For most people, training in Zhan Zhuang Chi Kung is a complete surprise in the beginning. There are no recognizable external movements, although it is a highly energetic exercise system. In contrast to many other methods, Zhan Zhuang develops our internal energy in a very efficient way, instead of consuming it.
Zhan Zhuang Chi Kung is practiced in well-balanced standing positions which increase the flow of energy and build up internal strength. The Zhan Zhuang system is based on a fusion of relaxation and exertion which stimulates, cleanses and massages the whole body.
Through the practice of Zhan Zhuang Chi Kung we're able to take advantage of our whole potential, both physically and psychologically, without becoming exhausted. This is achieved in a completely natural way without the need for fighting ourselves.
The following is from Master Lam Kam Chuen, The Way of Energy, Mastering the Chinese Art of Internal Strength with Chi Kung Exercise.
Standing Like a Tree
"You are standing like a tree. You are like an elm growing. You feel everything happening within your entire body, from your toots deep in the soil, to the tiniest leaf reaching out into the air. You can hear yourself moving inside. You are growing, listening silently to your entire body inhaling and exhaling.
A living tree breathes with its entire body. Every cell of every leaf is breathing. Deep in the earth, the roots are breathing too. As you stand, you do the same. Open every pore of your body – along your arms, down your back and legs, from the soles of your feet to the top of your head. Feel the lovely breeze entering inside you at every conceivable point of your being. And as you exhale, let the warm current ride out again from every extremity.
You stand surrounded, like a tree, by sound. All noise within is stilled. Sounds come to you, as if from miles around. Birds call from distant tree tops. An engine starts up somewhere far away. Here and there you hear a footfall and a man and woman with a child. Nearby you hear the early morning drone of an insect. The air around you is alive. Can you hear the dew drops falling in the grass?
You stand, seeing a tree in the distance. There is nothing but empty space between the tree and you. You are both silent. Your eyes are completely at peace and a faint smile is all you sense. Your body is asleep. Your mind is alert.
A distant wind is stirring in the air. It starts to play across your body like a flag unfurling in a breeze. The driving air is irresistible; the flag is flying with it. All seems to be in motion, but neither sky nor flag has moved.
A fish is turning in the stream. Its weight is in the water; the fish itself is still. Like you, it rests inside the current. Its body curves a little and it sways. It does not matter that the wind has made the surface rough.
Your boat is on the waves. The tide is strong: it pulls and twists the boat from side to side. You stand within it, riding in the surge. You tremble for a moment, but you do not leave the boat. You know the water knows its way.
The wind is rising and the storm clouds threaten rain. You stand among the trees, like them, unmoved. They all have stood in sun and shade. Their roots have been both dry and wet. Now rain and wind will fill the sky. The trees, like you, have no wish to escape. Like you, they stand prepared to feel the deepest movements of the earth."
If you are interested in this form of Chi Kung I recommend these two books by Master Lam Kam Chuen: The Way of Energy, and Chi Kung: The Way of Healing.. And also the Spring Forest Qigong training from Master Chunyi Lin in Eden Prairie, MN.
Also check out any local schools or martial arts studios that teach Chi Kung (Qigong) or Tai Chi.
www.chi-kung.org
www.springforestqigong.com
Today is a beautiful day. What is it like to just stand still, like a tree, and be present?
What does your father teach you?
He teaches me to stand like a tree. ~Master Lam Kam Chuen, The Way of Energy
