Ed Altman responds to questions

Hi Beverly,

Here are my responses to some of your questions.

I understand your concerns about the up-and-down aspects of the Taffy moves. I too had difficulty when Justin admonished me for going up and down. It felt constraining to “keep it down there” when the Chi wanted to rise at the conclusion of the weight shift. Here’s my perspective: The plane of the movement is side to side so any energy spent rising and sinking is not productive. Of course, trying to restrict the movement in a specific way can also waste energy so there is a balance to be found. Personally, I’ve found it extremely helpful to explore the role of tension in the legs during the weight shift. As the weight shift reaches an extreme, tension often builds up, and the natural way to release this is to extend the leg which causes the body to rise. Therefore, as I shift the weight I consciously relax the substantial leg to invite the complete weight shift in that direction. When I do this, I find that I naturally stay within the plane of the movement without fighting with the tension.

With respect to the feeling of the weight shift in the sole of the foot, I feel that there is a “sweet spot” midway between the heel and the ball of the foot. I use this as a target for the weight shift. When shifting forward I feel the weight drift gradually forward until it comes to that spot at which point everything is in balance (at least in my practice.) When I shift the weight back I’m also paying attention to that spot on the back foot. What I’ve found is that the information from the substantial foot is invaluable in helping me with my alignment. If I find that the weight is more on the ball of the front foot, I’m almost certainly leaning forward during the weight shift. Similarly, if the weight is more toward the heel of the back foot it reflects a backward lean of the spine. As I recall, you had a tendency to lean backward during your weight shifts, and this would seem to be the case from your own experiences with the heel vs. the “whole foot.”

The two additional “principles” you might want to include are circularity and polarity. As I’ve continued to practice I’ve found these subtle areas have a much larger effect on the movements than I originally realized.

Best Wishes!

– Ed [Altman]