Influences of Taiji on Blood Circulation by Ted W. Knecht

Introduction

Taijiquan contain very strict guidelines towards the postures and movements of the entire body. These guidelines are termed practice essentials or rules. These rules have been developed throughout history by the practical experiences of the founders of Taijiquan and the people who have mastered the art. Even though many of these guidelines were initially formulated on fighting principles, they still conform to the requirements of human physiology. Consequently, these guidelines have very beneficial effects towards the health of the body.

According to physiology, the human body has approximately 500 ml of blood moving from the chest region (lungs and heart) down to the legs when a person stands up from a lying position. This can produce a reduction in the stress level of the heart. Even though the arteries and veins of the lower body exhibit a systolic reflex, the flexibility of the muscles still have a function for returning blood to the heart through the veins. At the same time the blood is returning, there will be an increase in heart rate. Consequently, these mechanisms are not completely capable of influencing the postures. The cardiac output during standing is 30% lower than the output while lying. The interest for compiling this article is to show that through the proper practice of Taijiquan, the return of blood to the heart through the veins will be more dramatic but without excess force. This will consequently aid in the circulation of blood throughout the entire body.

Effects on the Upper Body

Taijiquan demands that the torso, arms, and legs conform to the principles of hollowing the chest and straightening the spine, sinking the elbows and relaxing the shoulders, opening the kua and rounding the groin, etc... Hollowing the chest and straightening the spine will aid in the flow of blood through the veins below the clavicle. According to physiology, when a person stands up from sitting, the blood in the veins below the clavicle will develop greater resistance than while sitting. During the practice of Taijiquan, the intent should naturally allow the chest to hollow and the spine to straighten. Hollowing the chest is not the same as collapsing the chest inward. It is a way to make the chest feel more open and comfortable. This demands that the shoulders and clavicle bone become relaxed. The shoulders should sink slightly forward in order for the chest to naturally relax and sink down. The frontal end of the ribs are connected to the chest while the rear end of the ribs are connected to the spine. By straightening the spine, the rear end of the ribs will lift slightly upward. By hollowing the chest the front end of the ribs will sink slightly downward. This will increase the inclination of the ribs. At the same time it will allow the shoulders to move forward giving way to more open space in the torso area. Subsequently, this will aid in straightening and expanding the veins below the clavicle to promote greater circulation in blood flow.

"Relaxing the shoulders" not only means relaxing the shoulder joint, but it also means leaving an open space under the armpits to reduce constriction and collapsing of the veins and arteries. "Sinking the elbows" uses the intent to relax and to naturally bend the elbow joint in a downward manner. The elbow bone should always have the intent of sinking downward. When the shoulders and elbows properly conform to the above principles, then the veins in the upper arm, the radial artery, and ulnar artery will be less restricted by tension. It must also be noted that the elbow joint cannot be overly bent; this will cause the veins and arteries in the upper arm to collapse down toward the bent portion of the elbow.

By allowing the wrist joint to naturally straighten and for the fingers to bend in a naturally relaxed manner, the blood vessels in the hand will relax and open. When the positions of the wrists, elbows, shoulders, chest, and back conform to the principles of Taijiquan, then the blood in the hands will flow back to the heart in a more fluent manner. Moreover, the blood will circulate down into the hands through the arteries and capillaries much easier and with less restriction. Consequently, after immediately finishing a round of Taijiquan, the degree of redness in the tips of the fingers and the palms will be much more apparent than usual. This indicates that the opening of the blood vessels have increased during this process thereby improving the overall circulation of blood in the body. During the practice of Taijiquan, for the most part, the circular movements of the hands and arms do not go above the eyebrows nor below the navel. When motion is conducted in this manner, the movements are at the approximate level of the heart. The accumulative influences of gravity on the arms and hands will be reduced to some extent. In turn, this will reduce the amount of work on the heart.

When standing to an upright position, the gravitational force will have a vertical effect on the vascular system. The effect will change the pressure difference of the body's entire blood flow. There will be greater difficulty for the blood to flow back to the heart from the lower extremities. This lowering in blood quantity will cause a decrease in cardiac output. However, if the above principles are followed during the practice of Taijiquan, then there will be added improvement in the circulation of blood back to the heart.

Effects on the Lower Body

According to the requirements of differentiating substantial from insubstantial (fullness from emptiness), the veins will be less restricted and more expanded due to the relaxed nature of the empty (insubstantial) foot. This kind of relaxed posture will increase the return of blood from the capillaries to the veins in the foot. As the empty foot gradually shifts to become the full (substantial) foot, the tendons and muscles will put pressure on the veins. This will allow the blood to move up into the leg. There will be added benefit for the veins in the lower cavity to circulate the blood back to the heart by the turning and twisting action of the waist. This will increase the supply of blood to the heart as well as increase the cardiac output of the heart. Moreover, there will not be a marked increase in heart rate as these processes occur. In this way, the efficiency of the heart will improve.

In the guiding principles of Taijiquan practice, it is noted that the knees should be bent and the hips relaxed. By bending the knees one can relax and open the veins and arteries in the upper and lower legs and especially behind the knees. This will allow the blood to circulate more freely. When the hips are able to relax, the blood will circulate with greater ease thereby allowing greater freedom of motion for blood to flow back to the heart from the lower extremities.

The perineum region, which is located in the lower part of the torso, has a great amount of pressure due to the various organs from above. The circulation of blood back to the heart from this region is constricted due to this burden. If the practitioner of Taijiquan follows the principle of lifting the groin and centering the wei lu (lower spine), then the spine will be straightened. This will, in turn, improve the circulation of blood in the region around the perineum. When the wei lu is centered, the veins in the lower torso region will be less constricted. At the same time, there will be a decrease in pressure build up in the torso region. Through this the blood in the capillaries will enter the veins more readily.

Breathing is a very important element in maintaining blood circulation back to the heart. The regulation of abdominal breathing along with movement of the body will increase the up and down motion of the diaphragm. Inhalation will have a downward pressuring effect on the diaphragm. The pressure in the chest cavity will decrease while the pressure in the abdomen will increase. This will lead to a decrease in pressure in the right chamber of the heart thereby improving the function for blood to circulate back to the heart. The increased pressure within the abdomen will lead to an overall pressuring of the veins in this region thereby stimulating blood flow back to the right chamber of the heart. Upon exhalation, the diaphragm will lift up producing a reverse relationship to what was described above for inhalation.

The quantity of blood returning to the heart is usually proportional to cardiac output. In the process of performing Taijiquan, there is an improvement in the circulation of blood throughout the entire body due to the increase in the quantity of blood returning to the heart. This is one of the special properties of physiological change that occurs during the practice of Taijiquan. It is also a very curative tool for various cardiovascular diseases.

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