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Qigong, ZhanZhuang, and the Taijiquan Triangle

Qigong refers to exercises developed to promote the cultivation of Qi, or internal energy. Qi, or more precisely, the sensation of Qi, is one's perceptible sense of the processes and activities that take place inside one's body. This awareness derives from a state where one's mind and body are in total harmony - tranquil and in repose.

Through the centuries, the people of China have developed thousands of qigong postures. Some were designed to promote the circulation of Qi to address health concerns. Taoists, Buddhists and other spiritual seekers developed postures to retard aging and promote spiritual well being. Still other postures were developed to help people cultivate the sheer physical power needed to defend themselves from bandits, and, when necessary, to prepare soldiers to engage in battle.

Zhan Zhuang
"Embrace Tree" A common
Zhan Zhuang Posture One set of qigong exercises serves all three functions: zhan zhuang. The term has been variously translated as "stacked-stance training," "standing pole exercises" or "pile standing." Considered one of the most basic forms of qigong training, zhan zhuang postures are prescribed for patients to promote health and address specific ailments, taught to monks seeking enlightenment, and martial artists preparing for combat. At the Los Angeles Chen Taiji Center, we often start our classes with an hour of zhan zhuang exercises, to help us relax our bodies and prepare our minds for practice, and to align ourselves physically before practicing silk reeling exercises, forms and push hands drills.

Before we look at the benefits of zhan zhuang, we must first address the proper alignment and the proper balancing of our bodies, or our "frame" - the correct "stack-up" of the parts of our bodies, one on top of the other - hence the phrase "stacked-stance training." One of the most common "stacked stances" is referred to variously as the "embrace horse," "embrace balloon," or the "embrace tree" posture.

Once one has assumed this posture and maintained it for a while, one quickly becomes aware of minor aches and pains developing in different muscle group(s) in the body, notably the thighs and shoulder muscles. When this happens, the student makes minor adjustments to one's overall frame and the position of one's joints, relaxing the stressed muscle groups. Eventually, one finds the proper alignment, the body's structure is balanced and all the muscle groups are truly relaxed. Beginners are generally instructed to hold a posture for five to ten minutes at a time, gradually increasing the length of time in increments of five minutes, up to about an hour a session. Zhan Zhuang aligns
Zhan Zhuang aligns your whole
skeletal frame & structure

Summoning the necessary physical endurance to stand for the required length of time is the first hurdle every beginner must face. The body automatically makes the muscle groups work harder to maintain the posture, and muscle tension and fatigue rise to the surface. No wonder some consider zhan zhuang a form of punishment.

Nothing could be further from the truth however. At this point in one's practice, patience and persistence are the keys to growth. The longer one holds a zhan zhuang posture, the more time spent making minute adjustments to ones' frame, fine-tuning his or her alignment, the more benefit the practitioner stands to gain from their efforts. So do not be discouraged by the inevitable soreness and minor aches and pains that will accompany the start of your zhan zhuang practice. The pains will pass and you will surmount this early hurdle and move on to more interesting aspects of Taiji practice - all of which will be greatly improved by regular practice of zhan zhuang postures.

Another hurdle for the beginner is the temporary mental dreariness of their early zhan zhuang sessions. Many misinterpret the translated meaning of the words, zhan zhuang, and think that is like "staking" oneself into the ground also requires them to freeze all activities, mental as well as physical. This is not the case. When one is holding a stationary standing posture, usually the mind and body are divorced. The mind wanders and unbidden thoughts arise. The mind never completely shuts down, and nor should the practitioner try to silence the mind. Rather the practitioner should direct the mind, at first to continuously check important postural points, and eventually use visualizations that, combined with the postures increase one's internal strength for use in practice of the forms and push hands drills.

mountain
In Zhan Zhuang, your external body
and skeleton must be steady
and still like a mountain In fact, the Chinese verse saying, "Steady like Mountains, Lively like Rivers," was coined to describe zhan zhuang training. "Steady like Mountains," refers to the form and posture of the body, while "Lively like Rivers," alludes to the mind and its thoughts.

The mind should constantly check important postural points, and, in turn, the body makes continuous adjustments to the body's structure. After repeating the process for a while, from the initial major adjustments to eventual minute changes, one develops a holistic kinesthetic sense of the condition of one's body. We will know when our frame structure is aligned and in balance, when all of our muscle groups are relaxed, and we will be able to perceive the increase and improvement of energy circulating in our bodies. Often our initial perceptions of this state leads to a state of exhilaration.

At this point, which does not take long to reach if one practices for an hour daily, eventually we should be able to feel the increase in activity in even our smallest capillary vessels. The autonomic systems of respiration, circulation, even digestion indeed becomes, "Lively like [water, rushing and bubbling down] Rivers [and Streams]." Zhan Zhuang
Your mind and internal body
must actively flow like a river

However pleasant, this happy state is not the end of our zhan zhuang training. Just beyond this joyous, energizing feeling, there is a state of deep calm and security. To be able to enter into a state of serenity is a third major hurdle, once achieved, represents a major breakthrough in one's practice. When the soreness and aching are gone, one's awareness of the activities inside the body becomes richer, even opulent, and one's continued practice of zhan zhuang postures becomes an outright pleasure. Necessary adjustments are now being made in the flows of automatic processes and `activities inside the body. We call the perception of this flow, the flow of "Qi".

"The Taijiquan Triangle" consists of three elements:

  • Yi- the mind, or intention.
  • Qi- the internal strength, or life force.
  • Xing- the form, or appearance.

"Yi" is intangible, and "Xing" is tangible. "Qi" is something you can feel, but is not something we can substantiate, or assign physical substance to. Nevertheless "Qi" is a bridge connecting the "Yi" and "Xing". That's why we say, in Chinese, that the, "Qi" goes together with "Yi". Beginners may have doubts in regards to the subsistence of "Qi". The usual advice is to train harder. "Qi" is a product of dedicated hard work. Another way of looking at "Qi", one that many Western practitioners find useful, is to substitute the word "Yi" or one's intention or mindful awareness of the body during practice, for the word "Qi," at least at first, until the movement of energy in one's body becomes perceptible.

A common misconception is that breath training and "Qigong" are one in the same. Actually training in breathing technique and "Qigong" are two separate endeavors. Breathing is a natural instinct; we need to breath in order to live. However, even though breathing is not "Qigong," or energy practice, in and of itself, correct breathing methods help to enhance our bodily activities as well as cultivation of inner "Qi". We could say that correct breathing is an aid to qigong training.

Tai Chi Form
 The practice of Taijiquan forms are a coordinated, continuous, smooth, and delicate exercise. One starts off by training in body movement sets. In due course, an internal state of both harmony and tranquility can be achieved. As with the practice of zhan zhuang postures, practicing form sets will lead to an awareness of the sensation of "Qi," moving through the body. Ultimately through the practice of Taijiquan movement sets, this internal awareness develops into a palpable sense of the energy that initiates and motivates all external, physical movements. Learning to direct this energy, via our intention or "Yi," is the foundation of all internal martial art practices. "To remain tranquil while in action," is one of the goals of our training in Taijiquan, and there is no limit to how far we can thus develop, cultivate, expand and make use of our bodies' internal energy. This is why Taijiquan can be one of the most advanced forms of "Qigong" available.

"Tranquility in Action," is a state that can be achieved. However it requires dedication and devotion, and is only realized through correct long-term training in the form and push hands exercises. To become thoroughly aware of, and maintain, the internal activities of our bodies while engaged in action, is not an easy task. In comparison zhan zhuang training is much simpler. If the Taijiquan practitioner incorporates sixty minutes of zhan zhuang into their daily training in the other aspects of Taijiquan trianing, it would lead to a tremendous acceleration of their development of the sensation of "Qi," moving through the body. Doing so is one of the few sure and effective ways to to advance oneself to higher levels of practice in the shortest amount of time.

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