Good Morning Future Qigong Masters!
Sifu Mario here, I trust you are well. Recently, a member in the group and prospective student asked some very salient questions of me that provoked some great conversation. I want to make it available here for you, paraphrasing from memory as best I can. As a member of the group, you have shown interest in the subject. As the Organizer, I feel it’s my job to pique your interest. As it is often said, “We just don’t know…what we don’t know.”
Why practice zhan zhuang? (Specifically, why do I practice, what go I get out of it.)What is the timeline of practice…how long does it take to practice, and to finish the process? What is the end result of practice? (What is possible among the range of benefits.) Is it just for the body, just for the mind, does it have a spiritual context?
In other words…why bother? What’s the point?
Whew! Big questions deserving of big answers…I’ll do my best.
Why I practice Zhan Zhuang: It is a meditation based on the circulation of the primordial energy of nature throughout the entirety of your being. This energy has two primary states, Yin (gravity) and Yang (solar). The mind and body are not distinguished separately in Chinese Medical Theory the way there are in the West. Optimal health, physical & MENTAL, at any age, in CMT is the result of the unimpeded flow of Qi (chi, ki, prana, pneuma, holy spirit, rlung, ruach) through the system. Zhan Zhuang is the simple and direct approach of physically and mentally aligning one’s being to allow this energy to move through you and in doing so clear the blockages that exist. As these blockages are cleared, through the action of circulation (not compression which is a different matter) The noticeable changes in the body are seen in improved posture, freedom from aches and pains, optimal health, and vitality (defined as a young person’s constitution no matter your age). This is demonstrable to others through the act of rooting as well. As the body becomes more stable, so does the mind (defined here as the sum of one’s intellectual & emotional capital…their personality.)
In summary, Zhan Zhuang is a method of removing the blockages that prevent you from accessing your potential as a human being. It does this through the action of circulation (not compression) of the energy that gives us life, and brings body, mind, and spirit (Qi) together in a way that nothing else I have found does. It does this through the action of 1 method, and it can do this in not less than 10 minutes a day. That’s why I practice. To me, it is a no brainer.
I’ll touch on another of these questions soon.
Best
Sifu Mario