If you've ever been to an osteopath or an Alexander Technique teacher, you will probably have had the experience of having your legs 'pulled out'. It's a great feeling. You lie on your back on the couch, the practitioner takes hold of your ankles, and very gently leans away from you, as though trying to pull your legs away from your body. For those of you who haven't experienced it, it might sound slightly bizarre, but, if you are able to release your hips, knees,

In Tai Chi and in Qigong, it is not uncommon to have to turn and step at 90º to the left or right. This is where balance, good posture, and leg strength become very important. Falling into a step. What tends to happen when stepping to the left or right is that people tend to 'fall' into the new step, they do not step under control. This means that, for the briefest of moments, just before the stepping foot arrives on the ground, they are falling and therefore unable to sto

Whether you are standing upright without moving, or when you put your foot ahead of you on the ground whilst walking, gravity settles or compresses you into the ground. As it does so, a balancing act automatically takes place in the body. In order to achieve perfect balance, whether you are standing either on both feet or on one foot, or even when you are in the process of walking, the body has to align itself vertically with the point of pressure on the feet/foot.

I used to think that the art of learning deportment was a bit of a joke, something to do with being upright in society as well as being upri