Remember that we are
folding tai chi principles into our everyday way of walking. One can consider
this wu wei, non-interference, or allowing the walking to be as it is.
Central equilibrium,
the first of the Thirteen Postures which are the foundation of Tai Chi, aligns
the torso and head with the vertical. Imagine a line going from your perineum
to the crown of the head. Alternately, align ears, shoulders and hips. Or allow
the spine to align itself like a stack of coins and rotate the head on the
atlas (the top of the spine) so the head is balanced. If you pull the chin back one millimeter
(more a thought than an action), it can open up the space at the back of the
head and this very often opens up the experience of "head hanging from a
thread."
Allow the central
channel thread to connect to the center of the earth and to the farthest
reaches in the sky. There is both sinking and rising, a subtle stretching up
and down from the center, the tan tien.
Practice standing in central equilibrium. Breathe from the lower belly. Tongue gently
touching the roof of your mouth behind your teeth. Allow a smile to come to
your eyes which you can close if you want. Relax. Let your mind settle into
no-thinking.
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