In taiji we wrest ourselves out of the mind and back into the body. When I am in and of my physical body I reside in my dantien – belly and lower back – and every action I make starts there. When in my mind I live in my head, and this will always inhibit and upset the working of the body – like putting a stopper or cork in a bottle – whatever's inside can only circulate within and so nothing comes out, except in dribs and drabs.