here's some important points from my taiji teacher. michael phillips. by way of explanation, i train with ashe higgs and am intensely involved with i-liq chuan on michael phillips suggestion.
i'm including the thread link as well if you want to see more. There's a good amount of q and a on the thread. It won't waste your time.
http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/TC ... sage/58164The weight is in exactly the right place to provoke the correct alignment and conditions in the perineum.
***************quote********************************************
On Oct 21, 2008, at 4:34 AM, Vsevolod Vlaskin wrote:
> Could anyone, especially Michael, comment on the deep knee bends in Michael's exercise? I tried it and I can sit in it very low for quite a while without any pain, tiredness or exertion in my lower body or legs (it's my upper body and breathing that gives up and needs more alignment). Do I expose my knees to the risk of damage without realizing or feeling it?
Done "Exactly As I Described", we have never had anyone develop knee problems from this exercise, Seva - but the key words here are "Exactly As I Described".
For instance, we do not "sit in very low for quite a while" - the instructions specify taking from 3-10 deep breaths to the perineum, and then using the counter-weight to assist you in rising back up, and that's all; ten breaths, maximum, and then back up. Six reps, maximum, for any one session, although one can do several sessions in any given day.
You can also put the chair down and move around a little bit between reps; we frequently walk thru a "figure eight" pattern 3 times between reps, to make sure that everything is "released" and "open".
Getting down, breathing, and then getting back up in a timely manner are all essential parts of the exercise; if you sit and breathe for too long, you will tend to "dis-engage" your knees, and it is then very difficult to "re-engage" them in such extremis. This could lead to injury.
ALL the joints of the body should remain "open" and actively "engaged" all throughout the duration of this exercise - getting down, breathing, and then getting back up. Although the breathing at "the bottom" is the focal point of the exercise, you cannot safely just "park" yourself down there for a long time for the breath phase and then get back up - you will tend to "disengage" something and diminish the effects of the exercise.
The whole point of this exercise is to keep the entire body - skeletal system, muscular system, tendons, and fascia totally "engaged" during the exercise, so that the breath can do its work in "harmonizing" and "unifying" all of them with a specific, breath-induced energetic "wave".
The effects of the exercise are CUMULATIVE over time, they cannot be speeded up by staying down longer, or adjusting any of the other variables.
It is very important to do the exercise exactly as described.
I feel it's very important to emphasize that this exercise is not an "endurance contest"; just get down there, find the optimum alignment, get your ten breaths in, and then get back up.
If you hold the "wuji" posture for 2-3 minutes after you finish your reps, you will feel the energy start to "run" thru the meridians; just let the energy do whatever it wants, but stay alert and observant throughout this initial phase.
I wrote all the above for a "general audience"; as for yourself specifically, Seva, it sounds like you already have discovered some interesting things, and are on your way to discovering more. This exercise kind of "blossoms" over time and reveals more aspects of itself as one continues with it; I somewhat envy those of you that are adventurous enough to embark on this voyage of discovery - something can be really "new" only once.
Again, good luck with this, Seva, and I welcome any further questions.
All the Best,
Michael