Practising. Practising the art of sinking is essential; it’s not going to happen on its own.
When? The good thing is that you can practise it all the time, whilst doing anything – lying down, standing, walking, cooking, sitting, gardening… etc.
Walking. Walking is a very good way to practise it, the knack is not to try it every step you take. At first try doing it with only one foot, or for example, every 4th step.
Practising boat scuttling. Step forward, and as you put pressure on to the forward foot, sink your hull (your hip/pelvis), in particular into the same side as the stepping foot. When you do this, it can feel a little as though you are lengthening the body. The most important part is that you feel the hip and lower back settling into the foot. As you do it, you might have a sensation of the crown rising gently, but this is not something to ‘try’ to achieve – if it happens, it happens. In effect you are ‘lengthening your spine’ but with no intentional stretching. This the Alexander Technique.
________________________________________________________________________________________________ James Drewe teaches Taijiquan and qigong in both London and in Kent. Details of weekly classes can be found on the website, and there are classes for 2-person Taijiquan on one Saturday a month.
CONTACTS: http://www.taiji.co.uk http://www.qigonghealth.co.uk Email: taijiandqigong@gmail.com Phone: 07836-710281 or 020-8883 3308 _______________________________________________________________________________________________