Zhan Zhuang
Entering the Heart of Trees

Standing Meditation, Wuji, Tadasana, Zhan Zhuang (Stance Keeping, Standing Post)
San Ti Shi,  Embrace the One, Yi Quan, Hugging the Tree, Bear Posture

Rooting Deeply Into Tranquility, Power and Vitality
A Chinese Meditation and Qigong (Energy Work)  Discipline
A Hatha Yoga Posture: Tadasana 

Bibliography     Links     Resources     Practices     Quotations     San Ti Shi      WuJi     The Ways of Walking

Research by
Michael P. Garofalo

March 29, 2008

A monk asked Zhaozhou, "What is the living meaning of Chan Buddhism?."   Zhaozhou said,
"The cypress tree in the courtyard."
      -  Mumonkan, Koan 37

Zhan Zhuang
Entering the Heart of Trees
Bibliography, Links, Resources

Aligned, Relaxed, Resilient:  The Physical Foundations of Mindfulness.   By Will Johnson.  Boston, Shambhala, 2000.  137 pages.  ISBN: 1570625182. 

Anatomy of Hatha Yoga: A Manual for Students, Teachers and Practitioners.   By H. David Coulter.  Foreword by Timothy McCall.  Honesdale, Pennsylvania, Body and Breath, 2001.  Index, bibliography, appendices, 623 pages.  ISBN: 0970700601.  2002 winner of the Benjamin Franklin Award for Health, Wellness and Nutrition.  

Animal Frolics:  Bibliography, Links, Quotes, Notes

Animal Frolics Standing Meditation.   UTube Video, 2:36. 

Bear Spirit Standing Posture

Behind the Zhan Zhuang Training  7Kb.  

BodyStories: A Guide to Experiential Anatomy.  Expanded Edition.  By Andrea Olsen in collaboration with Caryn McHose.  Barrytown, New York, Station Hill Openings of Barrytown, Ltd., 1998.  Index, bibliography, 168 pages.   ISBN: 1581770235.

Breathing: Bibliography, Links, Resources, Quotations, Notes

Chi Kung Standing Meditation.   Instructional CD with guided meditations. 

Chen Taijiquan Post Standing Posture   

Chi Kung: The Chinese Art of Mastering Energy.  By Yves Requena.  Healing Art Press, 1996.  120 pages.  ISBN: 0892816392.  

Cloud Hands Blog

Cultivating Stillness: A Taoist Manual for Transforming Body and Mind.  Translated with an introduction by Eva Wong.  With a commentary by Shui-ch'ing Tzu.  Illustrated by Hun-yen Tsu.  Boston, Shambhala Press, 1992.  156 pages.  ISBN: 0877736871. 

Di Guoyong on Xingyiquan, Volume I: Five Element Foundation.  By Di Guoyong (1948-).  Translated and edited by Andrea Falk.  223 pages.  Victoria, B.C., Canada, TGL Books.  Appendices.  ISBN: 0768751768.   Post Standing, Chapter Two, pp. 7-36.  Valuable information in this book on Post Standing.    

Ecstatic Body Postures: An Alternate Reality Workbook.  By Belinda Gore.  Foreword by Felicitas Goodman.  Santa Fe,  New Mexico, Bear and Company, 1995.  Endnotes, 284 pages.  ISBN: 1879181223.  

Eight Section Brocade Qigong    Eight Treasures Chi Kung.   By Michael P. Garofalo.   Instructions, notes, links, bibliography, quotations, and charts.  225Kb.   Baduanjin, Pa Tuan Jin, Eight Silken Treasures, Ba Duan Jin, Pal Dan Gum, Ba Duan Gin, Pa Tin Kam, Otto Pezzi di Tesoro.  Between each of the eight postures is a period of Wu Ji. 

Five Animal Frolics    Wu Ji is used to rest between each Frolic, and afterwards for meditation.   

Flowers in the Sky: Emptiness in Full Bloom     

Google Index - Zhan Zhuang  

Green Way Blog

The Healing Promise of Qi: Creating Extraordinary Wellness Through Qigong and Tai Chi.  By Roger Jahnke, O.M.D..  Chicago, Contemporary Books, 2002.   Index, notes, extensive recommended reading list, 316 pages.  ISBN: 0809295288.  

History of Yi Quan   

Honoring the Medicine: The Essential Guide to Native American Healing.  By Kenneth "Bear Hawk" Cohen.  New York, Ballantine Books, 2003.  Bibliography, notes, index, resources, 429 pages.  ISBN: 0345435133.  "The Paleolithic Posture," pp. 240-251. 

Index to the Cloud Hands Website

Ku Meditation Club Handbook   

Kyudo - Japanese Archery

Kyudo - Standing Meditation in Archery  

Meditation: Bibliography, Links, Resources, Quotations, Notes  

Neigong.Net   A blog on qigong. 

Qigong (Chi Kung): Links and Bibliography

The Oak Tree in the Courtyard

Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body (The Tao of Energy Enhancement.  By Bruce Kumar Frantzis.  Illustrated by Husky Grafx.  North Atlantic Books, 1993.  Second Edition.  174 pages.  ISBN: 1556431643.

Philosophy of Yi Quan

Primordial Wuji Qigong from Wudang Mountain Taoists.  By Mike Garofalo. 

Remembering Wu Ji.  By Jonathan J. Dickau.  17Kb.  

Re-realize Zhanzhuang.   Li Jiong.  

San Ti Shi, Three Body Posture, Trinity Posture, Heaven-Man-Earth Posture,  Spirit-Mind-Body Posture 

San Ti Shi Visualization Exercise  

Scientific Research on Sitting and Standing Qigong Meditation Exercises.  Center for Taiji Studies. 

The Spirit of the Garden    Over 3,300 quotations, poems, sayings and proverbs arranged by 140 Topics for gardeners and Lovers of the Green Way and Tree Huggers Everywhere. 

Standing Chi Kung Meditation.   12K   

Standing Meditation: Doing Nothing and Finding Contentment in Being Alight.   Body /Mind Qigong Center,1997   57 page illustrated booklet on standing meditation.  

Standing Meditation for Tai Chi.   By Cynthia McMullen, LMT.  8Kb.  

Standing Meditation Links    

Stand Still - Be Fit    

Standing Meditation - General

Standing Meditation    By Michael Gilman. 

Stillness in Movement    Sifu Fong Ha.   Intergral Ch'uan Institute.  

Subject Index to the Cloud Hands (Taijiquan and Qigong) Website 

Sun Lu Tang's Internal Martial Arts: Baguazhang, Xingyiquan, Taijiquan, and Qigong.  Bibliography, Links, Quotes, Resources, Instructions.   

Sun Style of T'ai Chi Ch'uan: Standard Competition 73 Movements Form.  Research by Michael P. Garofalo, M.S..  Webpage: 450Kb, June 2008.  This webpage includes an introduction, information on the history of the Sun Taijiquan forms, a detailed bibliography, extensive links, references to video resources, a large collections of quotations about Sun Taijiquan, recommendations on the best media resources on the topic, and suggestions for learning the 73 competition Sun Taijiquan form.  A detailed comparative list of the names of each of the 73 movements is provided, with source references, and the movement names are given in English, Chinese, Chinese characters, French, German, and Spanish.  This webpage includes detailed descriptions of each of the 73 movements with black and white illustrations for each movement sequence along with commentary and comparisons.  Many additional nomenclature lists and section study charts in the PDF format, photographs and graphics are also provided - over 1.3 MB of information.  This webpage is the most detailed and complete document on the subject of the Sun Taijiquan Competition 73 Form available on the Internet.  This document was published by  Green Way Research, Valley Spirit Taijiquan, Red Bluff, California, 2008.   URL: http://www.egreenway.com/taichichuan/sun73.htm.

Sun Style of Tai Chi Chuan   Grandmaster Sun Lu Tang recommended San Ti Shi or Wu Ji Standing Meditation. 

Tadasana - Google Search

Tadasana:  Hatha Yoga Standing Posture, Standing Tall, Basic Standing Posture  -  Instructions  

Tai Chi Sword.  By Michael P. Garofalo.  This popular webpage includes a comprehensive bibliography, scores of links to webpages; an extensive listing of the names and name variations for each movement  in English, Chinese, French, German, and Spanish; a detailed analysis of each posture and movement sequence with explanations and numbered illustrations and detailed instructions; selected quotations; comments on 20 Taijiquan sword techniques; a comprehensive media bibliography; a chart of performance times; and, a comparison of the 32 and 55 sword forms in the Yang style.  This is the standard, simplified, orthodox, 1957, 32 Taiji Sword Form, in the Yang Style of Taijiquan. This is the standard, simplified, orthodox, 1957, 32 Taiji Sword Form, in the Yang Style of Taijiquan. © Michael P. Garofalo, Valley Spirit Taijiquan, Green Way Research, Red Bluff, California, January 2008.  350Kb+. 

Taiki-ken - Zhan Zhuang

Taijiquan and Standing-Posture Meditation (Zhan Zhuang).  By Chen Yaoting.  15Kb.  

T'ai Chi Ch'uan: Guides, Bibliographies, Links, Quotations, Resources, Notes  All Taijquan forms begin with Wu Ji, a period of time to compose oneself, relax, gain control of attention and concentration (Yi - Mind).  The length of time to stand in Wu Ji varies between Taijiquan styles.  Master Sun Lu-Tang recommended long periods of Wu Ji or San Ti Shi.   

The Tao of Natural Breathing: For Health, Well Being, and Inner Growth.   By Dennis Lewis.  Mountain Wind Pub., 1997.  Index, 208 pages.  ISBN: 0965161102.  Foreward by Taoist Master Mantak Chia.  Information.

Tao of Yiquan: The Method of Awareness in the Martial Arts.  Volume 2 of the Trilogy: Warriors of Stillness.  Meditative Traditions in the Chinese Martial Arts.   By Jan Diepersloot.  Walnut Creek, CA, Center for Healing and the Arts, 1999.  Index, notes, 272 pages.   ISBN: 0964997614.  

Taoist Standing Practice - Core Stability    San Ti Shi instructions. 

Thirteen Questions About Standing Meditation.   By Ed Ramirez. 

Trees and Mysticism

Trees - Quotes, Poems, Sayings   

Trinity Posture (San Ti Shi), Three Body Posture, Trinity Posture, Heaven-Man-Earth Posture,  Spirit-Mind-Body Posture 

Valley Spirit Taijiquan    Red Bluff, California

"La Voie de L'énergie," Maitre Lam Kam Chuen.  Le Courrier du Livre, 1994.  

Warriors of Stillness: Meditative Traditions in the Chinese Martial Arts.  Volume 1.  The Teachings of Grandmaster Cai Song Fang.  Qigong Qi of the Center, Essence of Taijiquan.   By Jan Diepersloot.  Walnut Creek, California, Center for Healing and the Arts.  Glossary, 226 pages.  ISBN:  0964997606.  A study of Wu Ji meditation and its T'ai Chi Ch'uan applications.     

Warriors of Stillness, Volume 2: The Tao of Yiquan.  By Jan Diepersloot.  

The Way of Energy: Mastering the Chinese Art of Internal Strength with Chi Kung Exercise.   By Master Lam Kam Chen.  New York, Fireside, Simon and Schuster, 1991.  A Gaia Original. Index, 191 pages.  ISBN: 0671736450.  This book can serve as a fine introduction to Zhan Zhuang.  It is the first reference book on Zhan Zhuang in English for the Western reader.  The foreword is by Professor Yu Yong Nian, D.D.S., an highly respected expert and author of books in Chinese on Zhan Zhuang.  Master Lam Kam Chen had 50 years of experience with the practice of Zhan Zhuang when he wrote this book, with the assistance of Richard Reoch, in 1991.  Master Lam studied with numerous masters in Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China before moving to London in 1991 to open a medical clinic.  This book is strongly influenced by "the form of martial art known as the Great Achievements ShadowBoxing, Da Cheng Chuan," created by Wang Xiang Zhai (1886-1963), who was also a Yiquan Master. 

The Way of Qigong: The Art and Science of Chinese Energy Healing.  By Kenneth S. Cohen.  Foreword by Larry Dossey.  New York Ballantine Books, 1997.  Index, notes, appendices, 427 pages.  ISBN: 0345421094.   One of my favorite books: comprehensive, informative, practical, and scientific; probably the best qigong text.  Chaper Ten, Standing Like A Tree, pp. 133-147, discusses standing meditation.  "The Chinese term for Standing Meditation is Zhan Zhuang, "Standing Post.""

Wild Goose Qigong:  Links, Bibliography, Quotes, Notes   

Willpower: Quotes, Links, Bibliography, Resources    

Wu Dang Qigong:  Bibliography, Links, Quotes, Resources, Notes, Lessons   

Wu Ji or Tadasana:  Standing Tall, Basic Standing Posture  -  Instructions

Wuji (Primordial) Qigong from Wudang Mountain Taoists.  By Mike Garofalo. 

Wuyiquan: Zhan Zhuang  

Xing Yi Nei Gong: Xing Yi Health Maintenance and Internal Strength Development.  Compiled and edited by Dan Miller and Tim Cartmell.  Orange, CA, Unique Publications, 1999.  200 pages.  ISBN: 0865681740.  "Xing Yi Nei Gong  includes (1) the Sixteen Nei Gong exercises handed down by the famous Xing Yi master Wang Ji Wu (1891-1991) described in detail and shown in clear, easy-to-follow photographs of Wang Ji Wu's disciple Zhang Bao Yang (1922- ) plus historic photographs of Wang performing the same set, (2) invaluable 25+ pages chapter on Xing Yi's foundational Standing Practice (San Ti Shi) ..."  Xing Yi Quan Standing Practice, by Tim Cartmell, pp. 58-75. 

Xing Yi Quan (Hsing I Chuan): Bibliography, Links, Resources, Quotes, Notes

Yak Riders on Meditation Methods

Yiquan.   By Karel Koskuba.  

Yi Quan Online  

Yiquan: Power of Mind.  Karel Koskuba.  31Kb.   A very good read.  

Yi Quan and Relaxation.   By Gregory Fong.  

Yi Quan: Up/Down Training: The Key to I Chuan's Six Powers    By Gregory Fong. 

Yi Quan - Wikipedia   Yi Quan , also known as Dacheng Quan, is a martial art system which was founded by the Chinese xingyiquan master, Wang Xiangzhai (王薌齋).   Wang Xiangzhai (Chinese:王薌齋; Wade-Giles: Wang Hsiang-chai, 1885-1963), also known as Nibao, Zhenghe, Yuseng or as "demon's fist" - was a Chinese xingyiquan master, responsible for founding the martial art of yiquan.  Yi Quan uses Zhan zhuang (站樁) - Motionless postures, where emphasis is put on relaxation, working to improve perception of the body and on developing Hunyuan Li, or "all round force". Zhan zhuang can also be divided into two different types of postures; health postures and combat postures.

Yoga: Guides, Bibliographies, Links, Resources, Quotations, Notes   

Yoga of the Mahamudra: The Mystical Way of Balance.  By Will Johnson.  Rochester, Vermont, Inner Traditions, 2005.   151 pages.  ISBN:  0892816996.  

Yuli Qigong.  By Jeff Smoley.  Wujigong, Zhan Zhuang, 5 Animal Frolics, Jade Power Qigong, and Eight Section Brocade.  Jeff borrowed my disclaimer. 

Zhan Zhuang   

Zhan Zhuang.   In German.     

Zhan Zhuang: Details Anatomiques.  

Zhan Zhuang From an I-Chuan Perspective.   By Gregory Fong.

Zhan Zhuang: Meditar Como Un Arbol

Zhan Zhuang Qi Gong   In German.  

Zhang Zhuang - Foundation of Internal Martial Arts.  By Karel Koskuba.  33Kb.  An excellent informative article on the topic.  

Zhan Zhuan Gong (Estar Quieto Como Un Arbol)   A very good article with photographs in Spanish.  

Zhan Zhuang Gong: Postures for Rooting   

Zhan Zhuang Gong Music.   Wind Records, 2000.  CD.  ASIN: B00004SR3K.

Zhan Zhuang: Posture de L'Arbre   French

Zhan Zhuang: Standing Like a Tree   

"Zhan Zhuang: The Art of Getting Fit."  By Victoria Windholtz.  Tai Chi: The International Magazine of T'ai Chi Ch'uan: Vol. 30, No. 3, June, 2006, pp 39-44.   Photos and descriptions of a lying down version of Zhan Zhuang are provided.  

Zhan Zhuang
Entering the Heart of Trees
Practices and Methods

1.  Wu Ji or Tadasana:  Standing Tall, Basic Standing Posture

2.  Embrace the One, Hold the Tree

3.  San Ti Shi, Three Body Posture, Trinity Posture, Heaven-Man-Earth Posture,  Spirit-Mind-Body Posture 

4.  Chen Taijiquan Post Standing Posture 

5.  Bear Spirit Standing Posture

1.  Wu Ji
     Tadasana
     Basic Standing Posture, Standing Tall 

Stand up in a relaxed manner.
Your feet should be separated from 6" to 18".  
      Master Sun Lu-Tang kept his feet together for Wu Ji.  Keeping your feet together
      will require more attention to balance and holding to the plumb-vertical.  
      A rule to use is "Place your feet at a "comfortable" distance apart."  
      Some keep the inside of the feet aligned with the inside of the armpits.
Both of you feet should be pointed straight ahead and flat on the floor.
      Some turn the feet slightly outward to up to a 45° angle.
You should feel stable, centered, rooted to the earth.
Relax your body (Sung: loose, untensed, open, relaxed, calm).
Clear your mind.  Set aside your thoughts on the work and worries of the day.
Keep a pleasant look on your face - a soft gentle smile is beneficial.  
Keep your head up and look forward. 
Your eyes should be open, with a soft and wide angle focus.
       Use the method of looking/seeing called ping shi or "level gaze."
       Some close the eyes during Wu Ji standing meditation.  
Breathe in and out in a relaxed, easy, and regular manner.  
       Use the abdominal breathing techniques.
       Breathe deeply and exhale fully.
       Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.
       Keep your lips parted slightly.
       Breathing should be natural, relaxed, and not requiring your attention.  
Your arms should hang down in a relaxed manner at your sides.
The palms of the hands should face the thighs and lightly touch them.  
The palms of your hands should face your thighs.   
Relax the shoulders and let them hang down.
Some recommend that you keep the tip of your tongue lightly touching the roof of your mouth.
               

"This posture is often called the "Wu Ji" posture in Taijiquan.  It is the resting position, the position
before any motion begins, a state of "grand emptiness."  It is the primordial condition - empty, free, 
motionless, without qualities.  It precedes the movement of Yin/Yang both logically and temporally.
The classics talk of Wu Ji giving birth to Tai Ji, emptiness transforming itself into the manifold of 
cyclic dualities.  Our course, our bodies are never completely at rest: our hearts contract and relax,
our blood moves up and down, we breath in and out, our two feet and two arms help keep us in
balance as we stand, our mind may be calm and focused but billions of neurons are quite busy
in our brains creating that phenomenon we directly apprehend as consciousness.  So, the "Wu Ji"
state of this posture is more symbolic, allegorical, or figuratively interpreted.  Students should 
note that this posture is very similar to the Yoga posture of Tadasana - the Mountain Pose.  
We should stand like a Mountain: strong, stable, unmoving, grand, still, aloof, above the mundane, 
powerful, accepting but unbroken by the storms of ideas, and avalanches of strong emotions 
and real worries. "
-  Michael P. Garofalo, The Eight Section Brocade Qigong   

Empty Standing Posture: Wu Ji Zhuang

"Body is the bow,
asana is the arrow,
and soul is the target."
-   B.K.S. Iyengar

"The body extends upwards, with the base as firm as a rock; the mind is steady and attentive.
Tadasana teaches balance, centering and evenness and direction of extensions.
These principles apply to all the postures."
-   B.K.S.  Iyengar

I recommend the following books:

Warriors of Stillness: Meditative Traditions in the Chinese Martial Arts.  By Jan Diepersloot.

Xing Yi Nei Gong.  Compiled and edited by Dan Miller and Tim Cartmell.  Pages 58-93. 

Di Guyong on Xingyiquan.  Translated and edited by Andrea Falk.  Pages 7-36. 

"Start in a standing position, with your feet parallel and spaced a shoulder-width apart.  Slightly bend your knees.  Your back should be straight, with your buttocks tucked and your pelvis thrust slightly forward.  Your shoulders must be relaxed and your chest slightly concave, with the chest muscles relaxed.  Do not slouch or round your shoulders too much.  Your body should be relaxed.  Focus your eyes straight ahead, mentally lining up your nose with your navel."
-  Jane Hallander, Tai Chi Chuan's Internal Secrets, p. 17

"Stand with the bases of your big toes touching, heels slightly apart (so that your second toes are parallel). Lift and spread your toes and the balls of your feet, then lay them softly down on the floor. Rock back and forth and side to side. Gradually reduce this swaying to a standstill, with your weight balanced evenly on the feet.

Firm your thigh muscles and lift the knee caps, without hardening your lower belly. Lift the inner ankles to strengthen the inner arches, then imagine a line of energy all the way up along your inner thighs to your groins, and from there through the core of your torso, neck, and head, and out through the crown of your head. Turn the upper thighs slightly inward. Lengthen your tailbone toward the floor and lift the pubis toward the navel.

Press your shoulder blades into your back, then widen them across and release them down your back. Without pushing your lower front ribs forward, lift the top of your sternum straight toward the ceiling. Widen your collarbones. Hang your arms beside the torso.

Balance the crown of your head directly over the center of your pelvis, with the underside of your chin parallel to the floor, throat soft, and the tongue wide and flat on the floor of your mouth. Soften your eyes.

Tadasana is usually the starting position for all the standing poses. But it's useful to practice Tadasana as a pose in itself. Stay in the pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute, breathing easily."
- Tadasana, Yoga Journal

Tadasana - Google Search  

"Our legs are the foundation for movement and action since they carry our weight while walking. They should be firm and steady to hold the brain, which is the seat of intelligence, in correct alignment with the spine. Hence, the standing poses are elementary to yoga. They are designed to bring flexibility and make the body strong and steady. 

'Tada' means a mountain and sama upright, unmoved. 'Sthiti' means standing still. 'Tadasana', therefore, implies a pose where you stand firm and erect like a mountain. 'Tada' also means a palm tree growing straight. This is the basic standing pose.
 
1. Remain as natural as you are when standing.

2. Keep the feet together, toes and inner heels touching and the arch raised.

3. Rest the feet flat on the ground and stretch all toes.

4. Heels should not come off the floor and the weight should be exactly in the center of the feet.

5. Tighten the knees and pull up the kneecaps. Compress the hips and pull the muscles at the back of the thighs up.

6. Keep the spine erect, raise the sternum and expand the chest.

7. Keep the stomach in and the neck straight.

8. Do not lift the shoulders when you keep the arms by the sides of the body, fingertips extending downwards and palms facing the thighs.

9. Stand still for 20 to 30 seconds and breathe normally."
-   B.K.S. Iyengar  

"Tadasana, a position in Yoga, is also called Mountain Pose. It is a very basic standing pose with the feet together and the hands at the sides of the body. Yoga practitioners consider it a pose that promotes confidence and happiness as well as improving posture and creating space within the body. This creating space within the body may allow internal organs to work more efficiently thus improving respiration, digestion and elimination. The pose strengthens the abdomen and the legs. It may help relive sciatica and reduce flat feet. Poses that help prepare for Tadasana include Adho Mukha Svanasana and Uttanasana. Although Tadasana is a very basic pose it is the basis for many standing poses. Urdhva Hastasana is a very similar pose with the hands raised above the head."
-   Tadasana, Wikipedia

"Tadasana is perhaps the most basic yoga pose. All yoga poses are called asana and the word tada translates from Sanskrit to mountain, thus this is the 'mountain posture'. As it is a very simple and restful pose it is usually one of the very first that must be mastered by a new student. It is the base for all the other asanas, particularly the standing ones.

The pose is often done at the beginning of a yoga routine, either as the first one, or perhaps after some simple sitting poses such as virasana or sukhasana. It can also be practised in between more strenuous poses to regain an even control of the breath and refocus and re-center the body. For the same reasons, it can also be done before entering a meditation period. Many people also find it beneficial to practise first thing in the morning after getting out of bed to align and refresh the body before the day.

Although the pose looks simple, and indeed is the most simple of the asanas, it still takes much practise and concentration to master all the different areas of the body and combine them into a strong yet relaxed posture. Placing the body correctly from the beginning is of utmost importance as this will help the pose to be balanced for its entirety.

The ideal when practising tadasana is that the ankles, knees, hips, shoulders and ears are exactly in a straight, vertical line. At first, this may take a surprising amount of concentration and effort. In order for your body to be lined up this way, its base, that is your feet, must be lined up. Think about the way people stand most of the time, they pretty much always lean one way or the other. Resting most of their weight on one leg, perhaps switching between the two, or standing with one leg placed more forward that the other. Even when sitting ones feet are hardly ever planted flat and together on the floor.

That is why this pose is so important and teaches many of the fundamental disciplines needed to carry out other standing poses successfully. Balance, alignment, concentration and awareness of the body are all focused on whilst practicing tadasana. When one first begins to practise it is very important to take care when doing each of the following steps so that the end result is good. As one becomes more experienced the body will more naturally align its self, and many of the steps will become less conscious.

If this all sounds a bit confusing just reading through it - and it can be - just stand up and try do it step by step, it makes a lot more sense that way, as you can feel what your body naturally does and what you should be trying to achieve."
-   Tadasana@Everything

"To review, the basic elements of the Paleolithic Posture are:  Feet under the shoulders.  Slightly bent knees.  Receiving and feeling the ground.  Long, straight spine.  Relaxed as possible.  Eyes open with a wide, level gaze.  Slow, quiet belly breathing.  Awareness.  Whole body alive."
-  Kenneth Cohen, Honoring the Medicine, p.246

2.  Embrace the One
     Ping Bu Cheng Bao Zhuang

3.  San Ti Shi

     San Ti Chi is the standard on guard posture used in nearly all styles of Hsing I Chuan (Xing Yi Quan) internal martial arts. 
     The Sun Lu Tang's martial arts system makes extensive use of San Ti Shi.  
     

The nose, the index finger of the left hand, and the toes of the left foot should be aligned in a straight line. The right hand lowers down to the front of the lower abdomen. The base of the right thumb is pressed against the navel.  The eyes look in the direction of the left hand. The head should be held upright with the chin slightly tucked in. The tail bone should be slightly curled under to allow the spine to become straight. The chest should be hollowed and the abdomen should be filled. These requirements should be maintained throughout the entire routine."
-  Ted W. Knecht, Yongnian Taiji Martial Arts,  Xingyi

"From wuji we move into another standing posture that is called san-ti. The san-ti is the primary posture of Hsing-i. In fact, about 60 % of the Hsing-i student's time is spent holding this posture. The transition from wuji to san-ti is made by bringing the feet together and then raising the arms with the palms facing up along your sides. As your hands reach above your head, they begin to close into fists with the thumb side closest to your body. Sink your chi as the fists are lowered to the pelvis level. The right fist screws inward and up along the center line of the body.  This screwing is started in the ground and involves the entire right side of the body. However, do not sacrifice your vertical posture. As the right fist screws upward along your center, the hands rise at a 45 degree angle away from the body. When the right fist reaches the level of the chin, the left side begins its movement. Just as on the right side, the left's movement starts from the ground and is done in unison. The left fist screws and follows a path along the center of your body. The fist moves away at a 45 degree angle and passes over the right fist.  As the left fist passes the right, the hands rotate and the right hand is pulled back to a position to the right of the tan tien. The left hand goes forward and is held as shown. Examine the photographs closely.  But I must point out that which can not be captured on film.  The intent of the lead hand is to project forward while the intent of the rear hand is going back to counterbalance the action of the lead hand. This is an important point that will become more clear as we examine the requirements of the san-ti posture. As the left foot extends forward, the left foot will also step out with the toe pointing straight. About 70% of your weight will be held in the rear leg.

The Hsing-i classics address this transition. Essentially the classics state: "the movement is started with the intent of the mind."  With this intent the bear and eagle combine to move the body without further thought or consideration. In regard to this, here is a translation of the Song of Tai chi: "The mind has already moved, and the boxing has started. (The boxing) is hard and soft, empty and full, opening and closing, rising and falling. "

Hsing-i postures, to include the fists and animals, have four requirements that must be met at all times if a sound structure is to be maintained.  Let us look at the four requirements we need for standing practice.  They are: chicken leg, dragon body, bear shoulder, and tiger embrace. The details of these requirements are spelled out in the Hsing-i classics. I will attempt to summarize them for you here.

"Chicken Leg" refers to the manner in which the feet and legs are held. First, the toes must grasp the ground to secure the feet in their place. The legs are held as if screwing into the ground. The effect of which is felt in the knees which are inclined slightly inward. The heels will feel as though they want to push out, but the toes hold the feet in place. As a result of the inward inclination of the knee, the inner thigh is opened. The pelvis is relaxed and allowed to sit back and rest on the rear leg. The hui yin is raised. The focus of the balance should be on the bubbling well of the foot. The toe of the lead foot points straight while the toe of the rear foot points about
45 degrees outward. The knee of the lead foot should be above its heel. The distance between the two feet should be comfortable.

"Dragon Body" refers to the turning of the torso in the direction of the rear foot. The head will remain looking straight ahead, however. A key point here is to relax the inner groin and sit back on the rear leg. The muscles along the ribs should also relax as much as possible to allow for good rotation. Do not rotate the pelvis. It remains oriented toward the front. Also, keep your posture straight and erect. The dragon body accentuates the intent of the lead hand to go forward and the rear hand to counter balance it to the rear.

"Bear Shoulder" helps keep the structure sound by relaxing the shoulders and allowing them to roll forward from the side as opposed to hunching them over the top. Think of hollowing the chest through relaxation to help you fulfill this requirement.

"Tiger Embrace" ensures that the arms will keep a sound structure while sending and receiving energy. The palms will be hollow and the tiger mouth open (area between the thumb and index finger). You must always drop the elbow and sink the shoulder. This ensures sound structure and also acts to protect your ribs. Remember to relax and hollow the chest or there will be too much tension and your chi will rise. The index finger will be on the same plane as the big toe of the lead foot and the tip of the nose.
-  Jim Dees, Hsing-I: An Examination of Principles    

"The San Ti Shi is based on the stances used in the Xing Yi exercise which is said to have originated by General Yue Fei (1103-1142) of the Jin Dynasty or, according to authentic historical records, by Dai Longbang during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), who passed it on to Li Luoneng, a wushu master in Heibei Province. Using internal strength cultivated through this Xing Yi exercise, Li managed to conquer every single one of his adversaries in fighting contests and earned the nickname of Holy Fighter.

 Li's style was later known as "neijia," or "internal school of boxing," which lays emphasis on developing internal strength through exercises. The most basic technique to be learned by a neijia practitioner is the standing exercise. As a saying among Li's descendants goes, "The standing exercise is to martial arts what a granary is to food grains."

The three-harmony standing exercise is explained in some of the writings by neijia masters, with the main points as follows:

1) Stand upright and turn the body 45 degrees to the right, using both heels as pivots. Bend both legs slightly so that the knees are directly above the toes. Meanwhile, clench both hands into fists and place them on the hips with palm side down.

2) As you inhale deeply, bring the right fist up to nose level with the arm held close to the body and turned externally so that the knuckles of the fist face forward, while the left fist remains on the hip with the knuckles turned downward.

3) As you exhale, lower the right fist to chest level and, with the left arm drawn close to the body, bring up the left fist to nose level, unclenching it when it passes over the right hand.

4) Then move the left foot about two foot lengths to the front and strike out with the left hand at nose level while unclenching the right fist into a palm and pressing it down to the right "riyue" point as if to protect the rib cage.

5) As the foot and hand movements are completed at the end of exhalation, both legs are slightly bent and the bulk of the body weight is on the rear leg, with the left arm bent at an angle of 135 degrees and the palm facing obliquely downward like a tiger's claw, that is, with thumb and index finger forming a semi-circle and the other fingers naturally extended.

6) Keep standing in this position for as long as you don't feel tired. Traditionally, one would stand for at least three minutes on each foot.

By "three harmonies" we mean, externally, 1) proper alignment between hands and feet (with fingers above toes); 2) proper alignment between shoulders and hips (also with the two on a vertical line); and 3) proper alignment between shoulders and hips (also with the two on a vertical line)."
-  International Sun Tai Association,  San Ti Shi: "Three Harmony" Standing Exercise  

Michael Garofalo standing in San Ti Shi
Red Bluff, California, November 2006

"Standing still in the circle of trees, in the sacred space,
one wet and chilly morn,
feet rooted, toes clawing the earth, sunk deeply down;
twisted like a dragon, alert, poised, ready to fly;
settled like a bear, strong, full of power, gathering;
looking through the tiger's eye, mind-intent, penetrating;
embracing the Trinity of Body, Mind, and Spirit,
as ancient as Now, the Three Bodies, all still, all one.

From the edge, the cosmic circle opened,
Chang San-Feng slipped inside, smiling,
he stroked his long beard and spoke softly,
"Ah, another old man standing so still in San Ti Shi.
Continue, my friend, stand in peace, touch the mind. 
The subtle winds of understanding blow down the centuries.
When still, fly like the Eagle; when moving, walk like the Mountain.
Tame the Tiger within, ride the Tiger to the temple, and roar in silence.
Awaken like the Bear from the winter of the soul, and rise like a Man.
Feel the vital energies from bone to brain,
Sense the Great Tao before you Now,
Drop delusions, break through the Gate of Mystery,
Embrace the Center, Empty, unattached, ready to be filled
With boundless beauty, everything There, marvelous beyond words."

The cottonwood leaves spoke with the wind,
the sun rose over the shadows,
my legs shook a little;
the cosmic circle trembled,
the Master had gone."

-   Michael Garofalo, Poetic Relections on Chang San-Feng 

"The San-t'i ("three essentials") posture, the basic Hsing-i posture, generates both the Five Fists and the Twelve Animals.  Your head should press up as if balancing a book, you elbows and shoulders should be held down, and you knees should be well bent, thus lowering you hips, forming a crease where you lower abdomen and thighs meet (the inguinal area).  You weight should be distributed so that the rear leg supports 60% of it.  You left arm should be extended, the elbow slightly bent and the fingertips at eyebrow level.  You left hand should be open and stretched to form the "tiger mouth" as it strikes forward.  Your open right hand should be held palm down, but the fingers pointed upward to protect the groin.  Finally, your eyes look at your left index finger, gazing past it, focusing on a point ahead.  ...  Your left foot is now on a line slightly to the left (about a fist's width) of your right heel.  The length of your advancing step should accord with your height." 
-  Robert K. Smith and Allen Pitman, Hsing-I: Chinese Internal Boxing, 1989, p. 34

Body - The body should be centered and balanced. The shoulders drop and "get behind" the arms as the chest is relaxed and sunk slightly inwards. The shoulders should never lift upwards and should align with the hips. The buttocks are relaxed and have a sinking feeling. "Get into your legs" by pulling the tailbone slightly forward and under. This roots you better to the earth and straightens out the spine. The testicles should be lifted. As the body moves forward, the head and shoulders should reamain on the same horizontal plane.

Hands and Arms - The arms and hands are relaxed and held in gentle curves. They should never be fully extended. The fingers are separated and "shaped like hooks," allowing the qi to flow to the ends of the fingertips unimpeded. The hands are open and the palms deep. The elbows should feel heavy (with the mind) and remain dropped, protecting the ribs. "The hands never leave the heart, the elbows never leave the ribs." The index finger of both hands should be on the same vertical plane as the nose, or your centerline. The bottom hand should be at the navel or Dan Tian area.

Feet and Legs - The knees are slightly bent, never passing the vertical line which passes through the tips of the toes. Your weight should be in the back leg in a 70/30 distribution. This may vary a bit depending on the style. The feet grip the ground as if you were trying to pick up the ground with your toes. They should be visualized as twisting inwards and down like the powerful roots of a tree, gripping the ground - rooted, but ready to move without a thought."
-  Konghua Xingyiquan   Empty Flower Xingiquan.   By Dave Devere.

"Stand with front knee over heel, lead hand along center shoulders relaxed (allowing the elbows to drop inward) and second hand beside lead elbow. Second hand can be open or closed, depending on your school, or whatever you feel like 'expressing'. Generally the closed fist (heart) is a Phoenix eye, and an open palm can be either thumb and 4 fingers flat (as if on a table) and slightly open (cotton balls) or thumb underneath fingers, as if holding a small steel ball.

Feel your body sinking into the posture, as if you are continually sinking and never quite being able to 'arrive' in that posture. Imagine a 1000 lb. Steel ball suspended from a chain off you tail bone into the center of the earth, and allow the feeling if downward pull to go through your legs from the sheer weight of it. Attach a string to the crown of your skull (bai hui point) and have it pull upward, the combined effect with the steel ball will elongate the spine and open meridians. Another analogy for bai hui is to imagine a 'meat hook' in the back of your skull pulling up, or to imagine a 'push button' for a light above your head, and your have to push up on the button to keep a light on.

Feel the skin from your elbows to your fingers getting heavy. All the weight in your arms and body is sinking into earth. The skin on your arms (elbow to finger) is starting to sag from its weight, and eventually hangs tattered off the bone. Feel the sinking in the bones as the body continues to 'fall' into this posture. Maintain this for a few minutes.

Between your fingers imagine there is cotton balls. Experience the feeling of them and embrace them with your fingers, but don't 'flatten' them, they are delicate. Feel the weight of a steel ball in each open hand; allow the weight to flow evenly through to the elbows, creating a balanced heaviness throughout the arm. Try to 'feed' the lead hand forward, as if pushing the steel ball through extremely thick mud, simultaneously drawing the reverse hand back. Feel the connect wrap around the body and through the spine and into the legs. This is the action of split (reverse, opening) and the element of metal (sinking, condensing)."
-   San Ti Shi Visualization Exercise
 

"The most basic technique to be learned by a neijia practitioner is the standing exercise. As a saying among Li's descendants goes, "The standing exercise is to martial arts what a granary is to food grains."

The three-harmony standing exercise [San Ti Shi] is explained in some of the writings by neijia masters, with the main points as follows:

1) Stand upright and turn the body 45 degrees to the right, using both heels as pivots. Bend both legs slightly so that the knees are directly above the toes. Meanwhile, clench both hands into fists and place them on the hips with palm side down.

2) As you inhale deeply, bring the right fist up to nose level with the arm held close to the body and turned externally so that the knuckles of the fist face forward, while the left fist remains on the hip with the knuckles turned downward.

3) As you exhale, lower the right fist to chest level and, with the left arm drawn close to the body, bring up the left fist to nose level, unclenching it when it passes over the right hand.

4) Then move the left foot about two foot lengths to the front and strike out with the left hand at nose level while unclenching the right fist into a palm and pressing it down to the right "riyue" point as if to protect the rib cage.

5) As the foot and hand movements are completed at the end of exhalation, both legs are slightly bent and the bulk of the body weight is on the rear leg, with the left arm bent at an angle of 135 degrees and the palm facing obliquely downward like a tiger's claw, that is, with thumb and index finger forming a semi-circle and the other fingers naturally extended.

6) Keep standing in this position for as long as you don't feel tired. Traditionally, one would stand for at least three minutes on each foot.

By "three harmonies" we mean, externally, 1) proper alignment between hands and feet (with fingers above toes); 2) proper alignment between shoulders and hips (also with the two on a vertical line); and 3) proper alignment between shoulders and hips (also with the two on a vertical line).

Furthermore, internally the term refers to 1) harmony between mind and will, which means that only with concentration of mind can you attain a state of tranquility and use the power of the will; 2) harmony between will and "chi", which means that only by the power of the will can chi be conducted up and down the body without interruption; and 3) harmony between chi and force, which means that the internal organs will relax when chi descends and contract when chi ascends, thus creating a force which, as vividly described in The Yellow Emperor's Canon of Internal Medicine, "lies hidden as if in a drawn crossbow and which is capable of displaying the power of a released arrow," a force that is often effectively used by wushu masters for knocking down their adversaries and by qigong masters for treating their patients. "
-   San Ti Shi, International Sun Taijiquan Association

4.  Chen Taijiquan Post Standing Posture

I began the study of the Chen style of Taijiquan in March, 2007, at the age of 61.  In my very first lesson from Carmine Farruggia, he gave me instructions on how to do Chen style post standing.  His descriptions closely match those provided by Mark Chen is his fine book "Old Frame Chen Family Taijiquan," 2004, pp. 68-72.  Mark Chen said that the standing meditation exercise is from Small Frame Chen Style (xiao jia). 

Stand in a horse stance, knees bent, back straight, with the insteps in line with the outsides of your shoulders. 
Your feet should point outwards very slightly, with the knees forward.  Keep the weight evenly on the ball and heel of the foot. 
Some tension is the perineum area should be maintained, as with yoga postures like mula banda (root energy lock). 
Tuck your bottom of the pelvis/hips forward to open the inguinal area (Kua).     
Keep your shoulders down, and your head erect.
Both eyes focus on the tip of the middle finger of the right hand, with a soft focus.  Eyes should be halfway closed.   
Your weight is centered.  Aim at feeling deeply rooted, sunk, connected with earth energies. 
Your right hand is held in front of your face, fingers pointing upward, fingers straight and close together.  The middle finger is in line with the nose.
The middle finger is about 8" inches from the front of the nose.  The palm faces to the left.  The elbow should be soft and buoyant. 
The left hand makes a hook hand (i.e., left thumb touches the four fingers).  The hand is placed on the lower back, at the Ming Men point, in the lower lumbar area.  The fingers of the left hand point up and the side of the hand rests on the back. 
You settle and sink into the horse stance as low as you can go and hold the posture.
Breathe as slowly, gently, and evenly as possible. 
The mind should try to center one's awareness on the central abdomen, in the Dantien. 
Try to maintain a feeling of Sung: alert, open, and "relaxed." 
The correct posture is rather uncomfortable, and can be quite painful to maintain.  
A beginner might want to aim at practicing, for example, four times a day for 3 minutes each practice session, for the first month of practice.  Gradually increase the length of the practice time. 
Although attention should be on the Dantien, practitioners will need to monitor the aspects of their posture and make corrections as is necessary. 

Carmine Farruggia wrote to me by email on 3/5/07: "Right hand about 8 inches from nose.  Eyes half way closed.  Concentrate on the Dantien.  Left hand fingers all touching thumb.  Left hand on the Ming Men.   Sit in your Kua as far as you can.  Suspend from the top, drop down from below.  Do this from 1 to 3 minutes.  If this time is easy then you are standing too high."
 

5.  Bear Spirit Standing Posture

"The Bear Spirit Posture:  The name of this posture is derived from a wonderful carving of 
the Northwest Pacific Coast Indians in which the Grandfather Bear Spirit, the Great Healer,
stands behind a shaman who holds the pose.  It is very old and, of all the postures, is the
most widely known.  Evidence of it has been found in countries throughout the world, and
historically it has existed from 6,000 B. C. to the present."
-  Belinda Gore, Ecstatic Body Postures, p. 49.  See my comments on Wu Ji.

     Five Animal Frolics

     Description:  

Zhan Zhuang
Entering the Heart of Trees
Quotations, Sayings, Poems

"Standing Meditation is the single most important and widely practiced form of gigong, integrating all elements of posture, relaxation, and breathing previously described.  It is a way of developing better alignment and balance, stronger legs and waist, deeper respiration, accurate body awareness, and a tranquil mind."
-  Kenneth S. Cohen,  The Way of Qigong,  p. 133.  

"Although there is no obvious movement, they are deeply engaged in one of the most demanding and powerful forms of exercise ever developed.  It is so utterly focused on deep, internal growth that it literally requires learning to stand like a tree.  It is known in
Chinese as Zhan Zhuang, "standing like a stake', or "standing like a tree." It is pronounced "Jan Jong", or in southern China, "Jam Jong". 
-  Mater Lam, Kam Chuen, The Way of Energy, p. 11

"Classical admonitions for standing practice include: keep head upright (raise the baihui) and the body straight; eyes gaze forward and level; hollow the chest and raise the back (careful, does not mean "hunch"); relax the waist and huiyin (perineum); sink the shoulders and elbows; extend the fingers; keep the kua (inguinal crease) open and the dang (crotch) rounded; tailbone hangs straight down; weight balanced over yongquan (bubbling well points behind balls of feet); qi circulates freely and completely throughout body."
-  Michael Jones, Zhan Zhuang

"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, paying attention to one's 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.

" Stand naturally, the hands loosely at the sides. The ears, shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles should all be aligned when viewed from the side.  Close the mouth, and place the tip of the tongue on the upper palate behind the teeth. The eyes may be open or closed.  Fangsong (relax the mind and body) 

Mentally repeat the verse "weight balanced, mind balanced, listen behind, qi balanced in the dantien."

Slowly bend the knees, lowering the center of gravity, and relax the hips.  Shift weight to the right leg.  Sink down, and lift the left heel, followed by the toes. 

Step out to shoulder width, with weight still on the right leg. Slowly shift weight back to the center of the body, so it is evenly distributed on both legs.  

Mentally repeat the verse “weight balanced, mind balanced, listen behind, qi balanced in the dantien."

Beginning from the medulla and proceeding downward, relax each vertebrae in the spine, counting to 9 for each vertebrae.  

Slowly raise the arms to a shoulder height and width position, as if holding a large ball.  Depending on one’s fitness, the arms may be held at a greater than shoulder width.  As the arms rise, simultaneously sink the hips more. Relax.  Keeps wrists and fingers loose and relaxed.

Mentally repeat the verse "weight balanced, mind balanced, listen behind, qi balanced in the dantien.”

Assume a posture with the chest concave, shoulders and hips relaxed, the dantien area relaxed, the back straight.  When all these requirements are met, your body will feel comfortable.  Hold this position for a set period of time. Beginners should work gradually to a time frame of at least 20 minutes.

Mentally repeat the verse "weight balanced, mind balanced, listen behind, qi balanced in the dantien.”

Very slowly lower hands to the sides, standing up as they drop, but not completely.  Keep the hips relaxed.  Allow the qi of the shoulders to flow downward to the hips: the elbow qi to flow downward to the knees: and the qi of the hands to flow downward to the feet.  Mentally repeat the verse "weight balanced, mind balanced, listen behind, qi balanced in the dantien.”  Relax any tense areas in the body.  

Slowly shift weight to the right leg.  Lift heel and then toes of the left foot, and move it inward next to the right foot. Place first toes, then heels on the ground.

Mentally repeat the verse "weight balanced, mind balanced, listen behind, qi balanced in the dantien.”  Count silently to 9.  Stand up fully."
-  Hun Yuan Zhuang, The Practice of Zhuang Gong

"Taming the Playful Monkey

"Stand with feet apart at shoulder width, toes point forward or slightly outward. Bend the knees and sit down slightly, weight centered firmly on the soles of the feet. 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. Gaze straight ahead, eyelids hanging relaxed over the eyes. Rest the tip of the tongue on the upper palate behind the front teeth, let the lips and the teeth hang slightly open. 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.

-   J. P. C. Moffett, Wang Xuanjie,  Traditional Chinese Therapeutic Exercises: Standing Pole.
Foreign Languages Press May 1994.  ISBN: 7119006967.  Pages: 49-52

"Find a comfortable and convenient place to stand, with your feet about shoulder width apart and parallel, and start to feel the support of the Golden Cord holding you up from the top of your head, held by Kuan Yin, the Chinese Goddess of universal compassion. Just allow your body to relax and hang off that cord.  Allow Kuan Yin to do the work of holding you up, just trust her to do her job.

Allow the weight of your body, and any tension in your body, to start to drain out, starting from your head,  through your face, your neck, your shoulders, your arms, your wrists, your hands, your torso, your belly, your pelvis, your thighs, your knees, your ankles, your feet, all the way down into a reservoir three feet under the ground.

Allow even your feet to relax, with your weight going down into the ground just forward of the heels, so the front parts of your feet don't have to exert any force on the ground, and can sit easy and relaxed on the ground, king of like the webbed feet of a duck.

Imagine you have a horse between your legs, and that the very bottom part of your body is resting on the saddle of that horse. So there's a feeling of the weight being taken on your perineum - that's the very bottom point of the body. Relax into the support you're feeling there. Relax the buttocks and the anus - create a feeling of everything opening down to the ground.

Feel your pelvis like a bowl full of water.

-  Chi Kung Standing Meditation, Instructional CD, by Martin ?

"In its most pure form, kyudo is practiced as an art and as a means of moral and spiritual development.  Many archers practice kyudo as a sport, with marksmanship being paramount. However, the highest  ideal of kyudo is "seisha seichu", "correct shooting is correct hitting". In kyudo the unique action of expansion (nobiai) that results in a natural release, is strived for.  When the spirit and balance of the shooting is correct the result will be for the arrow to arrive in the target. To give oneself completely to the shooting is the spiritual goal. In this respect, many kyudo practitioners believe that competition, examination, and any opportunity that places the archer in this uncompromising situation is important, while other practitioners will avoid competitions or examinations of any kind."
-   Kyudo - Wikipedia

"By yourself, try all the same things standing with your feet parallel to each other, about shoulder width (or less) apart, with your knees just slightly bent. Relax your shoulders, shoulder blades, and chest.  Gently adjust your coccyx (tail bone) so that it is more or less pointed directly down toward the ground. When this happens, the arch in your lower back will naturally flatten out. See if you can sense your lower back and sacrum connecting directly to your legs. (Remember to let your arms hang naturally at your sides with your palms facing back.) Once you are more or less comfortable in this posture, use your attention to slowly scan your entire body from the top of your head to the bottoms of your feet, noting where there is any unnecessary tension in your muscles. As you scan your body, do not attempt to change anything. Simply observe and sense. Once you reach the bottoms of your feet, start again from the top of your head and see if you can gradually release any unnecessary tension in your muscles downward through your body into the earth. As you try this, you will begin to sense a new dimension of inner balance, a sense of being supported by and rooted to the earth. Start out by standing this way for at least five minutes a day. Once your legs and pelvis begin to feel comfortable in this posture you can move on to ten or fifteen minutes a day or more.

After undertaking this practice for a couple of weeks, begin to experiment with it in your ordinary life-as you talk to friends, wait in line, and so on. The idea is not to take the same exact posture that you take when working alone, but rather to have the continuing sensation of releasing all your muscular tension downward through your body into the earth. See if you can "just stand" with your weight equally distributed through both feet and your arms at your sides, totally open to whatever impressions or perceptions the moment may bring. If you observe a thought or emotion making some part of your body tense, just return to the sensation of releasing this tension downward into the earth. As you continue to work in this way in whatever circumstances you may find yourself, you will begin to discover a deep sense of relaxation not just physically, but also mentally and emotionally. You will find yourself spontaneously "letting go" of much that is unnecessary in your life."
-   Dennis Lewis, The Transformative Power of Conscious Standing

An old Chinese Zen Master once said, "Some of you are taking me literally when I say, 'Don't think,' and you are making your minds like a rock. This is a cause of in-sentiency and an obstruction to the Way. When I say not to think, I mean that if you have a thought, think nothing of it."

"Body is the bow,
asana is the arrow,
and soul is the target."
-   B.K.S. Iyengar

"The foundation of the internal martial arts (and many external martial arts as well) is the practice of "stance keeping" or Zhan Zhuang.  In the Xing Yi Quan system, stance keeping is the very core of training and develops many of the qualities essential to the development of martial ability.  ...   The root of efficient movement is stillness.  Therefore, a logical place to begin training is simply standing still.  Standing still, one may reduce the number of variables to be dealt with to the bare minimum.   The mind may naturally quiet and focus itself on the felling of correct posture and true balance.  The first goal of standing is to return to the state of "not-doing" anything, thereby inhibiting previously acquired bad habits and allowing the neuromuscular system to register the feeling of natural balance until it once again becomes the predominant state.  Any movement initiated from this state of true balance will naturally have power."
-  Tim Cartmell, p. 58, Xing Yi Nei Gong

"Beginning students bust first stand 'hun yuan zhuang' (Standing meditation. 'Hun' = mixed, foggy, obscure, confused, all over etc. yuan = beginning, zhuang = 'post') The body must be stilled and intentioned must be focused on 'wuji'. From stillness into motion is the taiji. ...  The single palm change is the mother of ten thousand palms. The mother palms give birth to them all. Its place is between stillness and motion. It could be moving; it could be still. Towards movement but not moving. The San Jian Zhao (3 points stance) of Baji, the San Ti Shi of Xing Yi Quan, the Bu Chan Shi (Snatching a Cicada Stance) of Preying Mantis, The Ti Shou Shi (rising hands stance; the opening position) of Taijiquan, all of them follow this logic. The incredible power of baguazhang can all be found withing the single palm change."
-   Baguazhang of Liu Yun Chiao

"In the zhan zhuang form, you do literally "stand like a tree;" your arms assume positions resembling the branches of a tree while your feet and legs remain motionless. Some instructors include the visualization of roots reaching out from the soles of your feet and spreading into the soil.  Like all qigong, the intent of this form is to maintain the free-flow of your internal energy (qi or chi) since stagnant or blocked energy is at the root of most illnesses. Zhan zhuang delivers the added benefit of actually increasing your internal energy and making you stronger as you stand while holding your arms in each of the five basic positions. It is recommended that you begin with five minutes and build up to standing for about thirty minutes each day."
-  Standing Meditation, Living Stress Free

"Zhan zhuang practice typically begins with wuji zhuang, a balanced posture with arms down at the sides of the body.  A transition into cheng bao zhuang (’Embracing the Ball’ Stance) consists of raising the arms up and forward.  This action shifts your center of gravity forwards, and unless you compensate for this shift with another part of your body, you will immediately topple over.  When you adopt different postures with the arms, you must engage different muscles in the legs and back to remain upright.  At first, this will feel uncomfortable, as it increases the load on your entire body; nevertheless, it is correct.  This discomfort does not necessarily mean you have violated the principle of no-force; rather, it simply shows that your body is not yet strong enough.  One of the signature benefits of zhan zhuang practice is development of hunyuan li, or unified martial force.  To gain this benefit to the fullest degree, be sure to practice with your whole body."
-  Do You Make This Zhan Zhuang Mistake

"Begin by standing with your feet parallel and about shoulder-width apart. Take a couple of deep long breaths, saying “aaah” (either out loud or to yourself) with the exhales. Let go of any tension you find in your shoulders, neck or face ~ simply let it “melt” away, with the exhale … as though that tension were a frozen river, being touched now by a warm sun, and flowing downward, like the gentle cascade of a waterfall, forming pools at your feet. Feel your energy, your awareness, settling into your feet & legs & hips & belly, connecting you strongly to the earth. Bend your knees just slightly ~ just enough to feel a softness at the backs of your knees.

Let your arms hang down next to your sides, so that your thumbs are gently touching your outer thighs (which means the backs of your hands will be facing forward). Separate and extend your fingers downward, so that they’re straight without being rigid, and so there’s space between each pair of fingers (as though you had webbed fingers). Now, float your hands directly forward, three or four inches, so they’re hovering now just in front of (but still to the sides) of your thighs. This should create a feeling of hollowness in your armpits. Let your elbows be bent just enough to create a feeling of softness in them.

Now choose a gazing point, eight or ten feet in front of you. Rest your eyes very softly on that point (or area). (The meditation Masters of the past have discovered that there’s a connection between the movement of our eyes, and the movement of thoughts in our mind … So making the eyes still is a wonderful way to calm the mind.) Try to let that spot you’re looking at come into your eyes, instead of reaching out (with the energy of your eyes) to “grab” it. In other words, let your eyes become receptive, instead of active … Relax your jaw, so that there’s space between your upper & lower teeth, even though your lips are gently closed."
-   Qigong Standing Meditation by Elizabeth Reinger

"I call the ancient, natural way of standing "the Paleolithic Posture."  In the Paleolithic Posture, the knees are slightly bent, the spine is straight, and long, the breath is deep and quiet, and the eyes are open and alert.  The body feels like a tree with deep roots for balance and tall branches for grace.  Although we usually think of a "posture" as a static pose, it includes our carriage in movement as well.  Since a straight and tall stance confers the greatest balance, sensitivity, awareness, and alertness, we see it in a scout standing still on a mountain lookout or walking through camp to a council meeting."
-  Ken Cohen, Honoring the Medicine, p. 240

"Standing meditation or Zhan Zhuang is an ancient form of Chi Kung that is gaining popularity in China and the rest of the world. This system is simple on the outside, and as deep as the universe on the inside. Standing exercises are extremely important to Tai Chi training, and the essence of self-healing.

   The basic idea for all standing exercises is the use of the mind to move energy. These exercises can be as easy as just standing in a normal posture and breathing naturally, or as complex as twisting the body or sinking into a very deep posture and moving the breath in quite intricate patterns. In any case, the exercises always proceed from simple to complex as the student gains the necessary skills needed to use the mind to move energy.

   T. T. Liang, one of America’s leading Tai Chi masters, used the term “Imagination Becomes Reality” to describe how Tai Chi and standing meditation works. At first you imagine certain things, like holding a ball and feeling it expand and contract, or feeling energy circle in an orbit inside the body. Before long, you will actually be able to feel these sensations as the mind (Yi) acts on the energy (Chi) to create internal energy (Jing or Shen). These sensations are, at the beginning, quite obvious like tingling, shaking, vibrating, or heat. As the body opens and relaxation happens, the grosser sensations vanish and the movement of the finer energies becomes possible. In the final stages, time seems to vanish, the separate ego identity merges with the universal energy or Tao, and the person has realized his or her own potential. It is a journey requiring diligent and constant practice, yet is attainable by everyone. Many individuals throughout history have walked on this path, and their teaching can and should guide you. There are many pitfalls, obstacles, and quite difficult places, yet if you follow the advice of those who have gone before, and listen to your inner self, the potential problems will be minimized."
-   Michael Gilman, Standing Meditation

"Cross-culturally, the posture of standing meditation in one position with arms at sides and eyes open for at least fifteen minutes is used in the martial arts, spiritual practices and in the military as a way of reinforcing and coalescing the three universal powers and of connecting the practitioner with the greater being of who he or she is.   ...  The task of the warrior is to show up, to be visible and empower others through example and intention.  ...   Universally there are three kinds of power: power of presence, power to communicate, power of position. Shamanic societies recognize that a person who has all three powers embodies "big medicine."  Every human being carries the power of presence. Some individuals carry such presence that we are drawn to and captivated by these charismatic people even before they speak or we know anything about them.  A warrior or leader uses the power of communication to effectively align the content, timing and placement to deliver a message at the right time in the right place for the person involved to hear and receive it.  A warrior demonstrates the power of position by the willingness to take a stand. Many politicians have great presence and great communication, but lose power when they allow constituents to wonder where they stand on specific issues."  
-   Angeles Arrien, Four Ways to Wisdom

Zhan Zhuang
Entering the Heart of Trees
Notes and Observations, Questions, Leads

Standing Relaxation and Meditation Posture

"Wu Ji" is the name of the Chinese Qigong Standing Meditation Posture
   "Wu" means emptiness, the primordial undifferentiated Ground of Being
   "Ji" means the limit, the boundary, the terminus, the end point

"Tadasana" is the name of the Indian Yoga Standing Meditation Posture
   "Tad" means mountain
   "asana" means posture, specific body position, ritual posture

X References:  Wu Ji, Standing Meditation, Zhan Zhuang, Standing Post, Standing Like a Tree,
Yi Quan, I Chuan, Pole Standing

Waving Hands Like Clouds Homepage

Michael P. Garofalo's E-Mail

Red Bluff, Tehama County, North Sacramento Valley, Northern California, U.S.A.
Cities in the area: Oroville, Paradise, Durham, Chico, Hamilton City, Orland, Corning,
Rancho Tehama, Los Molinos, Tehama, Gerber, Manton, Cottonwood, 
Anderson, Shasta Lake, Palo Cedro, and Redding, CA

Disclaimer

© Green Way Research, Red Bluff, California, 2008
By Michael P. Garofalo, All Rights Reserved.

This document was first published on the Internet in June, 2005. 

Alphabetical Subject Index
Valley Spirit Center, Cloud Hands, Taijiquan, Qigong, Internal Martial Arts, Walking, Yoga,
Training, Fitness, Gardening, Thinking, Poetry, Mysticism, Taoism, Philosophy

Above the Fog  -  Zen Poems by Mike Garofalo   

Aging Well   

Alphabetical Subject Index to the Cloud Hands Website   

Ancient Goddesses - Quotations, Poems, Sayings, Prayers, Songs

Animal Frolics (Wu Qin Xi): Tiger, Bear, Crane, Deer, and Monkey

Arthritis Therapy - Exercise: T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Chi Kung    

Audio Recordings, Making This Life Significant, Classics Series  

Bagua Zhang (Eight Trigrams Boxing)    

Balls - Taiji and Qigong Exercises, Medicine Balls

Bear, Standing Bear, Level 1 Ranking, Valley Spirit Taijiquan

The Bear: The Five Animal Frolics (Wu Qin Xi)    

Bibliography - Ch'i Kung

Bibliography - Taijiquan     

Bicycling in Northern California    

Bird - Five Animal Frolics (Wu Qin Xi)  

Blog - Cloud Hands: Taijiquan and Qigong by Michael P. Garofalo  

Blog - Green Way by Michael P. Garofalo

Book of Changes (I Ching) and Qigong (Dao-yin)

Breathing and Taijiquan     

Breathing and Yoga    

Breathing Practices: Bibliography, Links, Resources, Quotes    

Breath Working   

Broadsword - Chen Taijiquan    

Broadsword (Dao, Saber) 

Broadsword (Dao, Saber): Yang Style

Buddhism and Martial Arts    

Buddhism - Tibetan: Shambhala Warriorship, Tantra, Yoga

Buddhist Ethics

California (Northern) T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong Directory: Instructors, Schools, Information

Charkas (Energy Centers of the Subtle Body)

Chan Ssu Chin - Silk Reeling    

Cheng Man-Ch'ing  (1901-1975)    

Chen Style Taijiquan Internal Training

Chen Style Taijiquan    

Chen Style Taijiquan Index, Valley Spirit Taijiquan 

Chen Style Taijiquan Sword (Jian)

Chen Style Weapons

Ch'i - Breathwork  

Chih - Taiji Ruler

Ch'i or Qi

Chi Kung (Qigong) and Yoga Classes, Red Bluff, California.  Instructor:  Mike Garofalo.

Ch'i Kung: Bibliography and Links    

Chi Kung: Bibliography and Links 2007

Chi Kung Blog  

Chi Kung for Seniors

Ch'i Kung Instructor: Michael P. Garofalo in Red Bluff, California   

Chi Kung - Qigong 2007

Chi Kung: Valley Spirit Center     Red Bluff, California

Chinese Massage   

Chinese Yoga - 12 Animals

Ch'i or Qi and Taijiquan     

Circle Walking - Bagua Zhang (Eight Trigrams Boxing)    

Circles and Spheres - Sacred Circles

Class Schedule, Taijiquan, Instructor: Mike Garofalo, Red Bluff, California  

Class Schedule, Hatha Yoga, Instructor: Mike Garofalo, Red Bluff California   

Classes, Valley Spirit Taijiquan, Instructional Program 

Classical Taiji Sword (Jian) Yang Style 55 Movements

Classics of T'ai Chi Ch'uan     

Classics Series, Making This Life Significant

Cloud Hands Blog  

Cloud Hands Blog, Mind/Body Movement Arts: Taijiquan, Qigong, Yoga, Walking and Gardening

Cloud Hands Blog RSS Feed

Cloud Hands Website: T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Ch'i Kung     

Cloud Hands T'ai Chi Ch'uan Journal     

Cold Mountain: Han Shan

Comments and Notes on the Yang Style Taijiquan     

Concrete and Visual Poetry     

Confucius (K'ung Fu-tzu)  (551 - 479 BCE)    

Contemplation    

Correct Taijiquan Practice Principles

Crane - Bird - Five Animal Frolics (Wu Qin Xi)

Crane, Soaring Crane, Intermediate Program, Level 3, Valley Spirit T'ai Chi Ch'uan   

Cuttings: Short Poems by Michael P. Garofalo  

Cuttings: Above the Fog  

Dance and Taijiquan       

Daoist Medical Qigong Center Studies in 2007       

Daoist Perspectives

Dao (Saber, Broadsword) 

Dao (Saber, Broadsword) - Yang Style

Dao-yin (Qigong, Chi Kung)

Dayan - Wild Goose Qigong

The Deer: The Five Animal Frolics (Wu Qin Xi)    

Diabetes Therapy - Exercise: Taijiquan and Qigong   

Dictionary of Internal Martial Arts (Nei Jia Quan)

Direction of Movements in Taijiquan and Qigong

Disclaimer of the Cloud Hands Website  

Dragon Gate - Taoism - Wudang Mountain Qigong    

Druids, Neo-Pagans, Green Men, Shamans

Eight Animals Qigong 

Eight Part Models of the Cosmos

Eight Ox Herding Songs -  A Ch'an/Zen Parable

Eight Rivers Qigong

Eight Section Brocade Ch'i Kung       

Eight Silken Treasures Qigong    

Eight Trigrams Boxing (Bagua Zhang, Pa Kua Quan)    

Eight Trigrams of the I Ching

Eight Trigrams and Taijiquan          

Eight Ways of Walking Qigong       

Embrace the One - Zhan Zhuang - Standing Like A Tree  

Email to Michael P. Garofalo

Emptiness in Full Bloom    

Energy - Quotations    

Entering Tranquility (Ru Jing) Meditation      

Essentials of Taijiquan Movement Art

Exercise - Diabetes Therapy - Taijiquan and Qigong   

External and Internal Aspects of Chinese Martial Arts

Feedback, Kudos and Reviews for the Cloud Hand's Website     

Fitness and Well Being Website    

Fitness for Older Persons     

Five Animal Frolics (Wu Qin Xi): Tiger, Bear, Crane, Deer, and Monkey 

Five Fists of Hsing I Chuan 

Five Precepts of Buddhism     

Five Elements (Wu-Xing) and Taijiquan   

Five Stepping Movements of Taijiquan    

Flexibility and Stretching     

Five Elements (Air, Earth, Fire, Water, Metal)

Flowers

Flowers in the Sky     

Gardening: Quotes, Poems, History, Sayings

Gardening: Quips and Maxims by Michael P. Garofalo

The Four Gates: Grasping the Sparrow's Tail    

Michael P. Garofalo's Biography

Michael P. Garofalo's T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong Practice    

Glossary of Taijiquan Terms in English and Chinese (Pinyin)

The Goddess - Quotations, Poems, Sayings, Prayers, Songs    

Goose - Bird - Five Animal Frolics (Wu Qin Xi)  

Goose - Wild Goose Qigong             

Grasping the Sparrow's Tail       

Green Men, Neo-Pagans, Druids, Shamans

Green Way Blog   

Green Way Research  Michael P. Garofalo, M.S..  Red Bluff, California.         

Green Way Research - Taijiquan and Qigong       

Green Wizard: Druids, Neo-Pagans, Witchcraft, Earth Religions   

Gun Quan Short Staff, 50" Walking/Martial Staff,

Gu Shen Taijiquan Journal     

Gu Shen (Valley Spirit) Taijiquan Instructional Program

Haiku and Short Poems     

Han Shan

Hatha Yoga

Hatha Yoga Classes, Red Bluff, California, Instructor: Mike Garofalo

Health and Fitness - T'ai Chi Ch'uan    

Hexagrams and Trigrams of the I Ching (Book of Changes)

Hidden Tiger, Beginning Program, Level 2, Valley Spirit T'ai Chi Ch'uan   

High Blood Pressure Reduction and Practicing Taijiquan and Qigong

Hsing I Chuan   

Hsing I Chuan   Five Fists

I Ching (Book of Changes) and Taijiquan and Qigong

Index to the Cloud Hands Website   

Indoor Cycling, Stationary Bicycling, Spinning   

Instructional Program, Valley Spirit T'ai Chi Ch'uan    

Internal and External Aspects of Chinese Martial Arts  

Internal Martial Arts (Nei Jia Quan) Dictionary

Jian, Chen Style Taijiquan

Jian or Gim, Sword Weapons  

Jian 32 Standard Sword Form - Yang Style        

Jian 55 Yang Style

Jian - Wu Dang    

Jo Short Staff, 50" Walking Stick, Way of the Jo

Jo Do: Way of the Short Staff: Jo Do, Aikijo, Jojutsu, Gun Quan

Journal - Valley Spirit Journal by Michael P. Garofalo   

Kinhin -  Walking Meditation    

Kriya Yoga    

Kudos for the Cloud Hands Website

Kundalini (Coiled Serpent) Energy

Kwang Ping Taijiquan of Kuo Lien Ying     

Labyrinths and Mazes   

Learning and Teaching Taijiquan, Qigong and Yoga  

Lifestyle Advice for Wise Persons

Links and Bibliography: Qigong    

Links and Bibliography: Taijiquan       

Long Form 108 Yang Style Taijiquan     

Making This Life Significant, Classics Series

Martial Arts - Virtures

Massage  

Massage: Valley Spirit Center    Red Bluff, California

Master Chang San-Feng  (circa 1350)       

Master Cheng Man-Ch'ing  (1901 - 1975)    

Master Han Shan  (circa 750)    

Master Kuo Lien Ying   (1895-1984)     

Master Sun Lu-Tang  (1861-1932)   

Master Yang Cheng-Fu  (1883-1936)   

Mastery, Self Control, Self Mastery, Choices, Will Power, Strength of Character 

Medicine Balls, Taiji and Qigong Exercise Balls

Meditation - General

Meditation and Breathing

Meditation and Walking    

Meditation Instructor: Michael P. Garofalo in Red Bluff, California        

Meditation Methods and Techniques  

Meditation Quotations    

Meditation - Standing Like A Tree  

Meditation - Standing - General

Meditation - Wu Ji - The Edge of Emptiness     

Michael P. Garofalo, M.S. - Brief Biography        

Michael P. Garofalo - Email

Michael P. Garofalo - Internal Martial Arts Practice History      

Michael P. Garofalo - Resume     

Michael P. Garofalo -  T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong Practice    

Minding the Breath

Months of the Year: Quotes, Poems, Links     

Mountain Biking in Northern California    

Movement Direction Instructions for Taijiquan and Qigong Forms  

Movement Principles of Tai Chi Chuan

Moving Hands Like Clouds:  T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong    

Northern California Taijiquan and Qigong News in Cloud Hands Blog  

Northern California T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong Directory: Instructors, Schools, Information  

Northwestern U.S. Tajiquan and Qigong News in Cloud Hands Blog  

Notes and Comments on the Yang Style Taijiquan     

Nature Mysticism   

Nei Jia Quan (Internal Martial Arts) Dictionary 

Neo-Pagans, Druids, Green Men, Shamans

Nine Movement Temple Ch'i Kung Exercise Set

Oak Tree in the Courtyard    

Octonary Models of the Cosmos

Old Cloud Hands Website

Older Persons Exercise and Wellness Programs   

One Druids Journey

Oregon T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong Directory: Instructors, Schools, Information   

Original Cloud Hands URL    

Original Waving Hands Like Clouds URL    

Pa Kua Chang (Eight Trigrams Boxing)       

Photography - Valley Spirit Photography Gallery    

Pilates: Links, Bibliography, Resources, Quotes, Notes   

Pole Weapons, Chen Style Taijiquan

Pranayama: Breathing Techniques from Yoga     

Principles of T'ai Chi Ch'uan Movement Art

Private Instruction by Michael P. Garofalo, Instructional Programs

Pulling Onions: The Quips and Maxims of a Gardener

Push Hands - T'ui Shou   

Qigong 2007

Qigong    (GWRW)

Qigong    (GDW)  

Qigong Ball Exercises, Medicine Balls, Taiji Balls

Qigong: Bibliography and Links    

Qigong: Bibliography and Links 2007 

Qigong Blog  

Qigong - Breathwork

Qigong, Ch'i Kung - Chinese Mind-Body Exercises    

Qigong and Yoga Classes, Red Bluff, California.  Instructor:  Mike Garofalo.

Qigong for Seniors

Qigong Instructor: Michael P. Garofalo in Red Bluff, California      

Qigong Practice: Tips, Suggestions, Lessons

Qigong Ruler - Taiji Chih

Qigong: Valley Spirit Center  

Qigong Walking      

Qigong-Yoga Exercise Cycle

Qi or Ch'i and Taijiquan   

Questions and Answers in Cloud Hands Blog    

Raja Yoga    

Red Bluff, California, Qigong Classes

Red Bluff, California, Yoga Classes   

Red Bluff, California: Valley Spirit Center    

Red Bluff, California: Valley Spirit Taijiquan

Red Bluff, Valley Spirit Taijiquan Instructional Program    

Reiki (Ushi Shiki Ryoho) - Karen Garofalo, Reiki Practitioner    

Reiki: Valley Spirit Center    Red Bluff, California

Relaxation and Taijiquan     

Resolve, Will. Willpower, Self Control, Self Discipline   

Resume of Michael P. Garofalo

Reviews of the Cloud Hand's Website     

Riding the Ox - A Zen Parable   

Royal (Raja) Yoga

RSS Feed for the Cloud Hands Blog  

RSS Feed for the Green Way Blog

Ruler, Chen Style Taijiquan

Ruler - T'ai Chi   

Saber - Chen Taijiquan    

Saber (Dao, Broadsword)  

Saber or Broadsword - Yang Style

Sacred Circles and Spheres

Self Control, Self Mastery, Choices, Will Power    

Self-Massage 

Send Email to Michael P. Garofalo

Senior Citizens Fitness Programs  

Senior Fitness - Red Bluff, CA

Sensing Hands: Push Hands - T'ui Shou   

73 Standard Competition Form, Sun Style Taijiquan  

Shamans, Neo-Pagans, Druids, Green Men

Shambhala Warriorship: Tibetan Buddhism    

Shoong, Sung, Song  - Loose, Relaxed, Open, Yielding, Responsive     

Short Form, Yang Style, Beijing Simplified 24  

Short Staff Martial Arts: Jo Do, Aikijo, Jojutsu, Gun Quan  

Silk Reeling, Chen Style Taijiquan

Silk Reeling    

Simplified 24 From, Yang Style       

Soaring Crane, Intermediate Program, Level 3, Valley Spirit T'ai Chi Ch'uan

Soulful Gardening

Speaking to the Spirit Meditation  

Spear Weapons, Chen Style Taijiquan   

The Spirit of Gardening    3,300 quotations arranged by 135 topics. 

Staff Weapons: Chen Style Taijiquan

Staff Weapons: Jo, Bo, Can, Staff, Spear    

Standard Orthodox 32 Sword (Jian) Form - Yang Style   Bibliography, Links, Quotes, Notes.

Standing Bear, Level 1 Ranking, Valley Spirit Taijiquan

Standing Like A Tree - Zhan Zhuang  

Standing Meditation (Wu Ji)   

Standing Meditation - General

Sticking Hands - T'ui Shou   

Stork - Bird - Five Animal Frolics

Strength Training    

Strength Training for Seniors    

Stretching and Flexibility

Subject Index to the Cloud Hands Website

Sun Lu-Tang's (1861-1933) Chronology   

Sun Lu-Tang's (1861-1933) Biography

Sun Lu-Tang (1861-1933): Baguaquan, Hsingyiquan, and Taijiquan Grandmaster

Sun Style Bagua Quan     

Sun Style Internal Martial Arts Glossary

Sun Style Hsingyi Quan   

Sun Style Qigong   

Sun Style Sword

Sun Style Taijiquan     

Sun Style Taijiquan Index  

Sun Style Taijiquan Online Videos

Sun Style Taijiquan, 73 Standard Competition Form

Sword, Chen Style Taijiquan

Swordsmanship and T'ai Chi Ch'uan     

Sword 32 Standard Sword (Jian) Form - Yang Style  

Sword 55 Yang Taiji Traditional

Sword - Wudang Style  

Tai Chi Ball Exercises, Qigong Balls, Medicine Balls, Exercise Balls

T'ai Chi Chuan Blog  

T'ai Ch'i Classics      

Tai Chi for Arthritis

Tai Chi for Diabetes   

Tai Chi for Seniors  

Tai Chi Chuan   (GWR)

T'ai Chi Ch'uan: Bibliography and Links     

T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong Directory: Instructors, Schools, Information, Workshops      
Northern California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia

T'ai Chi Ch'uan Instructor: Michael P. Garofalo in Red Bluff, California      

Tai Chi Chuan Movement Principles

T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Red Bluff, CA  

T'ai Chi Ch'uan Short Form, Beijing Simplified 24, Yang Style     

T'ai Chi Ch'uan: Links and Bibliography      

T'ai Chi Ch'uan Staff     

T'ai Chi Ch'uan Sword (Jian)     

T'ai Chi Ch'uan: Valley Spirit Center     Red Bluff, California

T'ai Chi Ruler - Chih

Taijiquan: Bibliography and Links  

Taijiquan Blog  

Taijiquan - Breathwork

Taijiquan Classics      

Taijiquan For Good Health, Fitness and Vitality         

Taijiquan Glossary

Taijiquan Instructor: Michael P. Garofalo in Red Bluff, California        

Taijiquan Jian (Sword)     

Taijiquan - Princiles of Practice

Taijiquan: Valley Spirit Center    Red Bluff, California

Taijiquan Yang Style Sword 55 Form

Taming the Ox - A Zen Allegory or Parable     

Tantric Yoga   

Tantric Buddhism: Shambhala Warriorship, Yoga

Taoism, Nature Mysticism, Alchemy      

Taoism - Wudang Qigong    

Taoist and Eastern Classics, Making This Life Significant Series  

Taoist Druids

Taoist Perspectives

Teaching and Learning Taijiquan, Qigong and Yoga 

Tehama Family Fitness Center, Red Bluff, California

Temple Qigong - A Nine Movement Exercise Set     

Thirteen Postures: 8 Gates and 5 Steps      

32 Standard Sword (Jian) Form - Yang Style        

The 300 Missing Poems of Han Shan      

Tibetan Buddhism: Shambhala Warriorship, Yoga, Tantra

The Tiger: The Five Animal Frolics (Wu Qin Xi)    

Tiger, Hidden Tiger, Beginning Program, Level 2, Valley Spirit T'ai Chi Ch'uan

Tips, Suggestions and Lessons for Qigong Practice

Tree Qigong - Zhan Zhuang - Standing Like A Tree   

Trees - Quotations, Poems, Lore, Wisdom  

Trees - Lore, Magick, Myths, Magick    

Trigrams and Hexagrams of the I Ching (Book of Changes)  

Twelve Animals of Chinese Yoga   

Twelve Animals of Hsing I Chuan (Xing I Quan) 

24 From, Yang Style, Standard       

Valley Spirit Center    Michael P. Garofalo, M.S.. Red Bluff, California

Valley Spirit Fitness and Well Being Website   

Valley Spirit Idea

Valley Spirit Journal by Michael P. Garofalo (May 2003-July 2005)     

Valley Spirit Journal by Michael P. Garofalo (August 2005- )     

Valley Spirit Labyrinths  

Valley Spirit Photography Gallery - Old      

Valley Spirit Photography Gallery - New - Coppermine      

Valley Spirit T'ai Chi Ch'uan Club        

Valley Spirit Taijiquan, Red Bluff, California

Valley Spirit Taijiquan Instructional Program    

Valley Spirit - Green Way Blog       

Valley Spirit Taijiquan and Qigong Journal (5/2003-7/2005) by Michael P. Garofalo       

Valley Spirit Taijiquan and Qigong Journal (8/2005-) by Michael P. Garofalo       

Valley Spirit T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Qigong, and Yoga    

Valley Spirit - Tao Te Ching

Vancouver, B.C., T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong Directory: Instructors, Schools     

Virtues in the Martial Arts

Vitality, Health and Qigong   

Walking and Labyrinths

Walking and Taijiquan     

Walking - Eight Ways of Walking Qigong       

Walking - General Fitness Exercise   

Walking Meditation

Walking - Quotations   

Walking: Valley Spirit Center     Red Bluff, California  

War Powers Authorization by Public Vote - 28th Amendment Proposal

Washington T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong Directory: Instructors, Schools, Information 

Waving Hands Like Clouds:  T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong    

Way of the Short Staff: Jo Do, Aikijo, Jojutsu, Gun Quan

Wild Goose Qigong

Will Power, Self Control, Self Mastery, Choices, Strength of Character   

Wizards   

Wudang Mountain - Taoism, Taijiquan and Qigong    

Wudang Martial Arts    

Wudang Mind/Body Arts    

Wudang Qigong    

Wudang Sword (Jian, Dao)    

Wuji Qigong    

Wu Ji - Standing Meditation   

Xing Yi Quan   

Xing Yi Quan   Five Fists  

Xing I Quan (Hsing I Chuan) - Twelve Animals 

Yoga Class, TFFC, Red Bluff, CA   

Yang Family Taijiquan Genealogy     

Yang Style Push Hands and Da Lu   

Yang Style Saber

Yang Style Staff

Yang Style 55 Movement Taiji Sword    

Yang Style Traditional Taijiquan Long Form 108 Movements     

Yang Style Taijiquan - Notes and Comments     

Yang Style Taijiquan Short Form 24 Movements       

Yang Style Taijiquan Sword (Jian) 55 Movements

Yin-Yang Sensitivity Training: Sticking Hands - T'ui Shou   

Yoga  

Yoga Blog    

Yoga - Chinese - 12 Animals

Yoga Class, Red Bluff, CA - Instructor: Michael P. Garofalo

Yoga and Qigong Classes, Red Bluff, California.  Instructor:  Mike Garofalo.

Yoga - Breathwork   

Yoga - Hatha   

Yoga - Kriya     

Yogalates: Links, Bibliography, Resources, Quotes, Notes    

Yoga - Red Bluff, CA

Yoga -Tantric

Yoga - Taiji Index 

Yoga - Valley Spirit Center

Zhan Zhuang - Standing Like A Tree

Zen/Chan Buddhist  Poetry       

Zen Buddhist Quotations   

Zen Poems: "Above the Fog" by Mike Garofalo

Zen Poetry: Bibliography, Links, Quotations, Resources

Valley Spirit Center - Red Bluff, California

Red Bluff, Tehama County, North Sacramento Valley, Northern California, U.S.A.
Cities and small towns in the area: Oroville, Paradise, Durham, Chico, Hamilton City,
Corning, Rancho Tehama, Los Molinos, Vina, Tehama, Proberta, Gerber, 
Manton, Cottonwood, Olinda, Cloverdale, Dairyville, Bend, Centerville, Summit City
Anderson, Shasta Lake, Palo Cedro, Igo, Ono, Redding, Shasta, Colusa, Willows,
Richfield, Fall River, Montgomery Creek, Alturas, McCloud, Dunsmuir, Yreka, Happy Camp,
Shingletown, Burney, Mt. Shasta City, Weaverville, Williams, Chester, Orland,
Susanville, Weed, Gridley, Marysville, Yuba City, NorCalifia, CA, California.

March 29, 2008

Email Michael P. Garofalo

TAGS:
Tai Chi Chuan, Taijiquan, Tai Chi, Taiji,
Qigong, Chi Kung, IMA, Internal Martial Arts, Bagua Zhang
Older Persons Fitness, Exercise, Strength Training, Tai Chi, Qigong, Personal Trainer
Senior Fitness, Exercise, Yoga, Taijiquan, Chi Kung, Yoga, Pilates, Meditation, Walking
Mature Persons Fitness, Exercise, Strength Training, Walking, Meditation, Yoga
Senior's Fitness, Exercise, Strength Training, T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Qigong, Yoga, Meditation
Instruction, Classes, Lectures, Seminars, Training, Lessons, Group Instruction
Over 55 Fitness, Over 60 Fitness, Over 65 Fitness, Over 70 Fitness, Over 75 Fitness
Exercise, Strength Training, Tai Chi, Qigong, Yoga, Meditation, Walking
Grandmother, Grandfather, Older, Elderly, Great Grandmother, Great Grandfather
Aging, Aged, Old, Senior, Seniors, Octogenarian, Old Ones, Elder, Elders, Senior
Golden Years, Old Man, Old Woman, Patriarch, 
Matriarch, Oldster, Golden Ager, Old Timer, Geriatrics, Gerontology, 
Retired Person's Fitness, Retirees, Retirement, 
Retiree Fitness, Senior Fitness, Seniors' Fitness
Easy Workouts, Light Exercise, Mild Exercise, Moderate Exercise
Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga, Fitness Yoga, Pilates, Mat Exercises, Mindfulness Exercises
Fitness, Exercise, Strength Training, Tai Chi, Taijiquan, Chi Kung, Qigong, Yoga, Meditation, Walking
Personal Instruction, Classes, Lectures, Workshops, Seminars, Training, Lessons Group Instruction

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