Release & Let The Chi Flow

After years of practicing T’ai Chi Chih, there is always room for improvement in softness in the joints. Justin Stone described softness as lack of tension. A year or two after being accredited, I was so surprised to be told that I needed more softness in my wrists. I had been unaware that my wrists, while relaxed, were remaining in one position throughout most movements.

A basic example is seen in Justin’s teaching of Bass Drum – that the fingers point down at the bottom of the drum and up at the top of the drum (while the palms remain facing each other). This is best accomplished by allowing give and movement in the wrist joint itself.

Another example is Push Pull: when the hands push forward, the fingers remain up so that the palms face forward not downward. This requires movement (or give) in the wrists. The wrists are flexed back more (while not tight) at the finish of the forward movement than when the hands first start moving forward.

Some teachers have referred to the wrist positions as open or neutral (never closed or flexed inward). For ourselves and students, calling our awareness to the relaxed position when the hands are hanging loosely down at our sides (neutral), as feeling different from when the fingers move out to the sides in Bird Flaps Its Wings (open), can be very helpful.

The important point is to allow flexibility and give, or release, in the wrists as appropriate to a particular movement. Just as with soft knees and a loose waist, allowing the wrists to give will increase the flow of Chi exponentially.

A good but subtle place to check this is in Rocking Motion. As the weight begins to shift forward, if the wrists lead the hands, there might be a slight back bend (or opening) of the wrists which gradually lets go as the hands come forward and rise. As the heels touch down and the backward shift begins, the wrists lead downward leaving the fingertips more upward (again, the wrists in a slight back bend) – again, perhaps feeling a slight bit of tension (but not tightness), which lets go and relaxes as the hands pass the legs and the backward shift completes.

There are so many aspects of awareness in all the TCC movements, which all spell letting go. The wrists are a place not to be ignored or taken for granted. Happy practicing.