Standing Like A Tree

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This week's meditation from cybermonks

 

Standing Like A Tree

 

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" Action originates in inaction and stillness is the mother of

movement. "

Wang Xiang Zhai

 

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Chi Kung (Qi Gong) is a Chinese system of exercises for working with

the flow of energy in the body. The Chi Kung practitioner learns to

build internal strength through breathing exercises and meditation. Wu

Chi, the position of primal energy, is a beginning exercise in Chi

Kung. It involves training yourself to stand still as a tree rooted in

the earth and balanced between earth and sky. This exercise is simple,

but powerful, and fundamental to further training.

 

The following description of Wu Chi is adapted from The Way of Energy:

Mastering the Chinese Art of Internal Strength with Chi Kung Exercise

by Master Lam Kam Chuen. This is a simplification of the routine

described in the book. The reader is encouraged to refer to this or

another text for a more complete description, or seek instruction from

a qualified Chi Kung teacher.

 

Warming Up

Wear loose clothing while training. Loosen your collar and belt so your

body is not restricted.

Warm up your knees

" Stand with your feet together. bend your knees and stoop over so that

you can just touch them with your fingers. With your hands on your

knees, rotate your knees 30 times to the left and 30 times to the

right. "

 

Loosen Your Shoulders

1. " Stand with your feet a shoulder-width apart, toes pointing forward.

Slowly raise your arms as if you were holding a large beach ball

between your palms. When your hands are above the top of your head,

turn them outward. "

2. " Then lower your arms in an arc down toward your sides. As your

hands move slowly down, imagine that each is gently pressing a smaller

beach ball downward. be careful not to hunch your shoulders. As your

arms reach hip level, bring them forward gently so that they can hold

the imaginary beach ball again before they start to move slowly

upward. "

 

Wu Chi- the First Position

Start doing this exercise 5 minutes a day. Gradually increase to up to

20 minutes a day.

" The Wu Chi postion involves simply standing still. It is an

opportunity to pay careful attention to the tensions in your body and

its nervous system. At the same time it becomes a moment of powerful,

deep relaxation in your day. Simple as it may seem, this opening

position, correctly practiced, holds the key to unlock the storehouse

of your great internal energy reserves. "

 

Moving Into the Position

" Stand with your feet a shoulder-width apart, toes pointing forward,

either parallel, or turned slightly outward. Let your hands hang

loosely by your sides and drop your shoulders. Imagine that, like a

puppet, your whole body is hanging, suspended from your head. A string

holds your head from a point at the top of your skull, directly in line

with the tips of your ears. Feel yourself sinking down, relaxing as you

hang from the string. "

 

Breathe calmly and naturally. Stand quietly, allowing your whole system

to calm down, for up to five minutes. As you do this, follow through

the following points:

 

" Your eyes look forward and slightly downward. "

 

" Drop your chin a little so that your throat is not pushed forward.

Release any tension in your neck. "

 

" Let your arms hand loosely. Drop your shoulders and your elbows. "

 

" Relax your hips and belly. Let the bottom of your spine unfold

downward so that neither your belly nor your bottom is sticking out. "

 

" Stand with your heels at least a shoulder width apart. Never stand

pigeon-toed. "

 

" Inhale and exhale gently through your nose only. Your mouth should be

closed but not tightly shut. Don't clamp your teeth shut. If saliva

forms, swallow it. "

 

" Exhale completely and allow your chest to drop: this is the ideal

posture. "

 

" Don't stiffen your fingers. Allow them to curve gently and remain

slightly apart. "

 

" Unlock your knees. You can bend them ever so slightly. Make sure they

don't stiffen into the fixed locked position. "

 

As you stand still, allow your head to hang as if suspended from the

sky. Let your body align with the earth. Your weight rests in the

middle of the soles of your feet. Stand as if you were a tree with its

roots deep in the soil. Feel the energy of the earth. Feel the life in

the elements around you. Feel the air. Sense the light. Become aligned

with and a part of the earth and sky. Allow yourself to be still.

Remember to breathe and relax.

 

 

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