Correct Stance for Qigong

Most beginners have a difficult time lowering their body properly because they cannot relax their pelvis. When the pelvis is locked, the weight would be concentrated on the knees. A proper stance is very important because placing too much weight on your knees can lead to knee injury. Everyone knows how to relax the pelvis. We do that naturally on the motion of sitting down. So, whenever you have to lower your body during the shibashi movements, just think of sitting on an empty stool.

On the other hand, some are able to relax the pelvis but couldn't keep the back straight, thus placing too much weight on the bottom and lower back. When you relax your pelvis and do the stance properly, the weight should be on your thighs.

In order to check whether your stance is correct, stand beside a mirror and start to relax your pelvis and lower your body until the angle between your thighs and calves is less than 160 degrees. Now, look at the mirror. Make sure your back is straight. If your knees go beyond your toes, you are placing too much weight on your knees. If your bottom sticks out, that means you are placing too much weight on it as well as your lower back. See the photo below for details.



Reproduced from Sifu Wing Cheung - Thank you Sifu