Basic Standing Qigong Posture
Congratulations on starting your standing meditation practice!
As you can see from the picture on the right, "standing" is easy. Just begin in a relaxed, arms-by-the-sides posture, with your eyes closed.
Pay attention to these 3 important postural points:
- Unlock the knees and hips.
- Let the weight fall into the arches of each foot, not back to the heels.
- Relax the chest and muscles of the face and breath smoothly, without a lot of force or effort.
Got it?
Over time you will build up the duration of your practice, but the more you stand, the more important it is to learn to work with your mind, not just how you are holding the body.
The 3 audio practice sessions below will help you begin the process of cultivating your internal energy, relaxing the mind, and connecting to your body, in a more integrated, energizing way.
Download the 3 practice audios below to guide you through your practice.
Guided Audio Downloads
Practice #1: Settling into Standing Qigong
In this 5-minute scan, you'll align your body, release the first layer of accumulated tension from your day, and slow your mind down to a speed where your subsequent movement practice will be much more refreshing and restorative:
Settling In 5-Minute Practice Mp3 (right click to save)
Practice #2: Learning to Soften the Body
In this 10-minute scan, you'll move beyond body alignment and the initial "settle". As you go longer now, you will start to enliven each section of your body, bringing awareness and increased sensation to each new place, from head to toe, which naturally softens the tension you uncover:
Softening 10-Minute Practice Mp3 (right click to save)
Practice #3: Sinking Your Mind through Your Body
In this 20-minute scan, you'll start the process of sinking your chi by letting your mind soak into your body at each height. As you go longer now, you will begin to recognize deeper relaxation patterns and find natural resolution of holding patterns in the body, without mental force:
