CHAPTER TEN
Standing Like a Tree
The ordinary is the extraordinary! —QIGONG MASTER WANG XIANG-ZHAI
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tanding Meditation is the single most important and widely practiced form of qigong, integrating all elements of posture, relaxation, and breathing previously described. It is a way of developing better alignment and balance, stronger legs and waist, deeper respiration, accurate body awareness, and a tranquil mind. Standing Meditation is just what the name implies; one meditates while standing, holding the arms in a rounded position, as though embracing a sphere, and observing the natural flow of the breath. The Chinese term for Standing Meditation is Zhan Zhuang, "Standing Post." One learns to stand as still and stable as a wooden post in the ground. Standing has several advantages over seated or supine meditation. The mind is more likely to remain alert, as any lapse in awareness might cause one to lose balance. In Standing Meditation, the legs and feet are naturally extended, uncrossed; thus blood circulation is not impeded and may actually improve. Most importantly, in Standing, the body is always part of one's experience. Meditation does not become an exclusively psychological or
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spiritual practice. Standing can be considered an advanced form of Dao-ist meditation, in which xing ming shuang xiu "spirit and nature are equally cultivated." In Standing Meditation, externally, there is no movement, yet internally, the qi and breath are moving. It is thus both passive and active, both yin and yang. The student does not try to do anything with the qi, he simply becomes aware of the quality of the qi: how it is moving, where it is blocked or free, whether it feels clear or turbid, smooth or coarse. Qigong Master B. P. Chan once asked me, "Why do you think we learn these complicated healing arts? You know, hold your hand this way, keep the feet parallel, breathe like this, visualize the qi moving from this acupuncture point to that. . . ." He answered his own question. "I want to find out, is this hand really my hand? Is this leg really my leg?" In other words, the purpose of qigong is to understand "the four virtues (si de) of being human." What are these four virtues? How to lie down, sit, stand, and walk. It seems so simple, until we try it. Normally, when we are standing, the mind is walking, taking a journey to another time and another place, perhaps worrying about the dinner menu. When we are sitting, the body may be restless and ready to stand or move about. Even when we are lying down in bed, part of ourselves is doing something else; perhaps the breath is racing, unable to let go of the excitement of the day. Through the practice of Standing Meditation, we learn how to unify the body and mind so that every activity is savored with the whole being. A disciple of Rikyu (1620-91), the founder of the Japanese Tea Ceremony, once asked him the same question which Master Chan put to me. "What is the purpose of Tea Ceremony?" Why the complex and intricate choreography of step and gesture? Rikyu replied, "First we boil the water, then we prepare the tea, then we drink it, that is all." The disciple frowned. Rikyu continued, "Show me someone who can really do these things and I will become his disciple." The discipline of Tea, like qigong, is a discipline of wholeness and integration. Even a child of three knows what is required to drink tea or to stand, but few sages of eighty can put this into practice! Thus, Standing Meditation is "a million-dollar secret." It is a secret because it is so obvious, so ordinary that we do not give it the attention it deserves. It is hidden as the air is hidden, or as the water is hidden to a fish. In the everyday qigong of Standing, we discover the deepest mystery and beauty. We turn Standing into a discipline in order to go more deeply into the quality of what is happening and to bring back to wholeness the confused, scattered, and lost parts of the body, mind, and soul.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF STANDING The Ancient Language of Posture All ancient cultures used standing postures to induce altered states of consciousness and physiology. In Standing, we learn to shed energetic obstructions to the natural human potential. It is possible that Standing Meditation began with the need of ancient hunters to keep perfectly still for long periods of time, so a s not to scare the prey. This also led to a feeling of attunement and oneness with nature and a recognition of the potential self-healing benefits of such postures. Ancient people quickly discovered a science and psychology of posture. Specific postures induce unique psychophysiological changes. These have been carefully documented in the pioneering work of Felicitas
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Goodman, Ph.D.,' retired professor of anthropology and linguistics at Dennison University and Director of the Cuyamungue Institute in New Mexico. Dr. Goodman explored ancient examples of sacred and ritual posture found in sculpture and art, from the cave paintings at Lascaux to African petroglyphs. She found similar motifs spread across all major continents, a common language of posture. She posited that the consistency of the human nervous system would allow even modern European and American students to reap the benefits of these postures. Since 1977 Dr. Goodman and her associates tested and confirmed this hypothesis with thousands of students, asking them to hold various postures and note their experiences. Even allowing for individual differences in experience and expression, "we found that each posture predictably mediated not just any kind of vision, but a characteristic, distinctly different experience."2 For example, the "Bear Posture," similar to Standing Meditation and virtually identical to the "Crane" qigong stance described in Chapter 11, is found at archaeological sites dated from 6000 B.C. to the present in Egypt, Africa, Europe, both North and South America, and China.3 A description of the Bear Posture sounds like qigong. Stand with the back straight, the feet parallel and about a foot apart, knees slightly bent, the hands on either side of the navel. Students practicing this posture'' consistently have waking dreams or experiences associated with the healing power of the bear. Altogether, Dr. Goodman discovered about thirty ancient postures representing "a behavior and no doubt an attendant knowledge having a worldwide distribution."5 Other postures induce feelings of metamorphosis, soul journeys, divinatory visions, etc. Native Americans continue to use similar postures to transmit healing power during their rituals.6 Teachers of Awareness Through Movement, a system of healing exercises developed by Moshe Feldenkrais, also recognize the consciousness-specific aspects of posture. I have participated in classes7 in which I was led through the various postures and movements associated with prayer in several world religions—the swaying movements of Jewish davening, the palms held together and body still in Buddhist sutra recitation, a knee bending before the image of Christ, and so on. We found that, even without the external trappings of religion, we were qu ickly induced into a prayerful state of consciousness, a sense of awe and divine presence. This is also true of the asanas, the sacred postures of Hatha Yoga, which are sometimes held for long periods of time as tranquil meditations. In Islam, the practice of salat (prayer, worship, supplication) requires assuming eight separate postures, holding each for specific lengths of time, while reciting holy verses. Each posture is said to have physical and spiritual benefits.8
Standing in China: The Path of Warriors and Healers China is the only country in which Standing has been made into an exact science, with specific healing and defensive techniques transmitted from generation to generation. There is historical evidence that Standing has been practiced for healing and transformation since very ancient times: martial postures of the Qin Dynasty Warriors,9 ancient drawings from the Dao-yin Tu ("Dao-yin Illustrations," second century B.C.; see Chapter 2), paintings of Shao-lin monks in low Horse-Stance postures. There is also a wide variety of standing postures in ancient Chinese rock art, many of these parallel to the postures recognized by Dr. Goodman. Jiang Zhenming,
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member of the International Committee for Rock Art and the China Association of Ancient Bronze Drum Research, notes that "the human-face rock pictures found in the [former] Soviet Union, Canada, the United States of America, and Australia are similar to those in Fujian, Jiangsu, Taiwan, Inner Mongolia and other places in China."10 Although the petroglyphs are often attributed to ethnic minorities, this does not diminish their relevance to the culture of the Han (Chinese ethnicity). We know that minority people, such as the Islamic Hui, were a major influence on the development of Chinese qigong and martial arts. It is also significant that several rock art panels depict military training," choreographed dances, and animal postures 12 (perhaps hunting dances). Rock art is found throughout China, including China's sacred peaks (e.g., the Kunlun and Wuyi Mountains), areas that in later centuries became centers for qigong practice. Although Standing has always been an integral part, of qigong, the best-known and perhaps greatest Standing Meditation teacher of all time is Wang Xiang-zhai (1885-1963). Wang was expert in all three aspects of qigong: healing, martial arts, and meditation." As a healer, he believed that Standing could "cure anemia, normalize blood pressure, and make the heartbeat calm and regular. "14 Wang was a renowned, undefeated martial artist. He was also a spiritual teacher, strongly influenced by the philosophy of both Daoism and Chinese Zen (Chan) Buddhism. He said, "In movement, be like the dragon and tiger. In stillness, have the mind of the Buddha." He emphasized that the secret of Standing is "emptiness" (kong). An empty mind can sense internal blockages to the flow of qi (qigong healing), can meet the opponent creatively without a preconceived strategy (qigong martial arts), and can realize the nature of the cosmos (spiritual qigong). It is obvious that for Wang Xiang-zhai, Standing was a method of both physical and spiritual cultivation. "After forty years of experience, I have learned that all true strength arises from a primordial, selfless void, and that this void can be gradually comprehended by paying attention to the small, subtle movements of the body."
HOW TO PRACTICE STANDING MEDITATION General Points Review the information presented on qigong posture and relaxation in Chapters 7 and 8, and apply this to Standing Meditation. The most important points to remember are: The body is relaxed, yet extended and open. Use minimum effort. Stand with the feet parallel and shoulder-width apart, the toes pointing straight ahead, the knees slightly bent, the back straight but not stiff, the abdomen relaxed. The head is held as though suspended from above. Unify the internal energy by imagining that the breath is able to flow everywhere in the body.
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Position of the Feet The weight is evenly distributed on the feet. Make sure you are standing plumb erect, not leaning to the front, back, right, or left. This will allow the body's weight to spread through the feet into the ground, favoring neither toe, heel, inside of the foot, nor outside of the foot. Maximizing contact with the ground creates a feeling of deep roots, easy balance, and abundant internal energy, qi. One feels like a tree, drawing nutrients from the soil. The posture should feel relaxed, harmonious, and natural.
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Position of the Arms and Hands The arms are in a rounded position, at the height of either the abdomen (fig. 5), chest (fig. 6), or face (fig. 7), as though lightly embracing a giant beach ball. The palms can be facing either away from or toward the body. Wang advised, "Don't raise the arms higher than the eyebrows or drop them lower than the navel. Don't cross the r ight arm over to the left side or the left arm over to the right." Generally, during the practice of Standing, one either holds one position for a long period of time or s pends a lesser period holding several positions in succession. For instance, the hands might be held at chest height for twenty minutes. Or the hands can be rounded at the level of the abdomen for five minutes, chest level for five minutes, face level for five minutes, then back to chest, five minutes, and abdomen, five minutes. This gives a total workout of twenty-five minutes. The height of the arms can vary according to your ability. For instance, if you have bursitis or another problem that prevents lifting the arms to shoulder height, practice with the arms in a comfortable position, below chest level. If you are disabled, apply all the principles of standing to your
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seated position in the wheelchair (fig. 8). If the arms cannot be lifted at all, let them rest on the lap (fig. 9). You can still drop the breath and imagine a deeper, more alive connection with the ground. Keep the shoulders and elbows relaxed. The fingers a re gently spread, the palms feel hollow and receptive. Try to keep the forearm, wrist, and back of t he hand in an almost straight line or curving gently. Avoid letting the hands droop down toward the wrists or flex back stiffly toward the forearm. An excessively open or closed wrist joint interferes with the flow of qi and blood to the fingertips.
The Eyes The eyes should be open and relaxed, looking with a soft focus, straight ahead into the distance. Standing Meditation is best practiced outdoors or near a window with an unobstructed view. Wang advised, "One's inner thoughts do not wander to the outside. Outside events do not encroach on the inside." Another way of putting this is that the eyes are open but not focusing on or grasping at external objects. They see in a disattached way, not dist racting one from inner awareness. One is gazing inside and outside, allowing the two realms to merge into one seamless experience.15
The Breath The breath is completely natural, relaxed, and diaphragmatic. With every inhalation, feel the lower abdomen gently expanding. With every exhalation, the abdomen retracts. Don't force the breath, just feel its natural rhythm. According to Wang Xiang-zhai, the breath should be jing, chang, xi "tranquil, long, and fine." "Fine" means smooth and even, as opposed to coarse and broken.
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Concentration Simply be aware of whatever presents itself to consciousness. 16 This may include feelings of comfort or discomfort, muscular tension or weakness, the rhythm of t he breath, thoughts, emotions. Give yourself permission to feel, without either prolonging or rejecting whatever occurs. The goal is to cultivate a state of clear perceptiveness, without exclusively focusing on any particular, passing event. In Zen meditation, there is a practice called "Just Sitting," sitting as a way of hanging out with yourSelf. Here we are practicing "Just Standing." Interestingly, one of Wang Xiang-zhai's Japanese students, Kenichi Sawai, calls Wang's Standing Meditation "Standing Zen."17 Use the breath as your focal point. Whenever your mind begins to wander, gently ask yourself, "Am I breathing? How am I breathing?" Physiological awareness brings self-awareness. The mind becomes silently attentive to the subtleties of what is happening in the here and now, rather than thinking about the past, the future, or abstractions disconnected with the present.
Time and Length of Practice Standing can be practiced at any time of day, but ear ly morning is best. The following recommendations are based on the assumption that you are in relatively good health. Do not stand as long as I advise if you have a joint problem, such as arthritis or any other condition that makes it medically inadvisable to practice Standing for extended periods. Begin training about five minutes a day. If you are practicing with the arms at the height of the abdomen, chest, and face, divide the time evenly among the postures. During your second week of training, practice for ten minutes a day, fifteen minutes per day during the third week, and so on. Build gradually to a minimum of twenty minutes daily Standing, and a maximum of forty minutes. This is a small investment of time considering that you will probably have more energy during the day and need less sleep at night. It is possible to judge t he length of Standing without looking at the clock. Simply count your exhalations. If you count sixty breaths in a single posture (or twenty breaths for each of three postures), this will probably take four or five minutes, a t the normal respiratory rate of approximately 15 bpm (breaths per minute). As time passes and your qigong improves, the breath will slow down, approaching the rate indicative of deep rest, 3-5 bpm. Now you will be standing for close to twenty minutes. You can vary the breath count according to your abilities and needs, increasing the count if you need to stand longer, decreasing the count if you need to stand for a shorter period. Proceed slowly and systematically. After three to four months of regular training, you will be able to sense the most beneficial length of practice. In qigong, "beneficial" does not necessarily mean comfortable or easy. It does mean a length of practice sufficient to deepen self-understanding and to improve health and vitality. The period can vary a great deal from person to person. As Wang Xiang-zhai's student, Tang Ru-kun, explained to me, "I know some old-timers who stand for thirty minutes, others who stand for hours. Sta nding is like eating. Some people need
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a lot, some a little to satisfy them." Wang Xiang-zhai compared Standing to a furnace, refining and tempering the students' minds and bodies. The length of "firing" depends on the material.
Concluding Your Session At the end of your Standing Meditation session, it is important to practice Xiu Xi Shi, "the Posture of Rest." Let your hands float down to your sides, and allow them to rest against your thighs for a moment. Then lift the hands so that the back of the hands rest comfortably on the lower back. Now begin to rock the weight slowly from front to back, toe to heel. Do not lift the toes or heels from the ground; simply feel the weight shifting through each part of the foot. Then rock the weight several times from right to left, side to side. After this, rock the weight in a circle, several t imes in one direction, several times in the other, feeling each part of the feet stimulated: toes, heels, inside of the feet, outside of the feet. Through each of these "shiftings" imagine that you are using the ground to massage the feet. Then, again let the arms settle at the sides of t he body. You are ready for the next stage of your qigong or for the day's activities.
Difficulties and Challenges Standing Meditation is the optimum posture for balanced flow of qi. As a result, all of the places where qi is not flowing come immediately into the foreground of awareness and are experienced as discomfort. One notices places of tension, weakness, constriction, disease. For instance, if your shoulders are chronically raised, after only a few minutes of Standing, the shoulders may ache and feel so elevated that you feel they are touching your ears! If the thigh muscles tense beyond what is necessary, they will soon "burn" with the effort of Standing. If your sacral vertebrae are misaligned, you will really know it when you Stand! If your stomach has a tendency to rumble because of poor digestion or eating habits, it may sound thunderous during Standing. Long-distance runners and other athletes are often dismayed at their difficulties in Standing. When they first see the exercise, they say, "This looks easy enough. If I can run ten miles, I can certainly Stand ten minutes." Then they try it and experience tension, discomfort, shaking knees. Standing does not test how strong you are, but rather how intelligently you use your strength. Discomfort reveals places of dysfunction and should be welcomed as an opportunity for improvement. When you experience it, do not immediately change your posture. You may feel like shaking, wriggling, or moving your arms, legs, or torso. If you do so, you will lose the opportunity to discover, through your attentiveness, how you are tense. When you find an area of discomfort, apply any of the following strategies: 1. Do nothing—simply being aware of tension may change it. 2. Inhale into the area, exhale stagnation and diseased qi. 3. Think of the tension or discomfort dropping down, through the feet and into the ground. It is also helpful to practice Standing after you are deeply relaxed, for instance following a massage or a hot bath. This
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allows you to more accurately sense how tension returns, how it is programmed back into the body-mind system. If Standing becomes painful rather than uncomfortable, then do not continue. Pain is a danger signal and should not be ignored. If the pain is a result of poor postural habits, it may have a simple solution, such as checking if the back is stra ight, the chest relaxed. If, however, it is a result of a medical disorder, it should be treated by your physician and Standing resumed only with his/her permission.
Stages of Standing Most students pass through three tests in Standing Meditation.18 First, there is the "test of discomfort," where every joint and muscle seems to be out of place or doing something wrong. This is often accompanied by trembling or shaking in the joints, most frequently in the ankles, knees, or wrists. Trembling results from weakness in the muscles or tendons; perhaps certain muscles have weakened or atrophied because of lack of use. Or trembling may be a sign that "there is water in the pressure cooker." The body is adapting to a greater charge of internal energy. Neither reject nor exaggerate such shaking. Just feel it, and if, after a few minutes, it does not stop of itself, practice the "Posture of Rest" and resume Standing at a later time. Some students may experience cold hands and feet during Standing. Although Standing is a powerful cure for cold extremities, in the beginning such problems may seem to worsen. As the student focuses on subtle, inner feelings, energy seems to move toward the core and away from the periphery. Test number two is called "the test of fire." Finally, after months of practice, one has learned how to release energetic knots and tensions. The basic body mechanics—how to stand and breathe—are automatic. The places that were formerly depleted are now filled with qi. The hands and feet may feel uncomfortably warm. The forehead is beaded with sweat. The abdomen feels hot. Again, this is a transitory test that may last anywhere from a few days to a few months. The most difficult test, number three, is called "the test of patient growth." I once asked Master B. P. Chan if the ancient qigong and martial arts masters had superior abilities to those of the present. He said, "In general, yes. But only because they were more patient." It is at this point in one's training, when Standing feels ordinary, comfortable, and nothing special, that most students abandon the practice and look for a new form of "entertainment." But it is precisely at this stage that the most lasting benefits of Standing are cultivated. As Wang often admonished his students, "The ordinary is the extraordinary." One can now focus not on unusual sensations, symptoms of imbalance, but rather on the positive, on the miracle of breathing, feeling, and awareness.
