A good trick for finding the right shape and structure in the body in any given position or posture is to think about absorbing force rather than issuing it. And a good trick for quickly conjuring the complex, well-integrated connections throughout the body necessary to absorb force is to use memory and imagination.

With one hand extended in front of the body as in forward san ti, instead of thinking about pushing forward, remember the feeling of catching a baseball. With both palms facing upward in front of the body as in the middle of xingyi ‘splitting,’ instead of thinking about bracing or blocking with the arms and elbows, think about carrying a heavy log. With both palms facing forward as at the end of ‘grasping the sparrows tail,’ instead of pushing an opponent, imagine Spiderman stopping a speeding train.