Two parts of the form which may offer much in furthering the evolution of balance and relaxation to the student, at the point when he/she is ready to go beyond memorizing arm and leg movements are the Walk, and then the Round Hand, also known as Wave Hands like Clouds.
This sideways walk combines and synchronizes the shifting of the weight from side to side with a forty-five degree turn back and forth to the right and left.
Three Levels
Mr. Chow used to say that there were three levels in learning the Form. The first was learning to shift the weight from one side to the other. The second level occurred when one began to shift the weight one hundred percent. The third level began when one became able to shift the weight back and forth one hundred percent comfortably and easily.
Cloud Hands is a part of the form where this evolution moves from the theoretical to the practical.
Bounce
When the Round Hand (Cloud Hands) is performed without shifting the weight one hundred percent, Mrs. Chow would sometimes point out to the student that as they lifted a foot, if there was still some weight on that foot, their head would “Bounce” up and down as the weight that was still on that foot shifted the balance and required an adjustment.
When all the weight is removed off the foot before lifting it, there is no “Bounce”, and the balance is not disturbed.
The Round Hand is performed three times in the form. When learning the first Round Hand, these observations become pertinent. At this point the one hundred percent weight shift becomes necessary to the proper execution of the form in balance.
The acquiring of this skill is essential to the relaxed hip turns which take place after the first Round Hand, which become more integral to the form after this point, when the hip rotations start to occur while balanced on one foot.
Work on this section raises the performance level back all the way through to the beginning of the form. It may serve to move the practitioner’s consciousness from the placement of body parts (arms, legs, etc.) toward an attending to the balance and relaxation.
Because these qualities are always in the present moment, attending to them begins to transform the student’s experience and facilitates a most powerful meditative state.
Again, the form doesn’t have to be perfect for this to begin, and Practice is all that is required for this process to take place.
Blessings to All
