There are many styles of Qigong practice. From soft and relaxing, to intense and invigorating there is a style for everyone. One of the best aspects of Qigong practice is simplicity. You can make simple activities a Qigong practice with the right focus, breathing, and intention.
An example of this is standing – standing correctly can be a Qigong practice that will relax your mind, unwind stress and anxiety, increase energy, and balance the body.
There are a couple of basic “rules” when you are standing, so that you don’t create tension in the body, or cause any injury. Generally, when we are standing correctly we can feel a sense of openness, lightness, and vigour in the body. If we feel this, it means that our qi is flowing smoothly. When the qi flows smoothly, your acupuncture meridians can deliver the qi or energy to the internal organs, keeping you healthy and vibrant,
In this video we go through the basics of standing. This isn’t necessarily a standing meditation practice, it is more of the “rules” about how to stand correctly. I would encourage you to play around with some of these ideas so that you find the strong, but relaxed position.
During full Qigong practices we always return back to the “Ready position” which is basically this standing posture. It is always nice to “stand” for a few moments during Qigong practice to re-centre yourself both physically, and mentally.
Standing practices are great, because you can do them anywhere and anytime, without looking too strange 🙂
You can practice “standing” while you are waiting in a slow moving grocery store line up, while you are cooking, or if you have have a standing desk at work.
Standing in the “Qigong way” can be energizing and relaxing at the same time, especially when you take nice deep breaths!
Happy practicing!
