Tai Chi Pouring

Tai Chi classics say “Flow like water.” The human body is almost 70% liquid. Using the image pouring and making waves in your “inner ocean,” this exercise helps you experience, through movement, how you can deeply nourish, bathe, and massage your body’s internal environment. You learn to sense your energy-rich inner ocean lubricating and integrating all the tissues, joints and tendons, free the soles of the feat to the tips of the fingers and the top of the head. This Framework helps bring the mind’s attention and healing intention deeply and fully into the body.

Begin by standing with your feet shoulder width apart and parallel to one another. Before beginning any movement, take a moment to be still and to be more fully in the present movement. Feel your feet on the ground; notice how you are breathing; feel your whole body. Just simply notice and invite your body and mind to rest in the present moment. Of course, don’t worry if you are having difficulty relaxing your body or mind; it makes no sense to get stressed about being stressed about being stressed! Just proceed and let the practice do its work.

When you are ready to initiate Tai Chi Pouring, slightly bend one knee and allow your weight to shift to that side, and then gently bend the other knee and allow the weight to shift to the other leg. It should feel as if you are “pouring” your weight from one leg to other. As you rock back and forth and the waves of your inner ocean start flowing, try to “let go,” stay out of the way,” and allow the waves to flow increasingly more freely throughout your whole body.

For the first minute or two of Pouring, focus your attention on the soles of your feet. Can you feel the warm, nutrient-rich ocean bathing the tissues to your arches, heels and the places between and around your toes? Can you feel it in your left foot as much as your right foot? Where do you not feel your energy-rich “juices” permeating? Can you adjust the way you are standing and moving in a way that leads to a deeper, fuller massage of your foot tissues?

After awakening, massaging, and infusing Qi into soles of your feet, try to feel how the ocean helps integrate your feet with your ankles, calves, shins, and knees. Allow your awareness to penetrate to the deepest layers of these tissues. Then, after a few more rocking cycles, progressively notice if you also can sense these waves moving through your hips, groin, belly, lower back, chest, shoulders and arms. Be patient; it may take time to develop this openness and sensitivity.

As you rock and feel the connections in your body, also be aware of the key Tai Chi principle of yin and yang. When your weight is on right leg, really let your left leg rest; regularly remind your left leg that it has no responsibility to hold you up. When you are on your left leg, let your right leg rest. You always have one side that is empty, while other side is full; one side that’s doing, while other side is not-doing; one side is active and one side passive. Notice that after relaxing one side, the ocean may flow more deeply and easily through tissues. 

Rock, relax, feel your body, be aware of your breath, and breathe deeply and naturally. Do your best not to think very much and simply relax into the flow.