The Crown and the Tailbone!

[Path to Mastery 3/9/10 – Wk26 D2 (Str 9.12.09)(Ph2 11.15.09)]

Continuing our Tai-Chi Journey:

Yesterday we covered ‘Empty Spirit Summit Strong’.  Today we will be covering ‘Tailbone Centered and Upright of the Upper Body' Principle.

All the upper body principles hinge on these 2 principles.  These principles are really the opposite side of the same coin.  They are the same principle described form the opposite direction: The first one from the top and the second one from the bottom.

Now after you implement ‘Empty Spirit Summit Strong’, when your spine is suspended enough, your tailbone drops.  If it drops properly it will feel as if your tailbone is centered, and as if your tailbone extends between your legs all the way down and falls between your feet.  This sensation is called ‘Tailbone Centered and Upright’.  

Ideally speaking just by doing ‘Empty Spirit Summit Strong’, you should automatically get ‘Tailbone Centered and Upright’.  So this principle doesn’t exist by itself but exists as a feedback to show whether you are doing ‘Empty Spirit Summit Strong’ correctly.  

Now, if you have stiff back, and the energy is not flowing too well, then you do use ‘Tailbone Centered and Upright’ to let the energy flow and correct and lengthen your spine.  You imagine that the tailbone is extending down toward the center of the earth, and you will feel your tailbone loosening up and dropping.  Another method is to imagine that there is a weight attached to your tailbone and it is pulling you down.  In other words, from your belly button up, you should feel you are lengthening up, and from your belly button down, you should feel your tailbone is dropping.

When your tailbone drops between your legs and connects with the center of the earth, you will feel your feet are rooted to the ground.  You will feel as if you are anchored.  This is because you are!  When the tailbone drops properly, it transfers the force coming down your spine through your legs to your feet in a manner so that any force coming into you is transferred straight to the floor.  This phenomenon is called rooting.  When this happens someone can push you and it will only secure you stronger to the floor.  You won’t have to dig your heel in or use any strength.  The natural structure of the body when held properly will do it by itself.  

When you implement the first principle, ‘Empty Spirit Summit Strong’, it allows your upper body to hand and rest from your suspended spine and deeply relaxes and let go.  Energetically, it connects your crown to the universal energy around you.  This is referred to as connecting to the Heavens.  

When the second principle, ‘Tailbone Centered and Upright’ is implemented, then the body is balanced and supported and thus can again deeply relax.  Your body cannot relax without having a firm foundation and being well supported.  For instance, if you are trying to balance yourself while standing on a ball, you will find it very hard to relax.  The reverse is also true.  When your tailbone is dropped, it actually produces a sensation as if you are sitting on a stool.  You feel very relaxed and settled.  Energetically, the sensation that your tailbone is connected to the center of the earth allows you to connect to the energy from the earth and allows your energy centerline to open up between your crown and your tailbone.  Eventually, it is the tailbone that connects to the earth center but your Hui-yin point (your perineum) that connects to the center of the earth, and that is when your centerline truly opens up.   

That is enough on the tailbone!  More tomorrow!

History of Tai-Chi Journey up to this point:
Before the blog opened to the public, we covered the single person part of the system.
1. Chi-Gong (Taoist Longevity, White Crane Chi-Gong)
2. Standing Meditation
3. Stepping Meditation
4. 7 Basics
5. Basic Form
6. 30 Form
7. 108 Form

Interactive training after we went public with the blog.  
1. 8 Type Pushing Hands (Covered from 2/2 ~ 2/11)
2. San-Shou (Covered from 2/12 ~ 2/15)
3. Ba-Gua.(Covering from 2/16 ~ 2/19)
4. Weapons (Covered on 2/23)
5. Healing System (Covered on 2/24)

Non-Structured System:
6.    Introduction (Covered 2/25)
7.    Free moving – conditioning (Covered 2/26)
8.    Free hand pushing hand (Covered 3/1)
9.    Free hand (2 person drills and multiple person drills) (Covered 3/2)
10.    Free hand weapon (2 person drills and multiple person drills) (Covered 3/3)

Detailed Instructions:
1.Principles (Covered 3/4)
2.Principle of Principles (Covered 3/5)
3.Principles of Upper Body (Start on 3/8)