Right postures are necessary for smooth breathing, mental relaxation, and tranquilization of the mind.
Traditional qigong emphasizes that “the flow of qi cannot be smooth without the correct postures. The mind cannot be concentrated without the smooth flow of qi. If the mind cannot be concentrated, then qi will be in chaos.” Commonly used postures include sitting, lying, standing, and walking.
Standing is a common posture in practicing qigong. A typical style such as the Tri-Round-Style Standing Stump introduced below can help strengthen the energy and benefit the heart, lung, and back.
When start practicing qigong, stand erect with the feet parallel to each other, about shoulder-width apart. Evenly distribute the body weight between the two feet to make a solid and deep connection with the ground. The top of the head reaches upward. Keep the head and neck straight, with the chin slightly drawn in. Relax the shoulders. Slightly draw in the chest. Keep the back straight. This is called “standing like a tree.”
Relax the hips and buttocks. Bend the knees slightly and keep them soft and unlocked. However, do not extend the knees beyond the toes. Relax the abdomen to enable deep and soft breaths into the Dantian (Elixir Field, or energy center) area, which is about two inches below the navel.
Keep the eyes looking straightly ahead softly, or half closed, or totally closed gently to avoid distractions. Naturally close the mouth, with the tongue tip gently touching the upper palate. Relax the face, or have a natural smile on the face without effort or excitement.
Make an embracing gesture with the arms in front of the body to create a circle, with fingers in each hand slightly separated and bent as if holding a ball. Keep the fingertips of one hand pointing at those of the other hand, with the palms facing inward and separated apart about 30 centimeters.
While remaining standing, use as little force as possible without feeling too much effort. According to the bending degree of the knee joints, the standing method can be divided into three subtypes, the high, middle and low types. According to different postures of the arms, the standing method can also be divided into different types such as Natural-Style Standing, Downward-Pressing-Style Standing Stump, Buddha-Palm-Style Standing Stump, and Tri-Round-Style Standing Stump.
