步隨身移 The step follows the body

In Tai Chi, the phrase 步隨身移 ("the step follows the body’s movement") emphasizes the integration of the body during movement. The waist (腰) is often considered the primary initiator of movement in Tai Chi because it acts as the central hub that coordinates the upper and lower body. Here's how it typically works:

1. Initiation by the Waist: The movement begins with the waist turning or shifting. This action directs the energy and sets the intention for the step.

2. Transfer Through the Hips and Legs: The waist's motion is transmitted to the hips and legs, ensuring a stable and connected foundation.

3. Foot Placement: The foot moves last, following the direction set by the waist. It should land lightly without bearing weight immediately.

4. Weight Transfer: After the foot is placed, the weight shifts gradually and smoothly, maintaining balance and control.

This sequence ensures that the movement is fluid and coordinated, avoiding disconnection between the upper and lower body. By leading with the waist, the practitioner maintains balance, alignment, and the flow of Qi throughout the body.

In Tai Chi, the waist can be initiated by the controlled drop of the 肩胛骨 (shoulder blades). This aligns with Tai Chi principles of interconnected movement, where one part of the body influences the others through a chain of coordinated actions. Here's how this works:

1. Relaxing the Shoulder Blades (沉肩垂肘):

The shoulder blades gently drop and relax, allowing the chest to slightly hollow (含胸). This releases tension in the upper body and engages the spine and waist naturally.

2. Connection to the Waist:

The drop of the shoulder blades creates a downward energy flow (下沉), which connects through the spine to the waist (腰). This connection ensures that the movement originates from the body's center rather than isolated upper-body action.

3. Waist Initiates Movement:

As the waist responds to the downward flow from the shoulders, it begins to rotate or shift, directing the energy to the legs and ultimately to the stepping foot.

4. Integrated Motion:

The entire body moves as a unit, with the waist coordinating the flow between the upper and lower body. The drop of the shoulder blades helps anchor the movement, ensuring stability and rootedness.

This process exemplifies the Tai Chi principle of 上下一致 (harmony between upper and lower body) and ensures that movements are smooth, connected, and efficient.

When the shoulder blades drop (沉肩垂肘) in Tai Chi, maintaining the alignment of the spine (樹脊梁, "upright spine") and achieving a sense of energy reaching the crown of the head (神灌頂, "spirit fills the crown") is essential for maintaining proper posture and energy flow. Here's how to achieve this:

1. Dropping the Shoulder Blades Without Collapsing

Relax, Don't Force: Allow the shoulder blades to drop naturally through relaxation, not by pressing them down.

Expand the Back (撐背): While the shoulder blades relax, gently expand the area between them. This creates a sense of fullness in the back and helps align the upper body without hunching.

2. Aligning the Spine (樹脊梁)

Suspend from the Crown (虛領頂勁): Imagine the head being lightly suspended from above, as if a string is pulling up the 百會穴 (Baihui point) at the crown of the head.

Tuck the Chin Slightly (微收下巴): This lengthens the back of the neck and ensures the cervical spine stays aligned with the rest of the spine.

Activate the Lower Back (尾閭中正): Slightly tuck the tailbone without forcing, ensuring the sacrum is in a neutral position. This helps "plant" the spine like a tree trunk.

3. Filling the Crown with Spirit (神灌頂)

Mind Intent (用意不用力): Use mental focus to guide energy upward through the spine to the Baihui point. This creates a feeling of lightness and alertness at the top of the head.

Breathing Connection: Coordinate your breathing so that the inhale expands the chest and back subtly, while the exhale relaxes the body, allowing energy to flow upward.

Relax While Energizing: Maintain relaxation in the shoulders and neck while feeling a slight upward stretch from the spine, ensuring an open energy channel.

4. Integration During Movement

Keep the dropping of the shoulder blades and the upward suspension as complementary actions. The downward relaxation of the shoulders anchors the body, while the upward suspension of the spine and spirit balances it, creating an integrated flow.

Visualize the energy as a continuous loop: grounded through the feet, traveling up the spine, and extending through the crown, then back down into the body.

By combining these principles, you can achieve 沉肩垂肘 while maintaining 樹脊梁 and 神灌頂, ensuring balance, alignment, and the harmonious flow of Qi in your Tai Chi practice.