Exercise Challenge The most basic method of training is zhan zhuang. Zhan zhuang is an exercise common to many Chinese martial arts, including Taijiquan. Usually, the practitioner stands with the arms held as if holding a large ball. However, the zhan zhuang exercise can be practiced using any of the end postures of the Taiji form. During standing practice a static posture is maintained for a period of time while using just enough strength to maintain the posture. ... Benefits of zhan zhuang include deep relaxation, strengthening of the legs, and increased internal qi. The first requirement is to have a calm mind. This can be achieved in a number of ways - for instance, concentrating on the Dantian (located 3 fingers below your belly button), paying attention to ones breath, or silently counting. Through standing practice, emphasis is place upon developing awareness of maintaining the most efficient and relaxed structural alignment necessary to hold the position. Prolonged practice, along with enhancing postural awareness and tranquility of mind, greatly develops the strength of the legs. When the legs are strong and can bear weight firmly, then the upper body can relax and sink down into them, making the top more flexible. ... Taijiquan requires lightness and sensitivity in the upper body. At the same time, the lower body should have a feeling of extreme heaviness and connection to the ground. This feeling is often compared to a large tree with deep roots. While the branches move and sway in the wind, the trunk is solidly anchored by its roots. - Davidine Siaw-Voon Sim and David Gaffney, Chen Style Taijiquan, 2002, p. 106. Zhan Zhuang or “Standing like a tree” Qigong meditation 1. Stand with feet apart at shoulder width, toes point forward or slightly outward. 2. Bend the knees and sit down slightly, weight centered firmly on the soles of the feet. 3. Keep the head and spine erect from tip to tail, chest empty (i.e. relaxed and slightly concave, never stuck out) and stomach full and relaxed, not pulled in. 4. Gaze straight ahead, eyelids hanging relaxed over the eyes. 5. Rest the tip of the tongue on the upper palate behind the front teeth, let the lips and the teeth hang slightly open. 6. Arms hang by the sides. The body should feel perfectly poised, relaxed but not slack, breathing completely natural and no joint locked, as if the body is suspended in air, hanging from the top of the head by a string. This is the basic standing posture. Stand like this for a few moments relaxing the whole body and collecting one’s thoughts before assuming the following posture. 7. Raise the arms to shoulder level, keeping them curved as if holding a ball in each arm. Keep the fingers apart slightly curved, palms pointing in and slightly down. 8. Hands are at shoulder distance apart, and about three fists distance from the chest. Elbows should be slightly below the level of the wrists. Shoulders must be relaxed, not hunched, with a slight sense of outward stretching, so the chest feels open, neither sticking out nor constricted. 9. Curved arms should also have a slight sense of inward force, as if not letting a ball drop, though no physically in tension. The posture is most suitable for those without any particular illness to strengthen the constitution, prevent illness and promote health into old age. - J. P. C. Moffett, Wang Xuanjie, Traditional Chinese Therapeutic Exercises: Standing Pole. Foreign Languages Press May 1994. ISBN: 7119006967. Pages: 49-52
Posted on: Sat, 23 Aug 2014 11:07:23 +0000
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