Principle 9

Question 1

State Principle 9

Answer 1

Setting the Shoulders, Lifting the Back and Loosening the Waist unifies the upper and lower body, creating an internal dynamic core. This is sometimes referred to as, “Unifying the Upper and Lower.”

Question 2

(P9) Why is “Unifying the Upper and Lower” important?

Answer 2

ALL Taichi movement should be initiated in the spine. Arms and Legs must NOT be moved independently (of the spine).

Question 3

(P9) Which two equilateral triangles unify the body?

Answer 3

1. The psoas grows out of each side of the spine from the T12 vertebra all the way down to the five Lumbar vertebrae. From there it continues down each side to connect to the top of the femur. It forms a triangle with the hips as the base and T12 as the point.
2. The trapezius muscles create an inverted triangle, with the shoulders as the base, and T12 as the point.
   thought: We squeeze a lot in movement. Is this in the psoas?

Question 4

(P9) What’s the difference between Coordinating and Unifying the Body?

Answer 4

If a Taichi practitioner moves his leg, places the heel and then moves the bodyweight forward, that is a coordinated movement. lf a practitioner advances his core body and the leg naturally follows, allowing the bodyweight to land directly on the foot (compressing the root), this is a unified Taichi Movement.