The "Hold The Ball" Position

First assume the wu chi position described in the previous post. Raise your arms until your hands are level with the top of youe ribs with palms facing in. Hands 3-6 inches apart, and around a foot away from the chest. Check that your shoulders are not hunched or tensed up. Fingers should be separated and slightly curved. The rest of the posture is the same as wu chi. Hold this for as long as you comfortably can. Build up to 5 minutes with repeated practice. Alternate between wu chi and hold the ball for a couple of minutes each. Build up to where you can do each for 5 minutes.

Variations: level of hands can be higher or lower. Hands can be farther apart, closer in, further out. Feet can be shoulder width apart, hip width apart. Feet can be parallel, slightly turned out, or turned in.

You can lower your butt if you like, keeping the back and neck straight and the knees not bent past the toes. Lowering the butt will stress the legs, muscles and sinews. I generally stand fairly erect with my knees slightly bent, which is easier on the legs but works the vascular system harder (I think). Sometimes I lower my butt.

After a few weeks to a couple of months of daily practice 30 minutes in a medley of variations of both poses (hold the ball and wu chi), 5 minutes each, should be possible. At first there might be discomfort. Experiment with different positions. Some might give more trouble than others. The difficult ones are the ones to practice due to muscle weakness or tight sinews. With practice the muscle will strengthen and the sinew will loosen and stretch.

Change the variations from day to day. Some discomfort will persist. Don't worry about getting it perfect. With practice your feet, legs, core, back, shoulders, neck, and arms will strenthen and be stable. Observe your body at the end of your practice. Note where there is any discomfort. If you are in the hold the ball pose a slight change in your arm position might dispel the discomfort.

Hands might be a different story. My fingers can be relaxed one moment and stiffen up the next. This is due to tightness in the wrists, elbows, or shoulders. Something in the articulation od the arms is ultimately responsible. It might be the angle of the hands to the wrist, or the angle of the elvows, the distance of the hands from the body, tightness in the shoulders, or something else. Try tiny modifications to the articulation until everything from the shoulders to the hands is relaxed.

The legs might begin to strain a little as a result of the adjustments. That means they are providing support for the upper body. If you can bear the stress on the legs endure it. They will strengthen.