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In the first post on Tai Chi Standing we focused on body awareness and quieting the mind.

In the second post on Tai Chi Standing we focused on finding Sung relaxation, dropping Root and opening the Bubbling Well.

In this post we will focus on zhong dìng Central Equilibrium aka Vertical Axis.

Straight Up & Down

When you worked on the Tai Chi Standing practice from the last 2 posts the body awareness listening adjustments, relaxing and dropping root as well as getting the breath in to the entire body all required minor postural adjustments.

If you have been diligent in your practice then the Tai Chi Standing has caused you to move closer and closer to finding your zhong dìng Central Equilibrium aka Vertical Axis. The idea is that your alignment is very straight up and down in the way that is correct for Tai Chi. Hanging from the string (I tend to refer to it more as a bungee cord) as taught in Wu Chi is a good practice to add to what you are doing at this point if you have done the right amount of home work.

Zhong Meridian

In some schools of acupuncture there is a meridian referred to as the Zhong (pronounced Chong) Meridian and it is being activated by this practice.

Once the Chong Meridian is activated it gets the Governing and Conception vessels circulating which is the microcosmic orbit as well as the belt meridian and then the connection the ground through the opening of the Bubbling Well and the connection to heaven energy through the proper suspension of the head by utilizing the suspension from the string.

Ideally you are in a correct zhong dìng Central Equilibrium position already but if you are not then you should be very close and able to make very small adjustments that will put you into the right position.

The legendary stability of Tai Chi

The idea with zhong dìng is to be in the central equilibrium balance position. This is not just the physical center, but a condition which is expected to be present at all times and when you step as well. It will help you to obtain an even more substantial root and the legendary stability of Tai Chi that bounces people away when they try to push you.

Some of the videos / DVD’s we have available that will also greatly help with this are the The Root of Internal Power video, the Internal Iron Body video, and the Chi Energy book and DVD.

To work on the skills that I have written about in this post I recommend that you work on the following in the order that I am giving here. Again the list and training below assumes that you have done the work and had all of the results that I have recommended to this point.

Hang from the bungee cord Be Here NOW! Enjoy each moment as if NOW is all that exists Drop your Root Pour your root crushing into the ground

Have fun. Enjoy the training.

Until next time.

Sifu

photo by Effervescing Elephant