Flatten your lower back. Tuck your tailbone. Turn your pelvis upward.

  Unfortunately these have become increasingly common instructions to students in both Tai Chi and Qigong classes now.  Either through a misguided belief that they will acquire power, a misinterpretation of classic texts, or just plain ignorance, instructors of Tai Chi and Qigong continue to teach this dangerous practice to their students.  It does not help that many of the books on Tai Chi and Qigong also recommend and encourage this destructive practice. Tucking and holding the hips to flatten and eliminate the lumbar curve of the spine can create many problems, both physical and emotional.

  1.  Shape of the spine, power, and coordination

When the classic texts speak of keeping your spine straight they don’t mean literally straight but aligning the structure.  The spine has a natural S-curve shape to it and in our movements acts like a giant spring. This natural shape is the most efficient design for shock absorption, coordination, balance, and the delivering of power.

However when the hips are tucked upward and the lumbar curve flattened, the body will compensate by rounding the shoulders and jutting the neck and head forward. Both in an attempt to maintain balance and view a level horizon. As a consequence, the springiness of the spine is lost, the hips, lower back, and legs become stiff, and movement becomes clumsy and un-coordinated.  It is extremely difficult if not impossible to execute relaxed, short-range, vertical power with the hips tucked upward. Movement now becomes forceful, horizontal, and torque based, which depends on distance, size, and youth. As this practice continues, problems such as chronic ankle, knee, back, neck, or shoulder pain can develop as well as   balance problems, shortness of breath, TMJ pain and headaches.

 2.  Shape of the spine and the nervous system

The shape of the spine reflects our mental-emotional state and how the autonomic nervous system is operating. The autonomic nervous system regulates many functions of the body including digestion, heart rate, blood pressure, immune response, awareness, and access to higher brain functions. There are two branches of the autonomic nervous system, sympathetic and para-sympathetic.  The sympathetic is on the survival (protection) or “fight or flight” side while the para-sympathetic is on the growth (healing) or “rest and digest” side. Although the two branches have different functions, they work together to maintain homeostasis within the body.

When a sympathetic response is triggered the body responds by releasing the stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine, increasing the heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration, decreasing blood flow to the abdominal organs, and diminishing conscious awareness, sensitivity, and access to higher brain functioning (all things Tai Chi and Qigong practitioners strive to increase). The sympathetic response makes us strong, dumb, and unaware in order to increase our chances of survival. When the hips are turned upward, posture is reflecting a protective sympathetic state, similar to a dog with its tail tucked between its legs. This is the posture of defeat and despair. It is practically a standing fetal position that can be seen in people who are homeless, have problems with drug addiction, and POW’s.  It is no wonder that practitioners of tucking the tailbone can not only have difficulty with confidence, but also with anxiety, focus, low energy, and depression.  

    None of the past Tai Chi masters engaged in tucking the tailbone and all were able to demonstrate a high level of skill. But instructors, many who call themselves masters, who practice tucking the tailbone are not able to demonstrate relaxed, coordinated power on any level. Often their movements are forced and clumsy. Many also complain of the above-mentioned side effects. So why do Tai Chi and Qigong instructors continue to engage in and teach their students a practice that is so harmful to the body? It is unfortunate, but people often look for short cuts to develop power and will engage in dangerous practices to get it. Hanging weights from their testicles, drilling holes in their heads, taking drugs, or body hardening are some of the risky and counterproductive practices people will do to gain power. It also does not help that those who practice tucking the tailbone will often defend their practice with fervor despite all evidence to the contrary.

Read More: Where does the practice of tucking the tailbone come from?