Standing Meditation-Turtle at the Beach
Posted on Tuesday, June 19, 2007 at 5:56 AM by Sifu Smith
Posted in Chi Kung, Meditation
Most of our students start with a burning interest in learning about themselves, improving their health, and calming down the chaos in their lives. We would all agree that any one of those improving feels great. When we get further along in our practice, we can accomplish all three at one time, the posting (Zham Zhuang, Standing Meditation). We have a system of standing meditation that allows students to gradually harness and cultivate their internal power and chi.
How long do I need to meditate is a common question? This question tends to shed a light on the minds concern for its upcoming training, plus a natural curiousity. It is interesting that we don't have to ask "How much do I need to eat?", we will know when we get there. When students begin with their meditation, the priority is to calm the mind down, bring it back in, place it under the command of our spirit. Sifu Chin would often refer to it as a 'wild horse', strong, magnificent, yet wildly running in the valleys. We must harness it.
We have many first-timers come in, and practice standing meditation with
us and get 15-20 minutes their very first time. That is because of
system of calming and energizing mind scenes that we use to get our
momentum. Granted, it is always much easier when Sifu leads the
meditation session, because the students mind rides the waves generated
by Sifu's voice and scenes generated. When the students must generate
their own meditation energy and lead their mind with their spirit, then
a new level is achieved.
Most of the students that have been with us for 9 months or will come and get in 1 hour of more of standing meditation practice. The practice becomes a sanctuary and a reviver, like the horse drinks from the stream. Their are many saturday morning at the park, that we may have 15 students at the park practicing, yet when you look around you may only see 4-5 practicing Tai Chi, the other 10 are in their selected spots around the stream, under the trees, practicing their meditation. One hour of meditation and one hour of movement, is an excellent day.
The zham zhuang standing meditation travels well too. Beach, mountains, and woods, it requires nothing more than a strong constitution in spirit. We recently got a snapshot of a student working the turtle posting at the beach while on vacation. When students return from a trip, we often here wonderful stories of how there practice went in the enviroment, or a special place they found while practicing in an a remote area.
If you are interested in learning standing meditation as a personal resource then schedule private sessions with Sifu to be taken step by step for your individualized program.
Standing Meditation-Turtle at the Beach Edited on: Tuesday, June 19, 2007 5:58 AM