The natural alignment process of Standing Post is second to none:
The dynamic practice cultivates wholesome power and physical equilibrium. The Mind and Breath methods cultivate Zheng Qi (true chi). Soft Qigong will transform not only your body but your entire way of life! The King of all Exercise, the Father of all Internal Kung Fu!
For more information: MIT Qigong Webpage
Flawless quiescence [shamatha] is like an oil lamp that is unmoved by wind. Wherever the awareness is placed, it is unwaveringly present; awareness is vividly clear, without being sullied by laxity, lethargy, or dimness; wherever the awareness is directed, it is steady and sharply pointed; unmoved by adventitious thoughts, it is straight. Thus, a flawless meditative state arises in one's mind-stream; and until this happens, it is important that the mind is settled in its natural state.
Meditation is very important for good health. No one can be really healthy if they cannot shut down their minds and be calm and relaxed. Many problems and illnesses begin with stress and tension. If you watch the behaviour of someone who is stressed and under tension, you will see that they are always active and cannot sit or stand still.
Even when people have some personal leisure time they listen to music and are doing things all the time. They are like a machine that is always being used and never turned off. Obviously it will eventually break down, so how can someone like that not become ill? Nowadays people do not understand that calmness and relaxation are important. Most people think that in their spare time they can listen to music, read the newspaper, do the crossword or Sudoku puzzle or watch TV and that these things will help them to relax and recharge their energy after a hard day’s work. This is wrong.
Three thousand years ago in China and India people already discovered the secret and method for longevity. It is all based on the senses, sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. All these senses use a lot of energy, so if we want to live longer we must learn how to shut them down. The method to do this is meditation.
Eye Sense
Whenever we use our eyes, either for watching TV, reading a book or playing agame, we are using energy. The longer we do it the more tired we will become and the older we will look. If you look at highly academic people like university professors, they spend a lot of time researching and reading from books or are working on the computer. They use so much energy and in the end they look tired and older. However, their hard work is for a purpose and brings them success, so for them, it is worth it. Nowadays, though, people will spend hours and hours on the internet for fun or looking up useless information and the energy they use is just wasted.
Hearing Sense
Our hearing also uses energy, although it is not as must as your eyesight. Over-using our hearing can damage the kidneys as in Chinese medicine the kidneys are related to the ears. Today people listen to loud music all the time, so you can imagine how damaged their hearing gets.When they are older they will definitely need a hearing aid and I feel sad for them. Also it means that these people need excitement, something to stimulate them. Without this excitement they find life boring. This is also sad. We should not be partying all the time as this will damage our heart by making it beat too fast. If this is the case, then we cannot be healthy because we cannot sit down and be calm. Then we will continually lose our Qi all the time.
Aside from this, when they are older, people will have to talk loudly to them. Then they will complain that their hearing is weak all because they have damaged it with overuse when they were younger.
Smell Sense
The sense of smell also has a big effect on the body. Many people like to smell nice fragrant scents. However, we can also over–use oursense of smell . If we surround ourselves all the time with pleasant, strong smells, then some of us can lose our sense of smell so that we cannot smell the scent of a simple flower. This is because we have over-stimulated our senses and this makes us feel under stress and hyper-active. Then our sense of smell becomes weak. If we can calm down and relax, then the sense of smell can come back. Our sense of smell is very important. Everything around us has a different smell:- our homes, our offices and even the country we live in has a different smell. A good smell means that the energy in that area is good. If the smell is bad then obviously the energy is bad. This can cause the people who live or work there to be healthy or unhealthy depending on whether it is good or bad energy. It also affects their luck.
Today many people talk about Feng Shui, but most of the time they only talk about or know very low-level knowledge.They only talk about external decoration but how many really understand the internal things and the energy of Feng Shui? Smell plays a big part, so we should not overuse our sense ofsmell. The more perfume we use the more our sense of smell will decline.
Taste Sense
We use our tongue to taste food. People love tasty food and many people enjoy sweets and candy. However, this is not good for the body. What we eat plays a big part in our health. In Chinese medicine we also relate to our internal organs and sour relates to the liver, bitter relates to the heart, sweet relates to the spleen, spicy relates to the lungs and salty relates to the kidneys.
Other tastes are a mixture of these five. If we only like food with one of these tastes or hate certain other tastes, then this can cause an imbalance. For example, sweet tastes are good for the spleen, but the spleen is also related to the stomach and and so if we take a lot of sweet then it will affect the stomach and if we take just a little, then it can be good for the stomach. Anything we overdo can cause a problem. Anything too strong will have an effect and weaken something else. So we should not just concentrate on certain tastes but try and take all kinds but not in excess. Sometimes we do not like bitter tastes but we should still take some.
Most people who live longer lives eat very simply and do not eat unusual food or very highly nutritious food. This minimises the amount they need to use their taste buds and so it does not exhaust the internal organs.
Touch Sense
The sense of touch is also very important. Many people like the feel of fine fabrics, like silks and linens. Also people like the feel of wood in good furniture like beds and tables. This sense excites the mind so that it cannot be calm. This contact stimulates the nerves and sometimes these can be overused, especially if we over-indulge ourselves. This too means we will lose Qi.
To save our Qi we should keep our sense of touch or feeling calm and then our Qi can settle back to the Dantian. We should not let our Qi run around our body too vigorously. In order to save Qi we must let it settle and calm down, as if nothing has happened to the body. Although everything in the body is still functioning, the heart is still beating and we are still breathing, we should slow things as much as possible.
Four Postures of Meditation
Remember, meditation is not about moving the Qi. Physical movement helps us to circulate the Qi, to use our Qi in the right way and get rid of negative Qi. During meditation we should shut down the five senses so we can settle and collect more Qi. This increases our longevity.
For practising meditation there are four postures: One is standing and we call this Zhan Zhuang, the second way is sitting in a chair, the third is sitting in lotusposition, which, in Chinese, we call Pan Xi. The fourth method is lying down, which we call ErGong. Standing, sitting and lying are all different physically but all have the same principle which is to settle the Qi and store it in the Dantian.
Zhan Zhuang
When we do Zhan Zhuang there are different levels:- high position, middle position and a low position. Lower is more difficult and higher is easier.When we stand in a lower stance we call this Ma Bo Zhan, which means horse stance standing position. This demands a lot of leg strength and so it is not easy to do for long. However, nomatter which position we choose to stand in, we need to keep the body in a line. The top of the head at the Bai Hui pointshould be vertically in line with the Yongquan points on thesoles of the feet.
In the high and middle positions the Huiyin point between the legs also lines up with the Baihui point. This we can see if we check our posture from the side. About the hands,we can hold these in various positions and use different gestures, such as at the Middle Dantian or the Lower Dantian.These areas connect with the areas of the Qi. Different gestures involve the palms and the Laogong Points or the shape of the fingers and this directs the Qi to go a different way at first.However, if we stay for long enough, then the feeling is thesame for all of them. The will be Qi is strong and runs all overthe body following the proper channels.
In the low position we should try and keep the thighsparallel to the ground. In this position the Huiyin point will notline up with the Baihui and Yongquan. This low stance willdevelop the lower legs more, particularly the calves. The feetshould be shoulder width apart, the eyes should be open, but not focused. We should keep the mouth closed naturally andbreathe in and out through the nose.
Generally, when we practise the low stance we will notstay for too long and when we are tired we should stand upand change to a mid or high position. When we feel strongagain we can go back down again. So we can repeat low, highand middle stance for quite a long time. Generally, peoplecan stand one to two minutes in the low posture and somemore senior students five to seven minutes. The low stancewill not make you heavy and stiff but actually the opposite, asit makes you feel lighter. In Chinese we say, “Light Gong (XingGong) training is based on heavy training.” This standing exercise can also help a lot of leg and knee problems.
The height of the middle position can vary, but the Baihui, Huiyin and Yongquan points must line up vertically together. The feet can be wider than the shoulders. The eyes and breathing are the same as in the low position. The eyes must be open because in this exercise there is a lot of Qi that needs to be released out through them. We do not focus so it means we are not using our eyes to see. Again, the hand positions and gestures can vary, for example, Laogong points facing each other or facing the ground, etc. It has the same meaning as the low stance.
Sitting Meditation
When meditating sitting on a chair, we should not lean back against the back of the chair like we do when watching TV. We should sit forward towards the edge of the chair and inthis way we minimise how much contact we have with thechair. There are many ways and gestures we can use for thehands. You might just place your hands on your thighs so that the Laogong points touch the Liangqiu points or form a hand gesture which is also fine. The feet should rest on the floor and the knees and toes should line up vertically, but the feet must be flat on the floor.
Lying Meditation
The last way of meditation is lying down. The most common way is to lie on your back and rest your hands on your Dantian, this means that the Laogong points cover the Dantian. The head should be raised up a little using a pillowso that the head is higher the feet. This allows the Qi toflow down to the Dantian and to the feet. The downside of this position is that it is easy to fall asleep, so generally I donot do much lying meditation. Another way is to lie on yourside and put one hand close to your head and the other hand on your thigh. This creates a Taiji symbol with the body.
All these four ways to do meditation are the same inthat they allow us to calm down, shut down our senses andstore our Qi. However, standing positions develop the bones and lotus position concentrates the Qi in the upper body more which is why the legs feel numb because the circulation ha sbeen blocked somewhat. In the end, no matter which one we do, we need to be patient and relax the body. The longer we can meditate the better we will get and the more we will enjoy its benefits in the future.
Internal force - or that force which is cultivated and produced in the internal martial arts of China (Xingyi, Bagua and Taijiquan, etc.), has its basis (like external force) in the philosophy of ancient Chinese medicine and the science of Qi. Simply stated, internal force is that power which is produced within and around the bone.
The musculature, in this instance, becomes secondary as it is no longer required/used as a prime producer of energy but continues to fulfill its function for defense and mobility. Internal power generation is essentially dependent upon postural alignment. The basic Qigong exercise for the development of alignment trains both the body and mind. The bones must be anatomically placed so that they 'sit' squarely upon one another. The shoulder girdle sits squarely over the pelvic girdle and the pelvic girdle sits squarely over the ankles and heels.
The hips and connected to the shoulders by a naturally 'S' shaped spine and connected to the feet by slightly springy knees. The feet are approximately shoulder width apart and the head sits squarely on the shoulders with the back of the neck extended and the chin tilted slightly forward. The mind focuses upon full, deep breathing, utilizing the full lung capacity. For this to occur, muscular tension in the torso and chest (which prevents full deep breathing) must be relaxed. Initially, tension is relaxed with the focus of the mind upon the tense area.
Tension is acknowledged with the inward breath, and literally expelled from the muscle with the outward breath. An aligned posture does not require muscular tension to stay in place. With deep, full breathing, the heart beat slows down whilst having more oxygen available per breath, per beat of the heart. Tension would normally prevent oxygen transference around the body - but when tension is relaxed, oxygen and energy may flow freely.
When the skeleton is aligned, gravity acts upon the body mass - creating body weight which is pulled downward into the ground. The unhindered body weight travels downward through the center of the bone gently massaging the bone marrow. The bodyweight hits the ground - thus 'rooting' the practitioner like a tree. In this state, it is difficult for an external force to move the body. As the weight hits the ground, an opposite and equal rebound force is created, that travels back up the body, through the bone marrow, again massaging the bone marrow in the opposite direction.
This gentle massaging of the bone marrow, ensures that the bone is both robust and yet flexible, two essential components of a healthy bone structure. Over time the bones toughen. At this point it must be pointed out that an aligned posture is a rounded posture. The bones of the legs, torso and arms assume a rounded posture that forms what is known as 'Internal Iron Vest.' The rounded posture absorbs, deflects and reflects incoming power. As a blow strikes the aligned posture, the incoming power is automatically reflected back into the attacking limb, causing damage to that limb at the point of contact. With the concentration of the mind through deep breathing and postural alignment, the mind brought to a single point - concentrating and relaxing the energy of the mind. As the intellect relaxes, the intuition comes to the forefront and is experienced as an expansion of awareness that goes beyond the physical limitations of the body. Over the years, this expansion deepens and matures - this is Qigong of the mind.
From this still position, the rudiments of internal power are both acquired and cultivated. The next stage is to be able to maintain and produce internal power whilst moving the physical body around through time and space. The structure of the sequential forms of the internal arts exist to exercise and manifest this internal force whilst on the move.
The rebounding, upward force is used to emit energy from the center of the body outwards, whilst the dropping body weight force is used to absorb incoming power. As this force is not dependent upon the rules of muscular power immense force can be produced with virtually no movement as gravity is at work regardless as to whether one is moving or not. No single muscle group can produce the same amount of force created by the bodyweight. Also, muscles tire and need resting, whereas internal force is constant and never grows tired. On a genetic level, human beings are programmed to see muscular movement and prepare to counter it. However, the ability to produce substantial force with virtually no muscular involvement by-passes the natural human instinct for survival. An internal master literally exists and moves within a perceptual gap. If one is not of equal development, then it is very difficult fo confront and counter the internal.
Hello,
Tonight I am looking forward to doing something a little different. Not only will this be the simplest set we have had done in a long time it will be the most effective way for you to truly sample deeper levels of relaxation. When one trains Zhan Zhuang (or any form of Natural Qigong) we must make sure we do not use any extra force to make the exercise truly work. The two guidelines for the training are for one to be loose & quiet and the rest happens naturally. So, as Qigong practitioners we can only assist in the breaking of blockages (physical/mental) by following these guidelines and any extra thoughts or work will only have reverse effects on our cultivation.
It is said that Wuji is the mother and the Universal Post is the father of the internal arts. Tonight we will focus on Wuji Zhuang. The most common question asked about these two methods would be, What is the difference in cultivation between Wuji & Universal? Answer, Not much! The posture (body) and principles are the same and the only big difference being hand positions. One of the benefits of Wuji is that it is less demanding than the Universal Post so you can "taste" a higher degree of physical, mental and breathing relaxation. When you have experienced high levels of relaxation this allows your sensitivity (AWARENESS) to be greater in any exercise we practice. I do want to tell everyone to do not under-estimate the effectiveness of the Wuji Zhuang!!! If you think this will be too easy for you then I will say, come give it a try and let me know how you feel at the end. I look forward to tonight's work out!
Pranayama (Sanskrit: प्राणायाम prāṇāyāma) is a Sanskirt word meaning "extension of the prana or breath" or more accurately, "extension of the life force". The word is composed of two Sanskrit words, Prāna, life force, or vital energy, particularly, the breath, and "āyāma", to extend, draw out, restrain, or control.
Qigongor chi kung (气功) is the Chinese philosophy and practice of aligning breath, physical activity and awareness for mental, spiritual and corporeal health, as well as the development of human potential. The word is composed of two Chinese characters: qì (氣) and gōng (功). Qì is translated as "breathe", "air", "gas", but can also be used to describe the relationship between matter, energy and spirit. Gong (or kung) usually involves "force" or "power", with success implications like "achievement" and "results".
Prana is a subtle invisible force. It is the life-force that pervades the body. It is the factor that connects the body and the mind. The body and the mind have no direct connection. They are connected through Prana only.
Qi is the invisible force that gives life to all living matter. Only through developing the mind-body connection, can we gain awareness of qi and awaken the spirit.
Gary Clyman began his Tai Chi career in 1974 in Chicago, studying Temple Style Tai Chi Ch’uan as taught by Master Waysun Liao. After three years of intense 6-10 hours of training a day, he founded the Chicago Wholistic Health Center which has blossomed into a highly publicized enterprise.
The opinions and views expressed here and the actions of Gary Clyman are not necessarily those of MIT Qigong; however, there is value in exploring a variety of perspectives. Below find video from Gary Clyman's First TV Interview in 1982 as well as excerpts from his interview with Inside Kung Fu Magazine in 1987. Other articles and videos can be found at his website: www.chikung.com.
Video from Gary Clyman's First TV Appearance (1982):
INSIDE KUNG FU MAGAZINE APRIL 1987
An Interview with Gary J Clyman
IKF:Just what is Chi Kung meditation?
GJC:Chi Kung is an ancient Chinese Taoist method for rejuvenating your internal energy systems - your Jing, Chi, and Shen.It's done using various postures and different kinds of breathing, but it's the internal exercises behind these outer movements that's important.So right here it's different than say Hatha yoga or Chinese calisthenics, which it can look like; plus, the postures aren't for stretching. Traditionally, it's part of Taoist yoga - the practices of the Taoist monk's.Today, it's the backbone of the internal martial arts of Tai Chi, Hsing I, and Pa Kua.(If it's taught that is!)Right now in China, a popularized version is getting attention as a kind of cancer therapy. There are similarities with Tantric yoga, but the language, exercises, and objectives are different.What makes Chi Kung unique is the conscious directing and use of the energy. So, it's really a meditation for self-development, for creating change in your life;and it can be done by anyone.I've had doctors, Chiropractors, commodity traders, attorneys, housewives, teachers, and business people do this training, and everyone has experienced important, positive changes in their life.
IKF: Many articles are now appearing in martial arts and new age magazines on Chi Kung. With your busy practice, have you had a chance to read them?And if so, what are your conclusions?
GJC:All the articles I've read have been too superficial to do justice to this Nei Kung practice, so deep-rooted in Chinese culture.People have been led to believe that if they sit in the lotus posture and stretch one hand over their head and hold the other at tan tien while they abdominal breathe, that's Chi Kung.No way!Chi Kung means internal energy work, internal training!And it's tied into the oral secret teachings of the Taoists, and martial arts Masters.What we're talking about here is a sophisticated inner science involved in this art.People have spent their entire lives doing this and never moved off a cushion.I mean, if they're doing - why the superficial material? But there is always a purpose in putting something forth:they've prepared the public for what's to come.
IKF:So you consider exposure to the "Three Treasures" theory important for success in Chi Kung?What about elusive concepts of Chi, Jing, and Shen?
GJC:Most books confuse this and make it impossible to understand.I'd rather give the student four or five sentences he could relate to and say:"I know what he's talking about."And even taking the risk that the concept he gets is incomplete, at least it's a beginning that he can build upon during his training.It's best to look at Chi, Jing, and Shen as levels. On the deepest somatic (body) level is Jing - sexual energy.When you're sexually attracted to someone, or when sexually aroused, it’s the energy of raw Jing surging up within you.To harness that energy and work it into a purified form, to cultivate it for purposes other than the sex act, say for fighting or personality development - that's the motivating fiber of Chi Kung meditation.As the student uses this concrete idea to guide his practice, and begins to understand my wholistic health orientation, with the emphasis on diet, nutritional supplementation, and proper body mechanics, it's not hard for him to expand this idea into the more abstract one of seeing Jing as the organism's generative and regenerative energy system, a power source that begins at conception with activated cells, and then tissues, organs, the mind, the total person, and now - repairs them too.So, the vibrations then are cultivated Jing.
IKF: So how does this contrast with the famous "Chi" or "ki" so often written about?
GJC:With Jing you can transmit its energy, or the manifestation of your internal development, to another person and they can feel it.So here, if I hold both of your hands and decide to give you a shock, the feeling you can get from my cultivation of raw Jing, and its release, the fah, is pure Jing. "Fah Jing" is the "mysterious" power of the great Tai Chi Masters.It's sometimes labeled "Fah Jing."Jing can be transmitted for healing purposes also, but when we're talking about Chi, the energy of Chi can manifest as a sensation I feel that has nothing to do with the vibrations I can transmit to you.Chi energy (internal energy) has a completely different vibratory frequency. Chi vibrations are in the next level and are shorter, smaller, and faster vibrations.Jing vibrations (internal power) are more guttural, more physical, and slower.Chi of course, moves the entire universe, and is in all of us from our first embryonic breath as the source of organic change and movement, of breathing, eating, walking, fighting, thinking, and even aging too.But to sense it and use it with purpose takes technique, practice, and work.An analogy is helpful here to my students.An internal combustion engine must have an energy source, gasoline, and a method of igniting the energy, the ignition system, into the more usable form of energy, horsepower.For us, Chi is the energy source, Jing is the power, and Chi Kung is the method of transformation.
IKF: So how do you put this mechanism to work?How do you harness the Chi and make it work for you?What's your basic approach here?
GJC:The concept that cuts through the fog of ignorance and secrecy, the concept that allows the student to use Chi with purpose, to cultivate Jing, to develop and "burn" it into form, to become a dynamic self-powered individual is "The Condensing Principle.""The Condensing Process" is one of creating an inner vacuum with Chi, Jing, and Shen all at the same time. It's the process of packing the essence of things into every thought, intention, and action.Here's one basic condensing technique for developing Jing:whatever the posture, on the inhale focus on the body to expand, and at the same time focus on the inhaled Chi to contract, to condense, into the core of the body; then, on the exhale focus on the body to contract, and at the same time focus on the inhaled Chi to expand.On each inhale and exhale there is a simultaneous mental focus to expand and contract.This particular technique does two things:first, it sensitizes you to where you are in space as a physical, material body, and second, it introduces you to the first glimmer of Chi sensation, so much used in later training.This is just step one.As we go on and on, what we're doing is refining this same basic technique to the point where it goes from as gross as the body contracts, to where all the molecules in your body condense into one single atom.
IKF: I understand that your Basic Path Training and The Sitting Forms make use of many postures and coordinated movements.What's the idea behind the variety?
GJC:Basically they all accomplish the same thing - to help the mind direct the Chi and Jing through the auxiliary Chi tracts.It's like dancing: when you're studying it, you have to learn more than one step.A similar problem exists here as in Tai Chi.Many students base their choice of a system or the quality of their chosen system on how many movements there are in it."Oh, my form has 108, his has only 68, but I know of one that has 138."This is an attitude conceived in ignorance. What's important is, at the end of the training, what does the interpretation look like, not how many movements there are.
IKF: In most meditation the mind is calmed and it simply registers the flux of consciousness to naturally reach a state of pure awareness for eventual union with the absolute.In Chi Kung however, the mind seems to be very active and directed.
GJC:It's active, but it's also concentrated, that is, focused.The mind is active only in the sense of "guiding the Chi," not thinking.This is called "Hsing Chi" and it means "wherever the mind goes, the Chi follows."Most meditation restricts awareness to mantra, a mandala, a chant, or the breathing.Most articles treat Chi Kung as a form of visualization - wrong! This is not.My concept of visualization is something created in imagination, something not existing, or not yet existing, like in the method of Creative Visualization.In Chi Kung you're not visualizing Chi condensing, circulating, or dispersing through the use of images, you are actually doing it, physically. The proof is that you can feel the forewarned effects, and later, the personal power is there and you feel it.When using Tai Chi in a martial application, someone else feels it.This is not like other meditation systems in which consciousness is worked at the expense of the body. In the Taoist view, there is an innate wholistic union of Chi, Jing, and Shen. Whenever one isbeing exercised, the other two are right there getting worked also. The Taoists wanted us todevelop all our innate capacities so we could experience the joys of living here on earth for aslong as possible. In Chi Kung, the person develops as a total unit, more fit for living.
IKF:You've talked about Jing and Chi, the basic concept of condensing, and a few other techniques, where does Shen, the third "Treasure," fit in?
GJC:Well, how do you take all this, the whole system of Chi Kung, and use it in your daily life? That's what Shen is about.When you develop the personal power of Jing you have to express this excess of vitality in some way.Since you've released latent Jing energy stored in armored muscles, tendons, and ligaments and added it to your pool of retained sexual energy, you're no longer a composite of everything that's happened to you in the past.You become "in the moment."You're not distracted by what happened last week, or six months ago. Now you can focus all the energy that you are on something new, on new goals, on a new direction for yourself. What I see in my classes is my students and clients developing the ability to recognize events forwhat they are. They make decisions more quickly and confidently. Their lives become simpler,less cluttered with emotional baggage, and the fear of doing new things disappears. The cultivated Jing manifests in their physical presence and awareness, the Chi, in their ability to think more clearly, to make up their minds and not be distracted.The Shen is their ability to "follow through" on what they've decided upon."Shen is the way you can manipulate your universe to be what you want it to be.It’s your outlook on life - the way you work in the world." That's my understanding of the "Three Treasures."It grew out of my Kung Fu training, not out of the philosophy books.
Excerpt from T'Ai Chi Magazine, Vol 20, No 3 (1996)
Wuji Qigong: Harvesting Inner Resources
Fong Ha said that by putting yourself in a standing position such as Wuji, "You are activating your own automatic maintenance system. So it doesn't matter if you have bad posture. Every single cell in your body will want to maintain itself so you can stand up straight. Therefore, it is self-correcting at all times, regardless of your state of health, regardless of the state of destruction going on in your body. Your body is automatically self-adjusting and self-maintaining. By simply doing the Wuji stance, you are activating it already. There is nothing else you have to do. In my theory, you don't have to be able to stand in any special way. Just stand up and already the work is done."
"The body seeks equilibrium." Through the equilibrium, Fong Ha said, the mind and body become more integrated. "Integrated means the awareness comes from the center and extends to every extremity of the body. Then you have integration. Integration can also be talked about as evenly distributed tension, or even as density, as in matter. So the body, through the practice of qi, opens all the meridians and you become more and more integrated. The Chinese word is solid, meaning one, unity."
Fong Ha said that in terms of martial arts, "I have come to the understanding that knowing and developing awareness continues to be far more important than developing self-defense technique. Our awareness is there, we just don't know that it is there. So when we put our mind in the dantian, that is just a method to remind yourself it is there. That is the beginning of it."
The Chinese state: Fan Sung (let go) is the essence of our art. It is through Fan Sung that we are able to let nature truly take its course. This does not mean we are not utilizing "awareness" of the physical, mental & breathing state but just as loose guidelines to keep us on the right track and not to trap us into any particular rigid structure.
When you suspend, relax and breathe your body has all the info needed to cultivate in tranquility. The classic states: Utilize Silence To Manage Action! So, even though many elements are cultivated in Zhan Zhuang (yin/yang, six harmonies, etc.) these are the result of Fan Sung & Silence and not something that can be artificially duplicated through trying think or mimic structure. The end result will be a TRAP for you and your cultivation! This is why we do not utilize mirrors during training as you will attempt to artificially duplicate versus a natural progressive cultivation.
When practicing Zhan Zhuang Qigong there are many wonderful benefits but unless your mind, body & breath are completely relaxed then these benefits may never surface. So, just suspend, relax, breathe and Fan Sung!!! Within no time you will understand how the theory of utilizing comfortable force is the big secret of our training!
Internal art trains Awareness and not techniques or forms. The path of awareness is simple and effective! We need to be "aware" of a few key concepts to use as a basic guide for our own development. There are Five Stages of training everyone must follow! The 5 Stages are:
1) Physical 2) Mental 3) Breathing 4) Energy 5) Force
Most traditional masters will give the new pupils a few tools to bring our Physical and Mental awareness. Physically you must be aware of your posture and relaxation. The mental (or Mind) training is designed to help you slowly develop the quiet state. If the Mind cannot relax then the entire system cannot relax. These are step one and two of internal training.
Stage three is breathing. It is quite common for a Master to say: Just stand there and let nature take it's course! BUT, if the goal is to return to Nature then one must understand the basic concept of natural breathing. So, it is very important to bring awareness to the breathing layer of training and that is to breathe bellow the belly button and to gradually allow your breath to go from short to deep to effortless!
Every coach (or teacher) will give their students certain tools to bring awareness to certain areas of training but these are tools to keep you from going down the wrong road and not aspects to do forever. One example is counting your breath. This is a tool to help bring awareness to the breathing layer of training and not to lock you into a specific method of breathing. You do not need to count your breath when you practice at home. Just train and be aware of your breath! It is said that the average person breaths about 16 breaths per minute. Slow that down to 8 and you stimulate the Pituitary Body and slow it down to 4 and you will activate the Pineal Gland (aka 3rd eye).
The Energy realm will only surface when the Physical, Mental and Breathing layers unite and begin to return to the natural state!The classic states: Sink the Chi to the Dan Tien and then transport to the entire body.When this happens you will automatically enter the 5th layer or wholesome Force stage of training.
We always say be "aware" of the Three Gold Keys!
Posture (physical), Relaxation (mind quiet) & Dan Tien Breathing (effortless)
They will keep you on track with your journey back to nature!
What you experience at MIT Qigong sessions is CoreNoi Gong (internal work/exercise) from the art of Yiquan. Since the human body can only move in so many ways, this exercise is regarded as the King of the internal arts. Why is it so effective? Natural conditioning, dynamics and energy all come from this which is equal to training Yoga, Taiji & Meditation. Three forms of exercise all in one!
The progression of Yiquan is important to understand. A, B & C = Standing, Moving & Walking!!! {zhan zhaung/shili/ma chor} AND, the reality is there is actually No Difference between Standing, Moving and Walking! Each are essentially the same mechanics with the only difference being the amount of momentum that is utilized. So, Moving and Walking = Standing with a bit more momentum but, there is no doubt that the Core of Yiquan Qigong is Zhan Zhuang Gong (Pile Standing Exercise).
One of the benefits of this art is the cultivation of Awareness. The three keys to transport awareness are Posture, Relaxation and Breathing! Each of these aspects is in the Natural State!
Yiquan is regarded as Yang Sheng (life nourishing) exercise, this training effects the entire human organism. Different from external exercise, when you are training Yiquan, you are not bringing the mind and body into a chaotic state, which depletes the body as you exercise. The heart rate and pulse will lower, the mind will quiet, the soft expanding and contracting massages the internal organs, the body opens up versus closes off and everything from the vascular system to every cell in the body gets nourished and activated! So, when you are done your mind is calm but alert, the body is open but relaxed and other great benefits! Over all, a total internal exercise for the Mind, Body and Breath. You can see why Yiquan founder Wang XiangZhai wrote:
"Internally Alert, Externally Relaxed! This is the foundation of Stillness!"
So, the reality is simple, but the training is physically demanding! Why? The internal health exercises are something that most have never done, and our bodies are so far from being in the Natural State that the most simple things are extremely arduous. Remember, all we are focusing on in the beginning is the Core:Posture, Relaxation and Dan Tien Breathing. With these three pieces of awareness to guide us the rest is about the time you invest outside the classroom!
Zhan Zhuang is truly an investment in the Self and requires only a small amount of time per day to gain results. Take our Two Week Challenge and see why this is pound for pound the most effective training known to humanity and the ultimate Cross Training exercise to fit with any other sport or fitness method.
