Teacher investigates “Swivel” in her own practice

“Swivel” was a word frequently used in discussions at this year’s conference, when describing the lateral movements of TCC.

The New World Dictionary defines swivel as a coupling device that allows free turning of the parts attached to it. In the case of a swivel desk chair the seat turns horizontally on the base.

When I open a wine bottle, I can either turn the bottle and hold the cork screw still or I can hold the wine bottle still and turn the cork screw. Either way a swivel is created.

So in my TCC movements, I use that image of holding the T’an T’ien still and letting the waist turn. Justin repeats over and over, “it’s the turning of the waist” which causes the chi to circulate.

No wonder Bass Drum, the Daughters and Push Pull seem to me like the easiest movements to teach. No turning of the waist is necessary. In Working the Pulley, when the T’an T’ien remains facing forward (as in not turning the wine bottle) the waist must swivel as the cork screw does. In the Platters and Pulling in the Energy that turning of the waist becomes very subtle and almost unnoticeable to the observer as the arms move to trace the circle of the movement.

In the lateral movements, as Ed often has described with his “bottom gliding across a piano bench” illustration, the T’an T’ien remains facing forward as the waist swivels on this still point.

When I previously concentrated on making my waist turn, my focus was not enhancing the flow of the chi. When I relaxed and shifted my focus to the forward stillness of the T’an T’ien the swiveling of the waist happened, not as an act of will but naturally without effort.

“Holding fast” with the linear yinning and yanging of the T’an T’ien and “letting go” to the circular turning of the waist lubricates my practice in a way I hadn’t experienced before.