New Excerpt From Inside Zhan Zhuang
From the Section - Note To Older Practitioners
The Body Wants To Heal
"If you let it, the body knows what to do and will lead you if you surrender to it’s ‘suggestions.’ This means that even if your alignments aren’t ramrod perfect, don’t judge yourself too harshly.
Over time the body itself will begin to ‘suggest’ changes and if you let it, initiate corrections. Therefore, it behooves us to cultivate a sensitivity to these mostly subtle impulses.
The body has an innate wisdom if we listen. There’s an old saying in Chinese Medicine, “The body wants to heal itself.” This means that the main part of our job in each session is just to show up!"
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New Excerpt From Inside Zhan Zhuang
From the Section -- Structure vs. Relaxation
"When we begin Zhan Zhuang training, we very rapidly run into the apparent paradox of two seemingly opposing aspects - structure and relaxation. If, at the beginning we adhere too rigorously only to structure, we create counterproductive tension.
On the other hand, if we follow relaxation too exclusively, structure breaks down, greatly diminishing the benefits of the exercise. So, what to do? The answer lies in interchangeable use. And later in the unity of opposites."
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New Excerpt From Inside Zhan Zhuang
From the Section - 'Opening and Closing'
"Traditionally, the opening and closing of the joints, sometimes called pulsing the joints, was taught as a second stage in Tai Chi training, following the mastering of postural alignments.
The method finds its origin in the Universal Pulse or Breath, that is, the natural cyclical expansion and condensation of all things in the physical universe.
Once opening and closing of the joints and cavities (thoracic and abdominal) is mastered, this natural pulse generally becomes active during all our meditation and relaxed practices."
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New Excerpt from Inside Zhan Zhuang
From the Section -- Working With Energetic Dynamic Tensions
"One of the first things we encounter energetically in our standing meditation, is the balance that is trying to occur between the descending Heaven energy (gravity) and the ascending Earth energy, which is the basis and support of our Upright Chi, that is, our ability to stand, walk around and function normally as human beings."
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New Excerpt From Inside Zhan Zhuang
From the Section: "Thoughts On Sinking The Chi"
"When the Chi finally ‘sinks’ what is it that we will feel? Firstly, there is a sense of an expanded connection between the bottoms of the feet and the Earth or whatever you are standing on. This feeling in the feet can also be felt as a heaviness in that area while at the same time the rest of the body is integrated, light and yet filled with a certain fullness. This fullness is a reflection of the abundance of Chi generated during one’s practice. There is also a springy responsiveness felt throughout the body. This can be especially apparent in the muscles, tendons and ligaments."
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