I like this spinning game, the whole body is involved.
Each organ of locomotion is performing different functions while contributing to the whole spinning energy dynamic.
For lack of a better term, I refer to seeking competence in this spinning game/dance/art as looking for perfection of the bodies’ “gyrational aero dynamismᾠ.
From the point of view of trying to approach impeccability, or at least competence in this game, the locomotive functions of each separate organ could be objectively more efficient, or less.
This means measurable results can be obtained from analysis of each locomotive organ on it’s own and the sum of all the parts, experimentation of different ways in which to generate momentum and fluidity of motion, and finally, understanding the internal structure of all parts and how to unite them into a well-integrated whole in all forms of motion.
I see these measurable results of getting better at the spinning game as:
A) The body looks more fluid from the perspective of external observation.
B) Enhanced general health and manoeuvrability.
C) An increase of energy for daily activities.
D) The ability to surpass previous speeds, balance and flexibility.
E) An increased level of concentration and finding the “stillness in motionᾠ.
Choosing to play the spinning game from this angle, the gyrational aero dynamism of each organ like arms, legs, and waist could be strengthened and be made more flexible. In other words, one can always improve competence, but how?
Well, practice of course!
However, I have learned from practicing Tai Chi that purely practicing the form is not only potentially injurious to health, but also can make the “spinnerᾠ lose interest before the true benefits are attained.
Through breaking up the whole into smaller exercises, one can discover many exercises that contribute to the whole which cannot be attained from simply practicing the whole.
It’s the same basic principle in martial arts, there are exercises that specifically help flexibility, generate power, balance, mental concentration ECT. After all, allowing the body to familiarise itself to each particular will gradually bring a deeper understanding of the separate parts and how they cohesively work as a whole. Thus, more unconscious mental awareness will seep in while practicing the whole.
In this way, I now have a whole category of requisite exercises for spinning. In my case, each sub-exercise that contributes towards the integrated whole while spinning abide by Tai Chi principles, so, these fundamental exercises contribute towards both spinning and Tai Chi. So for me, spinning is another component of Tai Chi. In my opinion, The Tai Chi form is a much more subtle and significant form of “gyrationᾠ than spinning.
Practicing each locomotive organ separately enables one to focus on the performance of the separate, yet unified organs. Perhaps for example while spinning the spine isn’t vertically aligned, this would affect the whole form and damage could even result if scrutiny isn’t applied. By just focusing on exercises that ensure vertical alignment of the back, the problem could be discovered easier and earlier than repeatedly doing the whole form where so many other mistakes could be unnoticeably made at the same time.
With the assumption that ALL organs aren’t as effective as they COULD be due to all sorts of bad habits picked up in daily life, each organ could be refined and strengthened with focused scrutiny on each part. When the smaller components are understood by the body, they condense into instinct, which is when true understanding of movement takes place.
Because the C’s don’t expand on exact and discernable reasons for spinning, I have come to the view that we, the practitioners are the ones who should flesh out the reasons from observation and experimentation. Networking and bringing together ideas from different perspectives is by far the most effective way of doing this.
As such, from learning about how to coil the body to generate power, my objective is to accompany the spinning trunk of the body with arm and leg movements that best complement the spinning “chakrasᾠ in the trunk while attaining fluidity and naturalness.
Basically, when viewing the spinning body from above, the central line going down the trunk (head down to hips) is the rotational axis, the centre of the spin. The legs serve as connectors to “feelᾠ the ground and are responsible for varying the momentum of the spin.
The arms are employed to serve effectively as rotation blades similar to that of the blades of a fan. I think that may be why one palm faces up and the other one down, if looking at the design of rota blades of a fan for example, you’ll notice towards the centre of the rotational axis the blades twist slightly inward, making a “corkscrewᾠ type shape. The palms with one up and one down make a similar energy dynamic through movement… Or so I think.
Arms:
If one looks at the design of rota blades on planes and windmills, the blades are curved specifically to cut through the air to maximise aerodynamic affectivity.
(From the website: http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1988/6/88.06.01.x.html)
Propellers are not flat but are curved, like aerofoils. They behave in the same way, with the blades striking the air at a low angle of attack and developing thrust in the way a wing develops lift(19). Advance design propellers can change their angle of attack to produce the maximum degree of thrust. Variable pitch propellers can be set fine for full power and low speeds (takeoff) or coarse for high forward speeds with reduced engine revolutions (20).
I observed a friend employing the method of spinning as done by most on this site, (One palm up, one down, arms held horizontal) and thought it looked stiff and unnatural.
Our arms aren’t like rota blades in the fact that we can use our joints to coil and twist in a fashion that complements and even increases the energy generated from the ground up. Like “advanced propellersᾠ, we can change the degrees of the arms to suit the variable energetic dynamics of the legs.
The shoulder joints have a good range of circular motion that could coil with the centre of the axis to slice through the air at different heights from the Earth, which allows for more variety of energy dynamics than just holding the arms horizontally without movement.
Anyone who practices martial arts can understand the common sense in using the entire body to generate power from the centre, so if the arms are held stiff and stationary while spinning; the joints and muscles looked to me to be in variance with the moving legs.
It’s like keeping your arms locked out and immobile while walking, the arms naturally want to swing back and forth in balance with the motions of the legs, so why can’t the full range of circular arm movement be employed while spinning?
It’s very hard to describe the hand motions I exercise while spinning, since it’s quite complicated and took me a long time to understand. It’s similar to a coiling manoeuvre to twist out of wrist locks found in the basic movements of dragon Qi Gong, Ba Gua, Tai chi and most other martial arts.
(I’ll try recording myself doing the movement and put it up on the site so it can be seen, but for now I’ll try my best to describe the movement in words)
Basically, when standing stationary, the two hands are drawing a figure of 8 in the air, with the central point in alignment with the vertical axis of the torso.
Start with one hand first; with the right palm facing up and the arm horizontal, (looking from the side) it is 90 degrees from your body.
The right arm descends horizontally towards the left while turning the palm inwards to face the body, when the palm is facing the left side at the height of the navel line, continue the spiral, going first inwards then right and out by turning the wrist.
The hand turns into a scooping shape out away from your body, this twisting of the wrist is the central mid-point of the infinity symbol, when the wrist has twisted out to it’s limit, the scooping hands’ palm and the elbow will be facing up, then, you raise the arm back up to it’s original position while turning the entire arm in the clockwise direction to turn the palm to face up again. If you learn this movement just with the right arm and turn your whole body to the left, the spinning body makes your right arm draw a descending spiral towards the ground, then, while the hand is rotating back up, it becomes an ascending spiral.
With the right hand doing the above movement while standing stationary, when viewing from above, you are drawing the outer half of the number 8.
The left arm is doing something more complicated, but basically while the right hand is drawing the top, outer half of the number 8 with the palm gradually facing in,, the left is laterally forming the inner half of the circle, when the right arm curves in towards the central point, so does the left hand, except the left hand gradually faces out unlike the right hand.
Now, I’ve complicated the issue by calling the movement a “figure of 8ᾠ, which isn’t strictly true… The “lower circleᾠ of this figure of 8 is not traced from the palms facing each other while drawing the outer and inner lines of the circle. Rather, it is drawn from the palms facing out from each other while tracing the lateral outer and inner lines. The wrists are touching each other at this point, and the forearms are pointing downwards and corkscrewing with the right palm scooped in and turning to the left and away from the body, and the left palm also scooped in and turning to the right and away from the body.
When the right arm is moving away from the central axis of the figure of 8 and ascending upwards, it traces the inner half of the top circle, while the left hand draws the outer half.
When the twisting of the wrists occurs while the top circle crosses to form the lower circle of the figure of 8, the right hand scoops out while the left one scoops in, with both palms facing up at the extreme of the coil, then they both rise at the same time. While rising up, the right hand is slightly curved out, with the tips of the fingers pointing inwards then outwards to go to the original position, passing near the face from left to right. The left hand rising up is basically pointing the opposite way, with the fingers pointing out then in, but also coming from left to right side. The wrists touch again when they go back to the original position, but this time the forearms are going up and the palms are open and facing up.
While the right arm is descending, drawing the outside of the top circle the left is drawing the inside of it, and vice versa while ascending.
But the same movement done while spinning forms a descending spiral towards the ground, then, while the hand is rotating back up, it becomes an ascending spiral.
The size of the infinity symbol can be changed simply by changing the degree of flex in the joints and by extending and contracting the muscles groups, when drawing the biggest possible number 8, the arms momentarily reach the horizontal position similar to the one done by most of the people here, except this is only momentary when the circle reaches it maximum breadth, then to again decline and cross in the middle.
(Forgive my inadequacies in describing this movement using language, I know it’s probably confusing, it’s one of those things that are much easier done than said once it’s been shown visually, so I’ll record the movement, watch this space)
Legs:
As the weight bearers, the legs perform a quite different set of functions to the arms. While both arms and legs can gather elastic, springy energy inherent in a natural body, the arms are coiling to “swimᾠ through the air with fluid efficiency, the legs generate not only energy to increase/decrease momentum, they also can determine how vertically stretched out or compressed the body is, determining how adherent the body is to the pull of gravity.
Imitating the motion of ocean waves, one experiment I’m enjoying is stretching the whole body upwards and inwards, streamlining the body like jumping off a diving board, at the same time as straightening the legs the arms draw a very narrow and vertically stretched figure of 8, you can reach the pinnacle height of the spin with weight on the tip toes (reminds me of ballet).
Then, as the muscles of the whole body reach the pinnacle of the stretch against gravity, the practitioner must work harder to maintain the momentum of the spin. You can then, like teetering off the edge of a rollercoaster, crash your weight deeply into the legs downwards and out by widening the stance and bending from the hips. At the same time, the arms sharply coil diagonally downwards following the sinking body, expanding outwards and scooping downwards.
This little experiment caused a few observable differences in feeling of the energy dynamics of the spin:
1) The spin becomes more effortless from suddenly making your body work with gravity as opposed to against it.
2) Using the same amount of strength, you can suddenly spin much quicker and more fluidly.
3) As a result of the extra speed, I felt a heck of a lot more dizzy afterwards.
4) You learn to “feelᾠ the pulsating elasticity of your of your body through contraction inwards and outwards, and stretching upwards and compressing downwards.
When I tried this for the first time, I felt an incredible shift in momentum in the centre as I spun much lower to the ground, alternating the energies and coiling like an eel with my whole body. I don’t know about changing the DNA by spinning, but if anything, this exercise is a good aerobic exercise that makes you use all muscle groups together and invigorates the joints, blood and organs.
And it’s FUN!
Torso:
At the moment I am keeping my back vertical throughout the spin, because it could be dangerous if the lower and upper back muscles are weak, plus, the spine has to be flexible and strong to achieve full fluidity of motion. If one isn’t practiced enough, bending the spine forwards or backwards could bring severe harm; it’s best to practice slowly and not forcefully until enough confidence and competence has been achieved before experimenting with spinning while altering vertical alignment of the spine.
The waist, if the back remains vertical will twist from side to side accompanying the motions of the arms, but with the coiling arm movements above, there is a lot of room for experimentation, the waist could twist left or right, with the left arm coiling in, or indeed the right coiling in. I have been finding new combinations to try out every single time I spin, since each new way has a feel that is unique to the movement, I’d say keep it fresh, don’t restrict the body from spinning in one direction and in one particular style.
Speed:
As to the speed of my spinning, I vary widely between spinning slowly in order to concentrate on internal structure and posture maintenance, and spinning quickly to feel the flow the movement generates. Also, when spinning faster it is possible to spin on the toe/heel pads, whereas while going slowly, the feet are placed gently but firmly on the ground and the rotation is coming from the hips. Both are excellent practices that enable one to refine the understanding of bodily movement.
The exercise I practice most is turning very slowly in accordance with basic Tai Chi principles (sinking, rooting ECT), but with emphasis on using minimal energy in my arms, legs and torso. (If anyone knows about Cheng Man Ching style Tai chi, it’s similar to that relative to other Tai Chi forms, spinning slowly while focusing on attaining absolute softness and subtlety)
If/when I get good enough at this movement, I’d like to start experimenting with kicks and jumps as well in future.
Finally, I practice spinning both ways as much as each other, since starting the spinning game I’ve wanted to identify with both the scientist and the artist equally.
Happy spinning everyone!
