Stances
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1st POSITION - Universal Stance (Wu Chi or Wuji)
2nd POSITION - Holding the Balloon
3rd POSITION - Holding your Belly
4th POSITION - Standing in the Stream
5th POSITION - Holding the Balloon in front of Face
SEALING THE CHI - see item on CLOSING (blue box)
FULL CIRCLE PRACTICE
START
BALL OF ENERGY
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PREPARATION Do not practice Chi Gung within one hour of eating a meal or you may find that you experience indigestion. Avoid training late in the evening or you could find it difficult to get to sleep due to the energetic stimulus the exercises give you. Spend 5 minutes in the "Wu Chi" position before you move into the second position. To get into Wu Chi you should start by standing upright and then observe the following :
When standing in Wu Chi make sure there is a slight gap between your upper arm and the sides of your body. To achieve this let your arms hang loosely by your sides, then turn both palms ninety degrees so they are facing towards the rear. Then turn both palms back to face the thighs. This will naturally create a gap about the thickness of your fingers between the inside of your upper arm and the side of your torso. It will also open the armpit. Wu Chi is designed to help you make a stronger connection with the energy of the Earth. It also allows you to mentally survey your body and to correct misalignments before continuing Zhan Zhuang. BREATHING When practising the various stances breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. Breathing must be smooth and even with an equal amount of time given to the in-breath and the out-breath. Smooth rhythmic breathing will also help facilitate an easier absorption of Chi from the air you breathe. Abdominal breathing is always used in Chi Gung which means allowing the abdomen to expand whenever you breathe in. This will cause the diaphragm to lower and result in air being able to fill the whole of the lungs and not just the upper part. The optimal breathing cycle for good health is 6 complete breaths per minute and this is also a good starting point for Zhan Zhuang. On that basis for each complete breath cycle you breathe in for 5 seconds and then out for 5 seconds. But this is only an initial starting point. As you progress with Zhan Zhuang training your breathing will find it's own best natural rhythm. CLOSING This is called "Sealing the Chi" and refers to sealing energy into your etheric body which is generated by your practice. Any surplus energy not required by your system at that time will run to earth via your legs. After completing the sequence you return to the Wu Chi position for about 5 minutes. During this time period both palms should be placed directly over the Dan Tien. The dominant (writing) hand is placed in contact with the abdomen and the other hand is placed directly over it. The Laogong acupoints in the centre of both palms should be in line with the Dan Tien. Concentrate on the Dan Tien and hold the intention in your mind that Chi which can be safely absorbed into your energy system will enter it through the Dan Tien. You should also hold the intention in your mind that any surplus energy not needed by your body will flow down your legs and into the Earth. If you are recovering from any leg or foot injuries do not try to absorb Chi as the surplus energy flowing down through the lower limbs may well aggravate your damaged tissues. Do not focus on storing Chi in the Dan Tien itself. It is better to regard the Dan Tien as a gateway into the energy system which can allow Chi generated by your practice to pass into your network of meridians. Once in the meridian system the Chi will be evenly distributed around the channels, or it will go to wherever it is needed most. This will happen naturally and it does not need any conscious effort on your part to direct the additional energy. Avoid the practice of trying to use visualisation to direct Chi either to or around any part of the body. This can distort the natural flow of energy with harmful consequences. NEUTRALISING Finish your session by rubbing your palms together briskly and then use them to gently "smooth down" the energy flow in your meridians. Run your palms over and around your head and neck. Then up/down the arms and hands. Then you will smooth down the front and back and to both sides of the torso. Finally smooth up/down the inside and outside of both legs. Repeat these actions several times to each part of the body. Do not pat down or slap any part of the body when you are doing this neutralising practice or you will very likely disrupt the harmonious flow of Chi running through your meridians. This can undermine the beneficial effects from doing Zhan Zhuang. When you practice Standing you will charge your system with some extra energy. Neutralising will smooth this out and prevent sparking of the Chi. If this is not done it could result in Chi being discharged as a natural reaction to this energetic sparking. |
How to increase the perception of Chi between the hands
this is a more advanced practice and is not suitable for beginners
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