Pulling the proverbial silk through the pearl?

The other day during lesson, I had a new insight! I don't know if it can be considered as the proverbial pulling of silk, since I have never seen a nine holed pearl, not to mention pulling silk. However, I think what I have understood may be quite close to it.

When doing the Grasp the Sparrow's Tail that day,

keeping the hands relaxed,

with the waist leading the movements,

keeping the the kua loose and relaxed(song),

I suddenly felt that I was not "moving" very much, my body sort of preferred to just be in that position. However, somehow or rather, it still moved, but very slowly, like a trickle. To want it to move more, I have to put my mind to it. Even so, it moves slowly, but I am relaxed.........

In the first step of the move, after my leg steps to the left, as my left hand splits to the left, it felt like bales of heavy, soft, smooth silky cloth hung from left hand, while I held it down with my right hand.

As my left hand splits to the left, the heavy slippery silk cloth slided along it, I had to hold it down firmly with my right hand, I had to sink my right hand, but the cloth was too heavy, I had to use my waist to propel my hand to pull it along.

But that was not enough, my right hand could not move together with with my waist and left hand at the same speed, if not the cloth would not be "pulled". My right hand had to stay in position, but the heavy cloth is pulling my right hand along with it, I had to force my right hand down(intention only)! Both my hands had to pull in opposite directions(Dui La对拉, my teacher talked about the other time! Damn!).

This pulling in opposite directions had to be generated in the waists and the arms also have to be in the correct biomechanical position and alignment for it to have the maximum effect in pulling the cloth.

I feel the resistance, but not the weight of it, that's why i am still relaxed. And so I pull the cloth, it coordinates with my breath automatically, it is heavy, whew! I feel a surge of heat come through to my back, body, right through to my arms, it is stretched, stretched to the far corners of my body.

I cannot pull faster, I just cannot, its resistance is too strong. I cannot pull slower, if not the cloth will sag downwards.

Everytime I pull, it is like pulling the dough when making noodles, the ingredients are mixed evenly and stretched, repeatedly stretched, till the strands are fine and pliable. Not too fast, not too slow. And so I pull, pulling what is within me, without really pulling very much physically, both arms relaxed, all is relaxed. And that's what the pulling is all about for me.

As you can see, it is more of an internal feeling which actually makes you look incredible when doing the form!

So try it!