heel or k-1 point for grounding& earth chi?

[salaam123]

Try to connect a line between your heel and tailbone, and sink the spine and let "water" flow down your legs. You will feel something immediately, but with k-1, nothing. Still everyone talks about the earth chi and k-1, why?

[Sahaj Nath]

Try to connect a line between your heel and tailbone, and sink the spine and let "water" flow down your legs. You will feel something immediately, but with k-1, nothing. Still everyone talks about the earth chi and k-1, why?

 

 

the fact that you "feel something" in one instance and not the other doesn't disprove the earth connection with the k-1 point. perhaps you still have some work to do opening those gates?

 

i align the kidney-1 points with the lung-1 points, not the tailbone.

Edited August 6, 2008 by Hundun

[salaam123]

the fact that you "feel something" in one instance and not the other doesn't disprove the earth connection with the k-1 point. perhaps you still have some work to do opening those gates?

 

i align the kidney-1 points with the lung-1 points, not the tailbone.

 

 

you may be right, there might be an error in my structure, but still, it does work alot better.

 

I recall some people saying that the coccyx should be pointed to the ground. Like here:

 

http://www.thetaobums.com/lofiversion/index.php/t4804.html

[salaam123]

I also would think, that the angles which the body can bear the most weight, are the angles which support the best chi flow & structure. So finding these angles would be a great benefit I think.

[Spectrum]

excellent thread. alignment of the whole body starts in the feet.

 

*resv this space for further reflections

 

foot:

heel - arch - metatarsal triangle

 

point alignments:

k1(bubbling well)-perenium-soft spot

heel-tailbone-crown

 

practical alignment methods:

-wall

-doorway

-pendulum

 

practical:

 

wuji and spinal geometry

-natural readi posture (empti stance)

-center of gravity sinks below ground level

--spinal curves (vertical posture) elongates - S shaped suspension expands contracts sametime

---three bows:legs-spine-arms

-song-sung-relaxed-readiness

-fight flight mechnism body-mind one

universal post

stillness structure alignment

-the experience of effort

gravity and endless flow

-suspension and energy distribution

movement as structure+flow

 

kinks blockages pain

-breath motivated movement - movement motivated breath

-physiology of circles

-kinesthetic memory and learning

-ergonomics of everyday death

Edited August 6, 2008 by Spectrum

[salaam123]

thanks spectrum! you gave alot of valuable information

 

 

 

wuji and spinal elongation

 

could you explain this a bit?

[mouse]

salaam123,

 

you should work at grounding throught k1 points. the reason you feel nothing may be because of improper structure in legs.

 

outside line of feet must point in one of the eight directions. knees aligned to feet. Then physically sink through relaxation and you should feel acheilles tendon stretching. Now relax that as well and feel the connection to K1 points.

 

You should feel your whole foot spread out evenly with center being k1.

 

To continue to "feel" through your heels because it is easier is wrong and will lead to lousy rooting. (none at all) Then you may start compensating by going lower or leaning forward and bracing during push hands.

 

Taiji must be taught through a competent teacher. If you have one, then send your queries to him/her and you'll have drills or exercises to let you feel the proper alignment/rooting. Don't go down the wrong path and have to spend time correcting the errors you've perfected.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Enjoy your practice.

 

mouse

[Hua Dao]

I don't know exactly what you're trying to achieve but fwiw when standing one should really grasp the ground with all 10 toes, enough so that the arch of the feet slightly lifts off the ground but the 2 balls and heel remain firmly down. This activates K1, which is the counter point to Laogong PC8, which when observing nature people naturally cup their palms and point PC8 towards a camp fire to draw in heat through the point.

 

If you spent any significant amount of time walking around barefoot you would still naturally grasp the ground with the toes and keep the strength in the arch, unfortunately wearing shoes eliminates the need to protect the toes and causes the arch to weaken. Re-training the tendons in the feet to grasp takes about 1 to 2 weeks of near continuous practice while walking etc. to become natural again. Your feet will be rooted and won't slide around or splay out or in afterward. There is a feeling of pulling up on the outside and sinking down through the center of the legs.

[mouse]

I don't know exactly what you're trying to achieve but fwiw when standing one should really grasp the ground with all 10 toes, enough so that the arch of the feet slightly lifts off the ground but the 2 balls and heel remain firmly down. This activates K1, which is the counter point to Laogong PC8, which when observing nature people naturally cup their palms and point PC8 towards a camp fire to draw in heat through the point.

 

If you spent any significant amount of time walking around barefoot you would still naturally grasp the ground with the toes and keep the strength in the arch, unfortunately wearing shoes eliminates the need to protect the toes and causes the arch to weaken. Re-training the tendons in the feet to grasp takes about 1 to 2 weeks of near continuous practice while walking etc. to become natural again. Your feet will be rooted and won't slide around or splay out or in afterward. There is a feeling of pulling up on the outside and sinking down through the center of the legs.

 

 

Hua Dao,

 

Any tension in body (even feet) creates a kink in energy. Once energy reaches the point, it collects there. "Cupping" the ground with your foot instantly severs your energetic root to the earth, raises your center and makes you easy to issue upon as you are not grounded.

 

Feet should be relaxed. The type of rootedness acheived by relaxation is a spreading of the soles of the feet on the ground. If the arch does not touch the ground it is fine and is due to the natural structure of foot. To "cup" and have the arch lift off the ground is not correct.

 

This are the principles taught in my lineage so I hope you don't mind me voicing it out. From push hands it is very obvious once you have "cupped feet" it will be used against you. It is like a huge neon sign asking to be issued upon as the energetic break is very obvious to feel.

 

Enjoy your practice,

mouse

[Hua Dao]

Hua Dao,

 

Any tension in body (even feet) creates a kink in energy. Once energy reaches the point, it collects there. "Cupping" the ground with your foot instantly severs your energetic root to the earth, raises your center and makes you easy to issue upon as you are not grounded.

 

Feet should be relaxed. The type of rootedness acheived by relaxation is a spreading of the soles of the feet on the ground. If the arch does not touch the ground it is fine and is due to the natural structure of foot. To "cup" and have the arch lift off the ground is not correct.

 

This are the principles taught in my lineage so I hope you don't mind me voicing it out. From push hands it is very obvious once you have "cupped feet" it will be used against you. It is like a huge neon sign asking to be issued upon as the energetic break is very obvious to feel.

 

Enjoy your practice,

mouse

 

I can't disagree with anything you said just emphasize my previous post. Just like the palm cupping to draw in through laogong doesn't require any tension the same goes for the feet. A wet bare foot shouldn't leave a print where the arch of the foot is just toes, balls, outside edge, and heel. There isn't really a lifting of the arch, if the foot is structurally sound, the point is naturally lifted, the problem as I said is that most of our feet have lost their natural position. Initially when re-learning how to grasp the ground there will be tension, cramping, and pain as you re-develop the tendons. There is very little muscle usage in this it is the (key word) tendons that will ache from the toes all the way up to knee. As I said it can take awhile but one moment the pain washes away for good. The key point is from the chinese: 'the 7 balls (5 toes +2) of the feet are pressed into the ground' if the 2 balls of the feet come up even slightly it is incorrect and would denote tension, even a feeling of the arch rising is incorrect and unnatural the arch is naturally up if the foot is correct.

 

Practicing barefoot on hard rough ground can help to bring the point home. Trust me this is good gong fu (time spent practicing), especially when it's only 1 to 2 weeks to achieve a permanent change in your practice. After the 2 weeks it will once again be 2nd nature like when you were young.

[mouse]

Hua Dao,

 

Thanks for your response.

 

I must have misunderstood the context of "grasping".

 

I was concerned that salaam123 might take the advice at face value and end up "lifting" the arch and also "grasping" the ground leading to a bad foundation in his Taiji practice hence the response to your post as he/she is already on the wrong direction with using the heels for rooting.

 

I even had a partner test my structure using both methods before I made the post as I thought it was so ridiculous!

 

Enjoy your practice

 

mouse

[Hua Dao]

I also thought of something else that might make more sense: if one has had proper instruction in yoga particularly the balancing postures such as the 'tree pose' they would have been taught the same methods of grasping the ground, pretty important for 'rooting' in yoga as well, and like all of yoga very 'intense' in the beginning but relaxation is found through practice.

[salaam123]

[mouse]

Edited August 7, 2008 by mouse

[salaam123]

Edited August 7, 2008 by salaam123

[salaam123]

ok I saw the video. It was a pretty bad movement, but most of erles fighting applications are ok. There are some of tai chi teachers around teaching horsestance fighting etc..

[salaam123]

I practice zhang zhuan as in the link I posted. Now Im looking into some kenneth cohen stuff(downloaded the course). Also I might buy some other stuff I got introduced in, but now im broke.

[Spectrum]

Feet like suction cups. Stand on one leg Golden Pheasant style. You will get alot out of this exercise. Start with a small goal of being balanced for 2 min.

 

There is a triangle of support between your heel and metatarsals. The metatarsal bones open flattening out the front of the foot, leading to greater toe dexterity and weight distribution. The bridge or arch of the foot should flex, this will affect how the kua feels. Use a small ball to massage the feet. Bare weight on the ball while rolling it around under the foot. Easy fast way to relax the feet, will help you feel the ground better when you practice.

 

The center of gravity in wuji posture drops directly down through the perenium to just behind the physical center of each foot. The weight is distributed through the heel-metatarsal triangle. In universal post. Shoulder width apart. Weight 50/50 for starters. Shifting L/R helps settle. Imagine hanging the upper spinal carriage from a string and relaxing the lower spine from mingmen directly downwards. Knee does not pass the tip of the big toe. Paralax adj.

 

Using a pendulum for alignment this hangs the pendulum from directly off the tip of the shoulder to the heel. As you shift the center of gravity forward or backwards you can see the plumb line change using this pendulum method. This takes the "guess work" out of it and will associate a "feeling" with the desired posture. I was taught this technique by my first teachers teacher.

 

Dave

Edited August 7, 2008 by Spectrum

[mouse]

I practice zhang zhuan as in the link I posted. Now Im looking into some kenneth cohen stuff(downloaded the course). Also I might buy some other stuff I got introduced in, but now im broke.

 

 

salaam123,

 

You may choose to practice whatever method you wish. If you believe his method for standing posture is correct, good luck with your practice.

 

In my opinion, it is fundamentally wrong from the start regardless of whether you think he is a nice guy or not.

 

It is your path.

 

mouse

[Spectrum]

Above all else truth experiment.

[Taiji-student]

Personally, I have no opinion as to specific points. Different people locate k-1 differently too (like you wouldn't believe!).

 

"Do you feel ground connection? Can you release tension in foot, are you centered, are your feet relaxed?"

These are the questions I ask myself when I do "grounding" exercise and taijiquan form. After a while I will feel the energy very well, also in k-1. It works for me and I think the "specific point" which is most beneficial if one trains with a specific point in mind, may change over time and be different for person to person relating to their present state, their structure, etc.

 

Talking about the value of grounding by the way I'd like to tell you a story.

A close family member went to a psychomotorical physiotherapist (there is a very special form of psychomotorical therapy which is very good. It is developed in norway based on the field findings of a psychiatrist and a physical therapist in collaboration. I think it's only practiced here and other psychomotorists, like the ones in france, may be different in their approach, training, theory etc.)

 

Learning and practicing exercises which look a lot like the ones we use for grounding and foundational work, she actually gained two sizes (north european sizes, like she went form 37 to 39) in shoes! The woman is over fifty years old.

 

Based on my own diagnosis(energetical, pulse, observation) her qi and blood flow is much better with no acupuncture, no TCM, no qigong. Her various symptoms have been reduced both in intensity and frequency. We're talking serious mental stuff here and also internal stuff like heart and blood pressure problems, stomach aches, kidney problems, migraines (yes she's a tough case).

 

It only shows that a basic understanding of achieving natural alignment of the musculoskeletal structure can go a long way. (I know for a fact her therapist had no knowledge of acupuncture, qigong, TCM, etc, because after this I have worked in cooperation with the therapist, now I from time to time teach some of her patients.)

[guangping]

Energy properly flows down the front of your body. The k1 point is used to dissipate energy into the earth, the heel is used to bring it back up. Creating an energetic circuit is what we call rooting, and yes, you know when it is there.

 

If you are practicing the water method of meditation, it is used to melt energetic blockages in a gentle, systematic way, not to create rooting.

[Spectrum]

The k1 point is used to dissipate energy into the earth, the heel is used to bring it back up.

 

Appreciate your reflections guangping