Sinking, Stretching, and Transitioning: Deepening Internal Awareness in Tai Chi

A key focus in our recent class was on maintaining the openness of the lower back. This is a subtle but essential aspect of Tai Chi practice. As we sink, and equally as we release upwards in the up-and-down movement, the lower back must remain softly expanded — never collapsing or tightening.

In Tai Chi, when we speak of sinking, it is not merely dropping weight into the legs or down towards the feet. True sinking happens when the spine and torso release downward while maintaining structural integrity. The low back (mingmen area) must remain open to allow energy to pass through freely. If the lower back closes or locks, the pathway for force and intention is obstructed. Instead of internal connection, we create local tension.

In the upward phase of the movement, the same principle applies. As we release and rise, there is no pushing upwards or tightening to generate lift. Rather, we allow the released energy to rise naturally through the body, supported by the openness we maintained while sinking. This up-and-down movement — sinking and releasing — forms the basis of relaxed force in Tai Chi. It is not simply physical, but energetic, and was a key theme as we explored how this internal process translates directly into both the slow push and the form itself.

In slow push practice, this becomes particularly clear. Moving slowly strips away momentum and makes every disconnect or blockage immediately obvious. When performed correctly, the push does not originate from the arms, but from the body sinking and releasing. The arms are carried along, relaxed and integrated. This connection relies entirely on keeping the lower back open, so that release from the legs and torso is not interrupted.

This naturally led us to explore the neigong aspect — particularly the process often referred to as “thickening the Chi.” In certain Qigong exercises, we train this through tangible methods: using the hands to root and stretch energy through the body. This creates a feeling of fullness and connection. In more advanced Tai Chi practice, however, the same idea must be internalised.

Rather than stretching the energy using the hands, we train the mind to project the stretch through the entire body. This mental extension reaches from the crown of the head, down through the spine and torso, through the legs, and into the ground beneath the feet. At the same time, it extends outward through the arms and hands, integrating the entire system. In this way, the stretch of Chi becomes continuous and whole.

We finished by bringing this level of attention to a detailed exploration of several key transitions within the form. From Slanting Fly to Cloud Hands, and then from Cloud Hands into High Pat on Horse, the same internal principles apply. The body must remain open, the mind must continue to stretch and connect, and the transitions must not break the internal thread. These moments, often overlooked, reveal the true depth of Tai Chi practice.

By focusing on these subtleties — openness, internal stretching, and mindful transition — we deepen not just form, but the quality of presence that defines real Tai Chi.