Standing Stake - Zhan Zhuang

Zhan Zhuang (站桩) is a simple and powerful qigong method that enhances energy, mental clarity, and internal strength. It uses standing meditation to improve relaxation, deep calm and will bring mindfulness to every aspect of your life.

Zhan Zhuang when roughly translated, means standing like a tree with deep roots or standing still like a post planted in the ground. The tree and wooden post metaphors are meant to demonstrate the qualities of solid but relaxed structure you learn to develop as a result of this practice, with your legs and torso being firmly rooted like a tree or a post planted deep in the ground. Zhan Zhuang provides many benefits of deep mindfulness training.

The most common Zhan Zhuang posture is known, the Embracing Post or  Chēng Bào 撑抱, "Tree Hugging Stance”. This is where a person stands with the feet shoulder width apart and holds the arms out in the shape of a relaxed embrace or hug.

The main idea behind standing still in static postures, is that in order to be able to hold any posture, even basic ones, for more than a few minutes, a person has to learn to completely relax. A person has to relax and find the harmony of balance in the posture, in order to develop and progress using this method. Zhan Zhuang has the unique effect of normalizing the entire body as a whole. This means that any tension gets worked out of the body and the whole body becomes relaxed and unified. This allows energy stored in tension in the body to be released and the mind is able to achieved a deep calm mindfulness and carry this space standing or moving through daily life.

This webinar will cover the basics of movement and structural mechanics within Standing Stake (Zhan Zhuang) so that you can begin to develop the Six Harmonies and the Three Treasures, which form the foundation of all aspects of the movement arts.

Six Harmonies

External: Feet and Hands - Elbows and Knees - Hips and shoulders

Internal: Qi – Jing – Shen

The Three Treasures.

Jing 精 essence refined – refinement of tissue and structural alignment to feel the Qi

Qi 氣 vital energy, blood – feeling the blood move and the body open and close to be physically present

Shen 神 spirit; soul, mind – refined intention, being present and aware of all things in your body as you open and close the joints and align the body and move so you can refine deeper awareness