When the weight is centered over one foot, either the right or the left, the balance is stable. This may also be described in terms of the front or back foot. Turning, when in either position, in balance, that is, without moving the weight off of the center, is relatively easy.
When the weight, or balance, is moving between the two feet, turning often creates a subtle movement of the center. When this happens, muscle strength is required to maintain the balance, and this muscle tension may impede the flow of energy through the body.
That is, this tension may block the connections between the various parts of the body. This inhibits the integration of movement from the center.
Mrs Chow would refer to this condition as “Floating”, or “Being double weighted”. When this occurred, one was not grounded, or stable.
She would demonstrate this by easily pushing one off balance. Greater size or strength was of no avail in opposition to the diminutive Mrs. Chow’s abilities. To make this even more obvious, Mrs. Chow wore heels which I’m sure made her performance even more difficult. She made it look easy.
The opposite of this condition was referred to as “Sitting well”, and exemplified well grounded balance.
The practice of “Sitting well” allows one to deflect great strength without opposing it with equal strength, and renders strength without balance ineffective. Force applied to one who is sitting well is directed elsewhere, either into the ground, to the side, or otherwise channeled away from the intended target.
In a similar way, one might T’ai Chi one’s way through life by deflecting what life sometimes throws our way, not by the use of force, but rather by balance and integration.
