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Proper Posture and Alignment

Postural requirements are extremely important in Taijiquan training. If one neglects his or her alignment while practicing zhan zhuang (standing postures) chansijing (silk reeling) exercises, the forms (13-posture, 18-Essentials, Old Frame, New Frame, Straight Sword, etc.) or push hands and applications drills, all of one's hard work will be for naught.

Regardless of the style of Taijiquan - Chen, Yang, Zhaobao, Wu or Sun, the basic postural requirements are the same. To name a few:

  • Suspend the head as though a string attached to the ceiling runs through, suspends and aligns the head, ribcage, spine, and hips. Were a plumbing line dropped through the center of your body, it would connect the top of one's head with the space between the anus and the genitals at the bottom of one's torso.
  • Loosen the bones of the ribcage, as well as the shoulder and hip joints.
  • Let the elbows drop during training, as though gravity was pulling down on them at all times.
    • Proper Spine Alignment is Crucial
    Proper Spine Alignment is Crucial
  • Straighten and stretch the spine. This requirement goes hand in had with suspending the head.
  • Draw in the stomach, buttocks ,and knees.

Through practice these postural requirements should become second nature for a person training in Taijiquan.

Anticipating the difficulties a beginner might encounter in mastering these requirements, through the generations, masters of the Chen style came up with sayings embedded with practical pointers and passed them on to students as they began their practice of zhan zhuang, chansijing exercises, etc. This saying:

"Listen to the back of the head."

.. is intended to help the student concentrate on correct alignment and proper movement.

"Stretch the spine. Let the neck and spine fall loosely, as though they hung suspended, like the head from the ceiling."

This helps the student align his or her body, reminding the student to relax and straighten his or her back muscles.

"Broaden the body's width. Let the body's weight drop to both sides of the body."

This helps the student relax, especially those prone to stress, by advising the student to elongate or "stretch the spine."

"Imagine being clamped between two boards."

This image helps students align their joints properly by reminding them not to bend the arms at the elbows and knees. Right and acute angles can create "breaks" in one's alignment and impede the movement of energy through the body. This does not mean however that the arms and legs are held rigidly, just that one should maintain a gentle curve with one's limbs throughout their practice of Taijiquan.

In my classes for beginners I have introduced a simple exercise where, from a crouched position, the student gradually stands erect, ending in a properly aligned standing posture. If one examines oneself closely at the end of this transition, one will find that his or her body now naturally meets all of the basic postural requirements without undue effort.

Beginners should practice this exercise as often as they can, checking their alignment in a mirror if necessary. When practicing this exercise, try to retain a sense of how it feels to be in proper alignment. The student should strive to embody and maintain that feeling through all the phases of their practice: zhan zhuang, qigong, chasijing, push hands and form.

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