The Standing Poles of T’ai Chi Chuan
Hua Tuo, one of the most important historical figures of Traditional Chinese Medicine (or TCM), stated “The door hinge will rust if not used.” Hua Tuo is credited with developing medical and Therapeutic Qigong along with acupuncture over 2000 years ago, but he understood what so many modern medical studies now confirm about T’ai Chi for health and healing: when Tai Chi is performed properly, the whole body is used thereby preventing “rust” in the joints, muscles, and tendons, which is why T’ai Chi is commonly recommended for arthritis, spinal stenosis, pain management, and many other health issues.
From a physiological standpoint, when we use a joint, we stimulate the body’s synovial fluid, which lubricates the joints. When sedentary, synovial fluid is absorbed by our cartilage, and movement squeezes the cartilage to release the synovial fluid to prevent stiffness and maintain agility in the joints, which is known as “weeping lubrication.” The circular rotation and spiraling movements of T’ai Chi are extremely effective at gently manipulating and yet not overtaxing the joints of the body thereby easing pain and difficulties through body movement.
The waist plays a vital role in the health aspects of T’ai Chi Chuan since it connects the lower and upper halves of the body, and its rotations enable the entire body to move as a seamless whole where every muscle is utilized. Classical T’ai Chi literature refers to the waist as the “banner holder” or the “wagon wheel.” The rotation of a wheel and for a flag to wave depends upon an axle or a pole, and in T’ai Chi, this is known as the standing pole of the body, which unites the alignment of the body structure with the rotation of the waist.
The standing pole of the body extends from the crown of the head (called Baihui or “heaven’s cap”) through the center of the body and perineum (or Huiyin) and into the ground. This pole runs parallel to a Qi channel called the tai chi pathway, which is one of the eight major energetic channels of the body that connects with the other channels: the waist (belt), governing, conception, as well as the yin and yang arms and legs channels. The Tai Chi channel serves an important function for Qi circulation while the central Standing Pole is vital for the muscular flow of the body, and the two together are primary vehicles for Qi (energy) and Li (muscular force). Qi and Li work together collectively to generate Fa-jing, or the ability to express Qi energy through movement.
Fa-Jing or releasing force is amplified by the pivoting and turning of the standing pole and waist as the body swings from left to right, right to left, and back to center. The stance is anchored in the ground, solidifying the structure by reinforcing the body’s root, and that pole acts as the fulcrum for the body’s motion. The pole works like the hinge on a door from which the body can swing backwards to absorb and yield (yin energy) or swing forward to strike (yang energy). This action resembles a yin yang circle turning with the pole as the rotations’ center and the energy dispersed through the entire body. The internal muscular and Qi movement flows upwards from the foot through the standing pole to the hands, and that power is directed by the turning of the waist around the pole. In order for that force to flow through the body efficiently and without impediments, proper body structure needs to be maintained. This unobstructed circulation of Qi and Li is necessary for generating internal power and maintaining health.
The principle of the Standing Pole overlaps with many other important T’ai Chi characteristics and applications: rooting, stepping, turning the waist, body structure and alignment, the balancing of yin and yang through movement, and the connections between the three brothers and sisters of hips and shoulders, knees and elbows, and ankles and wrists. Understanding and maintaining a proper Standing Pole is a doorway that opens onto the essence of authentic T’ai Chi—and those principles when correctly utilized shake off the rust to enhance our health, while cultivating well-being and internal power.