Sitting disassociates the connection between the legs and the torso. The Back Kick is a powerful reminder that our legs need the torso to function well.
Lie on your stomach, as in The Turtle or Butterfly exercises. You should follow the Wuji Posture alignments. Turn your face to the left by putting your right cheek and ear against the floor. Bend the knee of the left leg so the bottom of the left foot is facing the ceiling.
Back Kick preparation posture for the left foot.
Take a deep breath and breathe out as you push the left foot toward the ceiling by lifting the left thigh off the floor. The right side should remain relaxed while the left side is trying to hold the foot in the air. Hold this position for one minute, before slowly lowering the thigh back to the floor.
Back Kick with the left foot.
When your thigh is flat against floor, straighten the leg and recover for a few breaths before you perform the exercise on the other side. Turn your face to the right, putting your left ear against the floor, then raise your right foot so the sole is facing the ceiling.
Back Kick preparation posture for the right foot.
Take a deep breath and breathe out as you push the right foot toward the ceiling by lifting the right thigh off the floor. Hold this position for one minute, before slowly lowering the thigh back to the floor.
Back Kick with the right foot.
This exercise stresses the link between the foot section and the head section of the Trinity Posture. It reminds you that the performance of your torso and your legs are linked, and that power flows through the legs and into the torso before we express it in the hands.
We ignore our hips and waist more than we realize. Keeping your hips flexible seems obvious, but sitting too much, can really destroy your flexibility. Forward Bend is designed to open your hip joints and stretch your legs for Tai Chi or circle walking practice.
Holding the Moon is a traditional posture for most Chinese internal martial arts. If you practice Holding the Moon before you are aware of your shoulder and hip alignment, however, you can reinforce bad posture. Therefore, a good way to learn the posture is lying on the floor.
Walking heel-to-toe seems natural enough, but that old enemy of sitting too much, can really interfere with your ability to put one foot in front of the other. The Turtle is a supplemental exercise for your taijiquan practice. It focuses on the feet and reminds you that the body generates interna…
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