Proper Postural Alignment in Tai Chi and Good Posture for Everyday Life

[@TheScorpionIntuitive]

The shirt has helped me visually see , such a great choice of example. I love it. I keep coming back to this video for the awareness. Its magnificent 🙏🙌 thank you thank you thank you

[@InternalTaiChi]

Thank you so much. Your use of "magnificent" made my efforts all worthwhile. Thanks for sharing your experience with my video and for watching repeatedly for continued awareness.

[@earlstanley8942]

Your transparency of disclosing your injuries and how you can heal through this process makes it attainable. Thanks

[@InternalTaiChi]

Hi Earl. Thank you. What a beautiful comment. Thank you for watching and taking the time to leave your positive feedback. This healing art is absolutely attainable. It does not take year as and years. Qi does not know time. :-)

[@JeanParmer]

Susan is a knowledgeable, patient, wonderful teacher.

[@InternalTaiChi]

Thank you so very much, Jean!

[@katherinemcintosh485]

I love your work! You have corrected my perception of Tai Chi principles on so many levels! Thank you so much!❤

[@InternalTaiChi]

This is absolutely the BEST comment I could have read this morning. Thank you so much. You verbalized my overall mission in teaching Tai Chi: to help others gain the "right" perception about Tai Chi principles.

[@esferademanu]

I have a bit scoliosis, I use to said that alignment is my 24 hours postural homework. I am always measuring the spaces, walls, and tables to align my body. Thanks again for share this nice information.

[@InternalTaiChi]

You are very welcome. Be gentle to your body and don't force it!

[@esferademanu]

Gracias

[@darlenekearney3259]

Great t shirt to show what movements do to your stance. 😊

[@InternalTaiChi]

Thanks, it is a fun way to demonstrate. 😊. I bought that t-shirt years ago in the boys department. It is so soft and it is one of my favorite shirts, so I am excited when I get to use it for teaching!

[@mokuho]

Thank you so much for your help! This can be useful for daily life! 🙏🏼

[@InternalTaiChi]

@@mokuho yes indeed , you are correct! Thank you.

[@carolinewestwood6245]

Thanks!

[@InternalTaiChi]

You are welcome.

[@InternalTaiChi]

Does that heart mean you sent me $? If so thank you so very much!

[@lorrainedaugherty3451]

I am so sorry to hear that you have herniated discs, but am so impressed that your knowledge of movement has created your pain free existence. The more I listen to your youtubes, the more I'm convinced that a pain free existence is possible for me 🎻too. Thank you so much for sharing.

[@InternalTaiChi]

Thank you, Lorraine. So many people think that the body is static when it comes to pain, but the body is an ever changing soft tissue entity that has the built in capacity to heal. Keep at it, especially the hope and faith in your own body's ability to move from pain to healing. Thank you again for leaving such nice comments!

[@dm-tq2sx]

Dear teacher. Your explanation is superb!! You have cleared my doubts of tucking the tail bone and relaxing chest. I will say just wow!

[@InternalTaiChi]

Oh thank you souch!! Your comment made me smile. I appreciate your positive comment!

[@lesiabalaji40]

🎉Thanks! This is so important and valuable information🙏

[@InternalTaiChi]

Thank you again for your $ contribution! I truly appreciate it. Thanks for watching and commenting too. 🙂

[@philipr8245]

Great video! Back 2 basic is very important. It is amazing how fast we forget our base foundations as we think we are progressing. Keeping the explanation simple is so important and are often forgotten my male sensei. Great tea shirt.

[@InternalTaiChi]

Thank you so much for the positive feedback. I agree. I think when we use a lot of fancy terminology we can potentially create a barrier for our students. They have to spend energy trying to interpret rather than learn. Anyway, hope you continue to watch my videos and thanks for the positive feedback!

[@philipr8245]

I totally agree. Will do. Honored will your reply!

[@asingingtree]

Yes, this is very helpful to learn. I come from a yoga background where we did a lot of twisting, so this will be something new. I like the buttons attached by a silk thread.

[@InternalTaiChi]

Thank you. Yes, Tai Chi and Yoga are quite different. Thank you for leaving your comment!

[@danigrt162]

Hello Susan, I enjoy all your videos very much. Thank you for posting them; I highly appreciate that and in this particular one I wish to thank you for sharing about your herniated discs. I found it very interesting. Loved the t-shirt by the way. I was wondering why you were wearing it 🤣absolutely cool! What a great way to explain it all. A bit of an odd comment (so feel free to remove it if you don’t think it is relevant). I wish to share what my Tai Chi instructor told us this morning. He said he has been teaching Tai Chi for 35 years now and that his menisci in his right knee are damaged as well as barely having any cartilage left. He blames it on the teaching, on the repeated same movements in order to show his students how to perform the various moves. I found it very curious when I asked him if he was in any pain and his answer was: no! You also say that you don’t have any pain in your back despite the herniated disks and you actually believe that this is THANKS to your daily tai chi practice. So, I found it a bit confusing when my instructor blamed his knee problems on the teaching. Do you believe this could be the case? Do you know other instructors having similar problems? Thank you for your attention and dedication. 🙏🙏🙏

[@InternalTaiChi]

Thank you for sharing and for your excellent questions. First of all--the T-shirt...lol! It is a great model for showing the bones in posture alignment. I love using that t-shirt as a teaching prop. Plus it is super soft and comfy! As to your teacher. Sadly I have seen Tai chi practitioners who develop bad knees and hips. Usually on the side toward which they do Tai Chi. There is a lot of poor weight shifting going on in Tai Chi which puts a twisting force through the knee and hip. Add this to the fact that the Yang 24 form (one of the most popular form sets) is extremely unbalanced...everything is to the LEFT. Multiply years of doing this one form, or any form that is over balanced to one side in its form sequence, and one can get unnecessary wear and tear. I'm am not saying this is what happened with your instructor...but he sorta is. The reason I do not have pain is because I was very blessed to have found an extraordinary Tai Chi teacher who taught me the internal principles of tai chi posture and movement at an early stage of my Tai Chi development. I truly believe that the internal principles of Tai Chi are what keep my joints healthy and keep my limber, flexible and mobile without pain. I am writing a short book on these and will be sharing it soon as an ebook. Also, I ONLY engage in form sets that are balanced to both sides. If I do brush knee right, then I must also do one left. One more thing I do, as a teacher, is I teach for six weeks on, then I take the seventh week off to rest my body and to do my Tai Chi exclusively for me. Teaching Tai Chi IS different than doing Tai Chi for oneself. I do not teach form. That is very hard on the body. Besides, Tai Chi isn't about the form in the end after all. These topics (internal principles and it's not about the form) will also be in my book. I do understand your confusion. I hope my answer helped to clear it up a bit for you. Please watch more of my content and you will begin to understand the differences. :-) Thanks for watching.

[@danigrt162]

@@InternalTaiChi Thank you Susan for your very clear and well explained answer. I watch your videos nearly every day (time permitting) and I love the way you teach and your approach, i.e. internal principles. 🙏

[@InternalTaiChi]

@@danigrt162 Thank you so much. It is very rewarding to know that I am having a positive impact on people by teaching them the deeper underpinnings of Tai Chi. That is wonderful that you seek to watch me daily! Thank you.

[@patriciamartin6309]

Osteopath says I have v slight scoliosis of lower spine about 5% . That was a shock . I’ve been struggling with some pain so reminding me about not closing mid line and rotatating rather than twisting is very helpful 🦋❤️

[@InternalTaiChi]

I’m happy you found the advice helpful! Thanks for your positive comments.

[@shabi_dassa]

Thank you very much can you please make the drill pong lu ji an with the principles that you have just taught us

[@InternalTaiChi]

Thank you. What a great idea. I certainly will!

[@larandaeakin6649]

How I wish I'd known this years ago! Thank you for providing this very helpful explanation.

[@InternalTaiChi]

Thank you, Randi! I guess my mother was right when she said "stand up tall!" 😊

[@marcoacosta4]

Thanks for class. This topic is very important

[@InternalTaiChi]

Thank you for your comment and for watching!

[@michaelgrosvenor9520]

This is a wonderful video. I am very grateful for your content. I was wondering how you 'split' without crossing the centre line. Thank you again?

[@InternalTaiChi]

When we split, our hands can cross midline but our elbows do not. Once our elbows approach the centerline, it closes our posture too much, collapsing our chest and structure. I have a video on splitting, you might take a look at it to clarify. Even my hands rarely cross midline. The power is generated from the torso and structure of shoulder qua to hip qua, then lead by the elbows. It is not really from the hands. I hope this helps. Thank you for watching and respectfully presenting your question!

[@michaelgrosvenor9520]

@InternalTaiChi thank you so much for replying ☺️

[@patriciamartin6309]

Really great I go Susan will bear these tips in mind ❤

[@InternalTaiChi]

Thank you! It really is important to our practice. Thank you for watching my videos and for your positive feedback.

[@111Soham]

Wow- thank you Sifu Susan! What a helpful video. Is it possible to make another video showing how to attach the thread to connect the hip and shoulder kua as described around the 2:36 minute mark? It would be very appreciated.

[@InternalTaiChi]

Oh that is a great idea! Yes I will certainly do that. Thank you for watching and commenting.

[@111Soham]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Can’t wait!!!

[@InternalTaiChi]

You are very welcome@@111Soham !

[@miwi5530]

I would surely agree with everything, except “no twisting”. Isn’t twisting a natural movement, like when you are walking, e.g. right foot forward and right shoulder backwards? And what about tai chi postures where e.g. left foot is forward and right hand to ( brush knee in yang style)? What is your view?

[@InternalTaiChi]

Thank you for your excellent question. We do not twist. In brush knee, we still rotate the entire spine. You can test it out. Do Brush knee while twisting and have someone push on you from different directions. 1. Check where your breath is. 2. Feel how you are more easily uprooted. Now try it again and rotate from the hips, keeping your spine aligned. Test 1. and 2. and compare. I have a video on how to do Yang brush knee properly. Check my Yang playlist. It might shed more light on this. Otherwise, I can (and should) make a video to this point and demonstrate it. I appreciate your insight, perspective and being so respectful in your comment!

[@plee4384]

Beautiful.

[@InternalTaiChi]

Thank you! 😊

[@loredanamassini9484]

GREAT teach

[@InternalTaiChi]

Thank you so much!

[@GarrettMennone]

Great video

[@InternalTaiChi]

Thank you!!

[@garytompkins3761]

Excellent video although I am confused about not crossing midline. It seems to me there are multiple times in 24 form where midline is crossed. Wave hands,. Brush knee, cross hands before a kick and others. Am I not seeing something here? Thanks so much for posting all your wonderful content. The videos have been very helpful

[@InternalTaiChi]

Generally speaking this is a solid principle and applies to most all styles of Tai Chi and forms. If you have been taught to cross midline it may be that you were taught incorrectly. We can cross our wrists AT midline, but we do not take both wrists or especially elbows, PAST midline. You can test it out. Assume the posture you are referring to, having crossed past midline with an arm, elbow or wrist and have someone push on you gently. Are you stable? Also where is your breathing? Is it up high? How open up the arms a bit, so that the wrists and elbows are on either side of midline (or the wrists can be crossed at midline, touching wrists together aligned at midline) and then have them push on you. Also check where your breathing is. It is likely you are much more stable in the second position and your breathing is lower. If our armpits are closed and squished, then we are also crowded ourselves and it is analogous to crossing midline. Good luck and thanks for the comments!

[@joshpickles9022]

I think the easier way to explain it is that you don't ever close the space under your armpit. You can think of it as holding an orange under your armpit. The hands and wrists do cross the midline during the form but need to avoid making orange squash!

[@julesb1421]

Hi Susan - so helpful - i think i have been doing wrong in qigong (if this is the same for qigkng?) I have been twising from waist (have done alot of yoga) and keeping my knees completely stable and unmoving and guess that is wrong? Im just starting tai chi and want to get basics right! I think im afraid of knee twisting if i rotate but guess its quite subtle?

[@InternalTaiChi]

Thank you for the positive feedback. You are correct and you're thinking. We should rotate not twist in Tai Chi and Qigong. The principal is the same for both arts. If you really want the cheese to flow, it is best to keep everything aligned and move as one unit. It should not work the knees. If your knees are twerking, then you are attempting to turn too much. The rotation is generally only about 45°. If you are in a square room, you would rotate from the front left corner to the front right corner, at least when you're first starting out. I hope this helps. Feel free to email me or post more questions and comments as you journey along. Soon I will be posting a new video on four common mistakes. Make sure you take a look at that one. I think it is scheduled to release next week or the following week. Thanks again.

[@julesb1421]

@Flowingmobility thanks so much for this reply - I definitely been doing stuff incorrectly - I would maybe like to try out your live stream class, can I just pay for one on your website and see how I go? Also what time zone are you in (I'm in UK) cheers

[@InternalTaiChi]

@@julesb1421 You can certainly attend one of my live streaming classes. I will let you attend one for free to see if you like it first. If you could please send me an email request, I will send you the link. You can find my email address under the about section on my KZbin channel. If you have trouble finding it message me here, and I will help you. I am on the road for 2 days, I will be able to provide the link to you by Saturday evening. I have a wonderful group of people, and even someone else from UK! I think you will really enjoy it.

[@julesb1421]

@@InternalTaiChi thanks! Will get on it and email you - appreciate it

[@teresacarter2036]

Hi there, Susan. I'm wondering if you teach classes and if so where and when? Do you certify students in qigong? I'm mostly interested in qigong for it's simplicity but tai chi is pretty good too. I'm interested in getting certified and if you have any recommendations for who is good for that? I'm looking for proper alignment so as to improve my flexibility and also strength and balance, physically and emotionally. Thank you for this video, it is awesome! Teresa

[@InternalTaiChi]

Hi Teresa, I teach Qigong on Tuesdays at 10am central time via live streaming. If you'd like to attend go to the About tab on my channel and send me an email. Or go to my website and send an email. Once you email me, I can address your other questions as well. Thanks for watching and for your comment. I look forward to hearing from you.