Harmony and Unity of Whole Body

Notes from Master Wang XiangZhai

No matter which posture you practice, whole body must be relaxed. After assuming posture, you shouldn't change it. All joints should be slightly bent. You should put your attention to relax of body, but it means the state of relaxed but not slack; tense, but not stiff. Which means that basis for relax is keeping harmony and unity of whole body. In martial art it is called "three internal harmonies and three external harmonies." 

Internal: harmony of heart and intention, intention and energy, energy and force. 

External: harmony of palms and feet, elbows and knees, shoulders and hips. 

Inside body empty agility; outside body balance and roundness. Intention for use, body as basis, non-movement for harmony, unity of form and intention. Getting intention from form, intention is born from form, form is following intention. External and internal are one. Only by practicing long time you can master the spirit of these principles.