Featured photo of gears by Feodor Chistyakov on Unsplash.
How to Move More Efficiently
‘Internal’ martial arts concepts are elusive for Western minds to grasp. Terms like yi (intention) and qi (vitality), and phrases such as ‘where your yi goes, your qi goes’ wrap up what should be simple concepts in mystery.
I will demystify these concepts, so you can understand the difference and discover how much extra energy you are using to carry out the most basic tasks.
The Interfering Mind
Let’s start with a simple test. Try to recall the last time you used a light switch, reached for the television remote control, or went to scratch an itch. Notice how relaxed and automatic the move was. And quick. When we are not thinking about it, the body does what it is supposed to do.
If I ask someone to do something new, such as a boxing punch, the mind makes a big deal of it. Limbs tense up, facial expressions change, shoulders lift, and everything is slowed down.
Tension is the problem, and ninety-nine times out of a hundred, it is caused by the mind. Get someone who has consumed alcohol to do it, and their movement will be much more relaxed. That’s why drunken people and toddlers often suffer fewer injuries when they fall. They are more relaxed and softer.
Maintaining Structure While Relaxing
So the goal is to relax as much as possible without collapsing into a heap. This is where qi comes into play. Qi is the animation or life force that allows your soft tissue to keep you standing up or sitting straight.
Children are experts at playing dead. Just watch them when they play ‘Ring A Roses’. There is no tension. At the point where they sing, ‘they all fall down’, the life almost evaporates from their bodies. That is exactly what has happened. They withdraw their qi energy from their bodies. Their bodies are not dead; their hearts still beat, pushing life-giving blood through their arteries and veins. Their qi is being used for essential functions only.
Efficiency is not a mystery. It means using the minimum amount of energy to achieve the same result. If we use too little, we collapse like children singing a nursery rhyme, or our movements become sloppy. Too much, and we become like beginners in a boxing class. We lift our shoulders and pull faces with every painfully slow jab.
How do we ensure we are using just enough energy and not a kilojoule more?
Clutch Analogy
When you change gears manually in a car, you take your foot off the gas while depressing the clutch. Pushing the clutch down disconnects the engine from the wheels.
After you have shifted to the correct gear, you slowly lift the clutch until you reach the ‘point of bite’, when the engine reconnects with the wheels, and then you slowly add throttle as you continue to release the clutch.
The body works in the same way. Qi is the power. Your body is the wheels. The clutch is your yi, your intention.
If you want to move the body efficiently, you don’t want to rev the engine too much or jump the clutch.
Putting It Into Practice
Stand up straight with your arms by your sides. Ensure that you are standing as tall as you can by actively stretching your neck as though your head is being pulled upwards by the crown.
Efficiency starts when we are standing still. Poor posture burns energy. If your head is not correctly aligned with your spine, various muscles must work to stop it from tipping forward.
Relax your shoulders. Simply taking your attention to them and letting out a sigh will allow any tension to dissolve. Work your way down the body to ensure you are standing straight.
Evenly distribute your weight between your feet and the balls and heels of your feet. The main pressure should be on the arches, which need to be relaxed.
Take a couple of minutes to settle into the stance. Breathe slowly and mindfully, noticing how with every breath, you become more relaxed. The key is to continue relaxing without slouching. When you do this exercise, you realise how much excess energy you usually burn.
After a couple of minutes, you will be in a very mindful, relaxed state. Let’s try some movement.
Raising Arms
Slowly move your arms to the front of your thighs so your thumbs are fingers are in light contact with your legs.
You are about to lift your arms outwards and upwards, away from the body, pivoting at the shoulders, until your hands are outstretched in front of the shoulders. First, I will explain how to do that so efficiently that it feels as though the arms are floating.
Let’s start with attention. Focus your attention on your arms and hands, mentally preparing to allow them to lift from the shoulders. Imagine that your arms and hands are filled with bright light, which is inflating them and trying to lift them.
This light is your qi. It is the power to lift the arms. Notice how much more aware of your hands and arms you are. They may feel warm or as though they are buzzing. These are the sensations we are usually not aware of because we are too distracted. You haven’t created these sensations. You are paying attention to them. This is how glorious it is to be alive.
Your arms are ready to lift with the minimum amount of qi. When you get that right, it won’t feel like you are lifting them. They will feel as though they are floating. Intention is the key now. Your yi is the clutch. Whenever you are ready, allow your arms to lift. Stay relaxed and enjoy the feeling.
Lowering Arms
Once your arms are outstretched directly in front of you, it is time to allow them to sink back down. Note, you are about to use energy to move them down. Nor should you let them collapse. That would be like suddenly pushing the clutch.
You are gently withdrawing qi from the arms. It is like a slow puncture, allowing the qi to slowly release. This will result in the arms lowering very slowly while still feeling as though they are floating.
Coordinated Breathing
You can do the same exercise with mindful breathing. Try breathing in as you raise arms and out while you lower them, and vice versa. As you become better at the exercise, experiment with different movements. Try allowing one arm to float while the other sinks, for example.
Following Up
If you enjoyed this exercise, try practising it in a place of natural beauty next time, what I call a ‘sacred space’, or even just outdoors in the garden. The main thing is to relax. Softness is the key, and it feels good.
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