Gravity Sucks… (Pun Intended)
Gravity’s Effects on the Human Body
Gravity’s Effects on the Human Body
Did you know that gravity accelerates at 32.2 feet per second or 32.2 feet/sec2 on the body. This is one of the reasons that Tai Chi should be taught with the most precise principles of correct bio-mechanical and structural alignment in every movement.
Just like the 2×4’s that hold up the structure of your house, the health of your body is dependent on the correct alignment of your skeletal structure. As you age, your structure begins to incrementally collapse under the pressure of gravity.
Most of us know someone either in our own family or a friend who seems to have shrunk with age; they are literally shorter than they were in their youth. Did you know that your physical body is shrinking right now? In fact, every morning when you get out of bed you are taller than you were the night before. But by the end of the day, you are about 1/2 inch shorter!
The real problem begins when we lean — whether to the front, back, or side to side. Without correct training, most if not all people tend to lean in one way or another. However, when we begin to adjust the way we move and the way we hold our body, we begin to work with gravity and not against it.
Remember: Gravity will always win the never-ending struggle against it — unless we know the rules.
Tai Chi, when taught correctly, will help you use your body to move gravity through the right channels through correct body alignment. This practice is good for everybody. No matter what activities in life you do, or what sport you may practice, these principles can be used to make you more effective and efficient in everything. These important principles will also give you many benefits for a variety of health issues as well, including but not limited to: balance issues, arthritis, low bone density, breast cancer, heart and vascular disease, hypertension, Parkinson’s, sleep problems, and stroke prevention and recovery (as studies at leading international medical institutions have shown).
The Yinqiaomai
In this short video below, Dr John Fung, 6th Generation Lineage Holder “Imperial Yang Family Tai Chi” will demonstrate how we can harness the power of gravity to obtain Martial Power as well.
Video Link>>> Zhong Ding and Gravity
Instead of Pushing against your opponent, use GRAVITY. Don’t push against your opponent. An illustration on how to use your weight for attack, and how to use your weight for stability.
Gravity Sucks… (Pun Intended)
As you go through the day, gravity’s effects are pulling you down, or more correctly, literally sucking you toward the center of Earth. Yes, Gravity Sucks… (Pun Intended). So, when you finally lie down to go to sleep, your spine has a chance to stretch back to your full height.
Gravity will always be all around us and in us. It keeps us safely on the surface of the Earth and prevents us from floating out into space. Gravity keeps the Moon at a perfect distance from the Earth, and keeps the Earth moving in its orbit around the Sun. Life on Earth would certainly not be the same without it!
So, the real question is: “How can I train my body to work with Gravity?”
And the answer is Tai Chi, because when taught and practiced correctly, Tai Chi specifically rearranges your body’s bones and tissues to structurally allow gravity to pass through you, instead of into you.
