Sink the Chest - Yang Cheng Fu 10 points

[GrahamB]

Sink the chest and pluck up the back.

However, this is a starting point. "Qi" does not remain in the dan tian. It moves about as you do your form, applications, qigong, etc. It moves from the dan tian to the extremities then back to the dan tian. So the idea that one would maintain a posture in which the chest is sunk so as to maintain qi in the dan tian is incorrect.

...or it's possible that the "qi" can be in more than one place at the same time. We're heading off into esoteric theory now...

[charles]

[GrahamB]

In practical terms, I'm saying you still want to be sunk down and rooted as you release your power, like releasing an arrow. You draw the bow and release - you don't drop the bow as you release. You don't stop being sunk and rooted as you express. I realise that this isn't necessarily contradicting what you're saying, I'm just trying to clarify what I said, without using the word 'Chi'.

[chicagoTaiJi]

based on the dictionary meaning of 含, I would say it means more like "dont allow to go out", or "keep in", or "contain" than "sink".
"sink" could be confused to mean "going down", which is not what the chinese seems to be saying.

this corresponds to the actual problem, which is that people sink it in too much, they over do it... like they do with the chin. (tucking it in so far instead of natural position).
It seems to me the point is not to puff your chest out, if you do, breathing is hampered, and it makes your waist tight

[charles]

You don't stop being sunk and rooted as you express.

Agreed. One can (and should) remain sunk and rooted as one opens and closes ("expresses").

[Ben]

Sink the chest and pluck up the back.

If memory serves me correctly, the "pluck up the back" part is a translation/transmission error introduced by Chen Weiming in his transcription of YCF's teachings. It's been often repeated/quoted since.

What would you say is a better translation?

[Ben]

Good stuff! Thanks everybody for your input. I've been playing around with it at work today and so far I can feel that I can relax/sink the chi to the dantien much easier than before. I was hitting the wall in the bathroom and felt better connection, more power generation than before.
Also, for about the past 9 months or so I've had a problem in by back that I haven't been able to figure out and no one I asked about it was able to help me. I had kind of a pinching in the lower ribs in my back in a few postures. This change fixed it though. Yesterday and today are big days for my TCC. You guys rock!

[Ben]

In ILC it is generally referred to as maintaining suction.

Thanks man, I have a kind of suction feeling in the rib area when I do it.

[charles]

[GrahamB]

Good stuff! Thanks everybody for your input. I've been playing around with it at work today and so far I can feel that I can relax/sink the chi to the dantien much easier than before. I was hitting the wall in the bathroom and felt better connection, more power generation than before.
Also, for about the past 9 months or so I've had a problem in by back that I haven't been able to figure out and no one I asked about it was able to help me. I had kind of a pinching in the lower ribs in my back in a few postures. This change fixed it though. Yesterday and today are big days for my TCC. You guys rock!

No problem! Just pop a cheque for $500 in the mail and we'll call it even

I'll even send you a certified 'Master level' certificate by return post!

[Ben]

No problem! Just pop a cheque for $500 in the mail and we'll call it even

I'll even send you a certified 'Master level' certificate by return post!

Too late!

[AllanF]

Sink the chest, means relax down, if relaxed the chest will become concave and the qi will naturally sink down to the dan tian. if you concentrate solely on the chest then you still will not sink the qi properly you have to imagine 3 points in the centre of the body hui yin (taint), lower dan tian and middle dan tian being all conected when you want to sink the chest imagine the taint pulling the lower dan tian down which in turn pulls the middle dan tian down.
Raise the back , means imagining a point inside the spine at the same level as the middle dan tian pulling the coresponding point in the spine for the lower dan tian up which in turn pulls the wei lu point near the taint.

With practice this will happen together thus opening up the ming men point on the back (making the back convex) and also the coresponding point between the shoulder blades. When done corectly your push will become empty, ie you don't have to use excessive force. As the energy will be circulated properly fornt of the body becomes yin back yang. The above "sink the chest and raise the back" can be done in every movement regardless wheather it be peng, lu, ji, an, zhou, kao, lie or cai.

As i said this creates a yin/yang body once this is done then it is easier to translate it into the hands (ie one yin one yang) and even to individual points on the body.

[Ben]

Thanks Allan. Nice detail!

[D_Glenn]

Allan, maybe just splitting hairs here but as was mentioned 'han' is holding in rather than sinking, sinking is more of like what is done with the waist 塌腰 ta yao, and raising up the back doesn't make sense as it's 'ba' or 'pulling out'. Also pulling down the huiyin goes against the song which should be lifting up huiyin and countering the expansion down from the dantian- 把肛提 ba gang ti.

the term is 含胸拔背. it's not sink so much as "hold in" 含. not holding in strongly, just holding in, like holding a lozenge in your mouth. Not squishing it, but just holding it. not slouching. you kinda need to be shown.
"pluck up" is to pull straight up. it's like pulling your spine straight up.

[qiphlow]

owing to the bay area group's recent encounter with ken fish, i've been paying attention to relaxing the whole pelvic area during my standing and forms practice. specifically, allowing the kua to relax and open , and allowing the lower spine to hang down. what this does for me is it gives a feeling of my lower body being quite full and stable and my upper body being nice and light. i find that the chest then naturally "sinks" and the back naturally wants to "pluck up." then i have a much better awareness of the taint/crown connection and moving from the hips and centerline.