Taoist Sanctuary

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1. How to Practice Standing Meditation?

Taijiquan can vary under thousands of situations, but it has only one rule of motion. How can we begin to develop this one rule of motion? We should start from the Preparation posture. The purpose of the Preparation posture is to prepare to begin practicing the form. It is done to give oneself a chance to become ready to actually begin the correct movement of the form. Once you separate the feet, it is the Preparation posture. However, most peoples posture is incorrect before they begin. The Preparation posture should make the Dan-Tian the core of the whole body. The whole body should be well balanced, stable and connected through each joint, balanced in mind, and balanced in weight bearing. All eight directions should be well supported.

The Standing meditation is to enhance and further develop the Preparation posture. Most people just separate their the feet in a very casual way to begin this posture. It looks like the Preparation posture superficially. However, it is not accurate enough. Standing meditation is just like repairing a car. The rule of motion is just like driving a car. If one tire has a problem, the car will not go straight. If your posture is tilted or crooked, it will influence the central core of the Dan-Tian. It will not be central and the body will not be aligned correctly. Then you’ll have the same problem while practicing the form. The Standing meditation is to improve the Preparation posture ,to position the body accurately. It is just like repairing a car. A car has the rule of motion too. Once you control the steering wheel, the engine generates the power and transmits it to the tires. Once you turn the steering wheel to the left or right, this rule of motion doesn’t change no matter how you change the car moves in that direction. If the alignment is incorrect it does not move well no matter which way you turn the wheels.

When we practice Taijiquan, we establish the Dan-Tian as the central core. A small movement results in the whole body moving with the Qi linking through each joint, one by one through the whole body. It doesn’t matter which of the thousands of types of movements are being done, there is only one rule of motion.

2. Where should we start to develop this one rule of motion?

We start at the Preparation posture or Standing meditation. First, calm down your mind, standing with the feet together. Then, separate your feet. Many people, due to problems in the knees, hip joints, or the fifth disc of the lumbar spine, separate the feet incorrectly. When they open the feet, one foot is pointing straight and the other is pointing in another direction.

If the feet are incorrect the internal Qi cannot move freely. First we have to position the feet correctly. Both feet can point front or a little to the sides. The key is the direction should be the same for both feet. The outside of the feet should have the same width as the shoulders. If there is a problem at the hip-joint, by correcting it, the body will automatically become straight. When we look from the side, the ears, shoulders, hip-bones, ankles should form one straight line. However, this is just superficially correct. The most important essential condition is to form a vertical line through the center of gravity. This will be different for each individual. For example, this vertical line for a very fat person will be different from a slender person. So, the ears and the shoulders may not have to be both on this vertical line, because the final goal is to make the center of gravity align with this vertical line, neither to the front, to the back, to the left, nor the right of the center of gravity. The head should be lifted naturally, listening behind. Many people don’t understand why we should be listening behind. It is to maintain balance in the mind. When we look to the front and listen to the front, the Qi will rise up, unbalancing the mind. When we look front and listen behind, the Qi will be balanced, thus the mind will be balanced. From the martial art point of view, "looking at six roads, hearing from eight directions" can guarantee the balance in the mind.

3. What is relaxation? What is the meaning of relaxation?

Everyone knows the importance of relaxing the shoulders, sinking the elbows, concaving the chest, and relaxing the waist. However, it is very difficult to know how much relaxation is correct. Relaxing the shoulders and sinking the elbows are all for helping make the Qi pass through the Dan-Tian to the rest of the body. If we need to relax the shoulders, the question is then how relaxed is enough to let the Qi go through? The answer is to relax until you feel the Qi flow from the Dan-Tian to the shoulders.

We can not say the more relaxation the better. Too much relaxation will be overdoing it. Relaxation is for the purpose of supporting the one principle of motion. It is not the more relaxed the better. It has to be relaxed the right amount so that the Qi can go through joint by joint. That’s the right amount of relaxation.

Just as a bicycle would not function properly if the tires were inflated either too tight or too loose, the degree of how much we should relax is very important when we practice Tai Ji. If you are too relaxed, the body will be collapsed. It will influence the linking and connecting of the Qi through the joints. It is incorrect and it is a deviation in the posture.

Relaxing the shoulders, sinking the elbows, concaving the chest and relaxing the waist are all to form the central core of the Dan-Tian. The central core of the Dan-Tian can only be formed when every part of the body is positioned correctly . The body can only be positioned correctly when it is relaxed the right amount. When all the parts of the body are supporting the Dan-Tian, then it can form the central core of the Dan-Tian. If this one part is raised a little too much or lowered a little too much, then it will influence the position of the center.

Any deviation from the correct position will influence the location of the central core of Dan-Tian.

A common question many people ask, is about extending or retracting the buttocks. So, what should be the right amount of extension? The correct position is when the central core of the Dan-Tian is maintained. What is correct is to move it until it can best support the central core of the Dan-Tian. Every position should serve this function.

4. How to Practice Standing Meditation

The way to practice Standing meditation is to stand tall, listen behind, balance the mind, make the ears, shoulders, hip bones as a vertical line and find your balance in the center of gravity. Relax the Dan-Tian, examine every part of the body. Every part should support and help to form the central core of the Dan-Tian, repeatedly examine the whole body. All eight directions should support the central core of the Dan-Tian so that the Qi can move through the whole body in the front, back, left, right sides and the four diagonal directions. When the Qi is circulating through the whole body, the feet will have support from the eight directions, the mind will be balanced, the center of gravity will be balanced, and the Qi in the whole body is balanced and calm.

Another common question is when you raise the hands slowly, how much force should you use, and how high should they go? Is this height better or is lower better? When you are feeling very energetic, you use more force. When you feel the shoulder joints are tired and sore, and you still try to maintain that same force, then it is wrong. The best way is by connecting from the hands, through the arms to the Dan-Tian. Then you get the feeling of the Qi flowing. When you are energetic, then you use more force as long as you feel the Qi is flowing through. When you feel the shoulders are tired and the Qi is not flowing through, then relax until the Qi is flowing through the hands.. This will be the correct position. The correct amount of force used is enough to make sure that the Qi will flow through. Whatever the amount of Qi flowing through is the correct amount. Start with the big joints and move to the small joints . If this place can relax a little bit, do you feel more Qi flowing through?

If the part of the hand between the thumb and the index finger becomes too open, then the place below the armpit will be stiff. If you close this place too much, the armpit will also be tight. For the armpit to be relaxed, this part of the hand must be opened in the right amount. Each hand controls each half of the body. When the hands are relaxed and open naturally, the hands can link to the Dan-Tian. Then each half of the body will be positively influenced . If your hand is too tight, then, it will influence this half of the body. The other hand controls the other half of the body. Both hands are the same. They must be equally relaxed and correctly positioned for the body to be balanced and the Qi flowing through.

5. Three Key Points in the Body/Dan-Tian Relationship During Standing Meditation

Now, let me explain the three key points. At first the head has to be straight, naturally lifted . Relax the shoulders, sink the elbows, concave the chest, relax and sink the waist, open the groin, bend knees, open the crotch to maintain an arc, connect the legs and feet to the ground. The main purpose of all these requirements is to form the central core of the Dan-Tian by balancing the physical structure, connecting through the whole body. This is the abstract ideal.

The first point is the requirements of the body regulation. The second point is the goal of forming the central core of the Dan-Tian. The third point is the phenomena of our perception internally and externally that shows we have achieved the goal of forming the central core of the Dan-Tian. We use these three points to evaluate our performance of the Standing meditation.

6. How should we evaluate the forming of the central core of the Dan-Tian?

By observing the phenomena of the body. Judge the results by the phenomena that occur. For example, in looking at an apple tree. When the apple on the apple tree is small with green color and covered with hairs, we know that it is not mature yet. When we see the apple is big, smooth, and red, then we know that it is mature. This is judging by the phenomena. So, we should judge from the phenomena that if the person has formed the central core of the Dan-Tian, if they have Qi connected through their body then they are properly aligned and relaxed. If the body is crooked and deviates from the vertical axis, they have not formed the Dan-Tian as the central core. If it is too straight and not relaxed, they have still not formed the central core of the Dan-Tian. This is a very natural and easy way to judge whether the central core of the Dan-Tian has been formed. If the whole body is central and straight, calm and stable, the central core of the Dan-Tian has been formed.

7. How can we feel it by ourselves?

When you feel the Dan-Tian is full, the chest is relaxed, the feet are rooted and psychologically, the brain is calm and stable, then the desired state has been reached. After a while, slowly lower down both hands without losing this feeling. Then, put both hands on the Dan-Tian. In the center of the palm is the Lao-Gong (P8) acupuncture point , place it directly over the Dan-Tian, which is three fingers horizontally below the navel. This is the center of the core of the Dan-Tian, at acupuncture point Qi Hai ( R5). Put the left hand on the Dan-Tian, then the right hand, the opposite for females. The Lao-Gong acupuncture points of both hands plus the Dan-Tian points link together.

Then, relax both elbows, relax the Dan-Tian, relax both hands. Feel the hands, Lao-Gong point and the Dan-Tian. They should have Qi connecting and flowing through with a full, warm feeling. Relax and breathe 12 times into the palms and the Dan-Tian.

After that, turn and rotate the hands, gently rubbing the Dan-Tian 36 times. Then reverse the direction for 36 times. If you don’t have enough time, turn 12 times each way. Start turning and rubbing lightly and gently. The hands rotate and rub the Dan-Tian. The joints of the whole body start to rotate very gently. The weight shifts slightly from side to side. The Qi flows through the whole body.

Now, even with this small movement, the rule of motion already starts. When the Dan-Tian turns, hip-bones, knees, ankles, upper trunk, shoulders, elbows, hands, the whole body starts to turn slightly. Slowly feel the Qi rotating with the hands. When you have done enough, both hands still cover the Dan-Tian with the three acupuncture points linked together. Relax both elbows, both hands and the Dan-Tian to form the core of Dan-Tian. The whole body should be calm and stable.

8. What is a Central Stable Posture?

There is a big difference in our posture after we bend our knees to begin the Standing meditation. Before we bend our knees it is called Wu-Ji, before the beginning. After Wu-Ji, then Taiji emerges, the two forces or yin-yang are generated. Once we move, it is not Wu-Ji any more. Standing straight is called Wu-Ji.

Once we move, to bend the knees, the 2nd type of motion begins. The Dan-Tian rotates front and back, to create the chest folding motion in order to form the central core of the Dan-Tian. It is no longer Wu-Ji. So, it is wrong to call it Wu-Ji Posture.

What should it be called? It should be called Central Stable posture. Taijiquan has several different types of footwork, including moving forward, backward, left, right and central stable posture. Moving forward, backward, step left, step right, are clear and easy to see. So, what is Central Stable posture? The “single whip” is dynamic, as you perform it. Once you stop, it is now called Central Stable posture. “Walk Obliquely”, when moving, you are moving the Jing ( internal force) to the hands. Once you sink downward at the end of the posture, it is a Central Stable posture. These type of movements require quietness within motion. Once the movement stops, it is called Central Stable posture.

When moving while performing a posture ,the Qi changes from moving outward to moving inward and becoming calm at the end of each posture. The Qi returns to its origin, the Dan-Tian just like in the Standing meditation. The central core of the Dan-Tian connects through the whole body no matter how large or small the movement. The movement scale for Standing meditation is smaller and the movement scale of “Single Whip” is larger. When performing Standing meditation, the body moves down, it is dynamic. Then it becomes calm and is in the Central Stable posture when you stop. When performing “Single Whip”, it is moving, the Qi moves outward to the hands. When you sink downward, the Qi moves back to the Dan-Tian. While performing “Walk obliquely”, the movement scale is larger , a bigger downward movement, then the movement rises before it calms and the Qi moves down, returning to the Dan-Tian. The Qi always moves to hands when moving. Then the Qi moves back to the Dan-Tian at the end of each posture when the body is quiet and becomes the Central Stable posture. Just like throwing a stone into the water. A ripple is generated to move outward, then, the water returns back to quietness again. Central Stable posture is just like the water returning back to quietness after the stone is dropped into it.

So, Standing meditation should be called Central Stable posture instead of Wu-Ji posture. If it is called Wu-Ji posture when we are standing, then it is also Wu-Ji again after moving down into the correct posture for Standing meditation. This is wrong. Once the Yin-Yang Qi is generated by rotating the Dan-Tian it forms the central core. Then there is no motion and it becomes Central Stable posture.