Drills for Feeling Jing Transmission: Wrist, Elbow, Shoulder to Soles

 

Drills for Feeling Jing Transmission: Wrist,

 Elbow, Shoulder to Soles

These drills aim to develop your sensitivity to feeling the transmission of jing (internal energy) from the upper body down to the soles of your feet in Tai Chi.

Key Points:

• Focus on Feeling: Pay close attention to subtle sensations throughout your body, not just in the isolated area of movement.
• Relaxation: Maintain a relaxed posture throughout the drills. Tension can hinder your ability to feel the subtle energy flow.
• Breath Coordination: Breathe naturally and smoothly. You may find it helpful to coordinate your breath with the movement (inhalation during expansion, exhalation during contraction).
• Take Turns: Practice both performing the movement and being the stationary partner to experience jing transmission from both sides.

Drill 1: Wrist Rotations

• Set-up: Stand facing your partner. Extend one arm forward with your palm facing down. Your partner should grasp your wrist from below with their palm facing up, holding it slightly lower than your wrist joint.
• Movement: Slowly rotate your wrist clockwise and then counter-clockwise, making small circles. Maintain a slight bend in your elbow and keep your shoulder relaxed.
• Feeling: Focus on the sensations in your hand and arm as you initiate the rotation. Feel how the movement travels down your arm and through your core, ultimately reaching the soles of your feet. Imagine a wave of energy traveling down your body without any outward movement.
• Self-practice: Gently stick one hand below the wrist of the other hand, and feel the energy yourself.
• Partner: Your partner should maintain a light grip and focus on feeling the transmission of movement through their hand and up their arm. They can adjust their grip pressure slightly to find the optimal sensitivity.

Drill 2: Elbow Rotations

• Set-up: Stand facing your partner. Extend one arm forward with your palm facing down. Your partner should place their palm on your elbow joint, holding it firmly but gently.
• Movement: Keeping your wrist and hand relaxed, slowly rotate your elbow joint in a circular motion, both clockwise and counter-clockwise.
• Feeling: Focus on how the initiation of movement in your elbow travels down your arm and connects to your core and legs. Feel the ground through your soles and imagine the rotation creating a subtle energy flow throughout your body.
• Self-practice: Place one palm on the elbow of the other arm and rotate the elbow clockwise and counterclockwise. Feel how the rotation affects the energy in the sole of your solid foot.
• Partner: Your partner should maintain a steady hold on your elbow and focus on feeling the rotational movement travel up their arm. They can experiment with slightly shifting their hand position to find the best point for sensitivity.

Drill 3: Shoulder Rotations

• Set-up: Stand facing your partner. Relax your arms at your sides.
• Movement: Slowly rotate one shoulder in a circular motion, forward and backward. Maintain a relaxed posture throughout your body, allowing the movement to originate from your core.
• Feeling: Focus on how the rotation in your shoulder initiates a wave of energy that travels down your arm, connects to your core and legs, and reaches the soles of your feet. Imagine your body as a connected unit, transmitting the movement as a whole.
• Partner: Your partner can observe your movement and focus on feeling any subtle shifts or sensations transmitted through the air as you rotate your shoulder.

Progression:

• Once comfortable with these drills, try them with your eyes closed to heighten your internal sensitivity.
• You can gradually increase the speed of the rotations while maintaining control and focus on feeling the jing transmission.
• Later, try incorporating these movements into slow, single-person Tai Chi forms to practice feeling jing transmission during your solo practice.

By regularly practicing these drills, you can develop a deeper understanding of how jing moves within your body and how to utilize it for more powerful and connected Tai Chi movements.