sinking down, but also the reaction to that - the rising of the Earth into you. Similarly as the head naturally rises towards the Heavens, the Heavens bear down into the head (to meet the rising Earth in the heart and belly). Feeling and allowing these opposing forces ("having gravity so delicately") is an aspect of softness. This is unique to our TaiChi. Other disciplines such as hatha yoga and Alexander Technique work on lengthening the spine but don't engage the Earth and Heavens softly as we do and they certainly know nothing of our fourth engagement:
Engaging the person in front of you. In classical TaiChi the opponent is engaged by hollowing the chest and rounding the shoulders, which requires action. We have found that the energy circuit mentioned above can be extended to include the other person in the rising part of the circuit. This happens naturally when one's spirit or compassion are stimulated (when you take the other into your heart). Through extended practice this can become a permanent aspect of your energy: it will flow constantly through those you hold in your heart, day and night. This will eventually give your presence the feeling that it has yielded (connected and undermined) a long time before contact is made.
On another level the heart engages with the other's heart by opening up and allowing something to leap across the gap between you. Here the tail-bone needs to loosen and straighten and dig down into the supporting foot whilst keeping the sacrum driving down and forwards. If the sole of the weighted foot lightens (almost as though it is going to come off the ground), then a ripple of energy rises up the spine and out of the heart (the sacrum must be directly under the heart), like a tentacle licking into the other's heart. It is a bit like using the spine as a whip and uses the natural curved S-shape of the spine with a suppleness and light burst of spirit.
Engaging with Heaven and Earth straightens out the natural S-shape of the spine. It requires an internal stillness, especially when moving (move as though not moving), and a delicate relationship to gravity - what Olson calls Man as Plant. Engaging the other person makes use of the natural S-shape of the spine, combined with a passionate interest in consuming what confronts you, which implies a pulsing, ceaseless, restless movement: Man as Animal. So, our 'imperfect' S-shaped spine and our 'imperfect' appetites and desires allow us to bite into the other and make stirring, emotional connexions.
By the way, Olson continues by saying, "I ask the question whether one needs the word progress because I ask what, exactly, is added to any one of us by what men have done ... I ask if it isn't what other men have worked on which is of use to us". (OLSON: The Journal of the Charles Olson Archives, vol10, 1978)
"Stance is very much a source & result of maximal attention"
1 comment
Later on i had to relearn it on a deeper level from you.
nitsan
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