Skip to main content

Standing meditation produced superior results (Part 2).

Ti Bao Zhuang (Lifting - Embracing Post)


Tibao Zhuang is done whenever you feel too much muscular tension in your arms from doing the Chengbao Zhuang posture described in Part One 
http://spirithealers.blogspot.com/2013/06/standing-meditation-produced-superior.html

As you will gather from the following section, you just lower your arms to change to Tibao Zhuang. When your arms feel comfortable again, you can return to Chengbao Zhuang by raising the arms again. One of my classmates spends more time with Tibao Zhuang than Chengbao Zhuang and he can relax his muscles extremely well.

Tibao Zhuang is also an important posture in Yang Sheng Zhuang
When you practice this or any of the standing postures, the state of mental and physical relaxation and comfort is gradually deepening. Following, your health is also improving.

Basic requirements of Tibao Zhuang are the same as of Chengbao Zhuang. While in Chengbao Zhuang your arms are at shoulder level, in Tibao Zhuang you keep them at both sides of your belly about 30 cm (1 foot) in front of you. The distance between your hands is about 3 fists wide.


 Note: It's recommended to open your eyes when practicing all postures and all exercises.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, with toes slightly outwards. Knees bent slightly. Arms hanging loosely. Head should be kept straight. Look into space far in front of you, or slightly above the line of eyesight (it helps concentration). But eyes can also be slightly closed. Mouth slightly opened, but breathe through your nose. Tranquilize your mind and relax your body. A slight smile should appear on your face ("si xiao fei xiao" - "like smile not smile"). 

Under your armpits pretend that there are 2 small balloons lightly supporting your upper arms. Your elbows have the intention of pushing outwards like the feeling of a round inflated balloon. Elbows, forearms, and wrists are resting on imaginary wooden boards floating on the surface of water, or as if resting on a table. Direct the palms of your hands upwards and toward your body. Curve your fingers slightly. 

Imagine embracing a balloon between your arms, chest, and belly just like in Chengbao Zhuang except that your arms and hands are lower. The balloon is supported gently with your hands, the section of your palms closest to the wrists, and the middle section of your arms. Feel the balloon as if it was there and at the same time as if it wasn't. Use no force here too. Imagine holding the balloon so that it doesn't fly away if the wind should blow.

You can use the same mental visualizations as in Chengbao Zhuang. Tibao Zhuang can be used as a supplemental exercise to Chengbao Zhuang. You can use it to lower the intensity of training when you feel pain in your arms, shoulders or back while doing Chengbao Zhuang. It is also suitable for beginners or weak practitioners or people with poor health.  

When you get tired of doing Chengbao Zhuang or are feeling uncomfortable, you can change to doing Tibao Zhuang. A beginner should practice these two exercises twice a day, 10-15 minutes each time is acceptable. You can practice longer according to your condition. You should feel comfortable and gradual improvement will occur over time.



-->

Comments

  1. About 20 minutes each of sitting meditation, tibao and fenshui (aka cultivating middle balance), followed by tai chi, is my current afternoon routine. I do about 40 minutes of chengbao in the morning, along with isometrics and tai chi.

    Endurance is not a problem. Neither is motivation, but finding the time can be. I prefer to do the exercises when the mood is right. Some mornings I wake to soreness, cramps, etc. Self-massage takes care of 90% of that.

    I believe strict form is okay to begin with but some aspects can be individualized. I understand that Grandmaster Wang endorsed experimentation. I do not experiment for the sake of experimenting but because it seems called for. EG what level my hands are at, or how far apart, ot the angle they are at.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Home Remedies For Warts

Warts are small benign growths on the skin, caused by a variety of related, slow-acting viruses HPV (human papilloma virus). There are at least sixty known types of HPV. Warts may appear singly or in clusters. We will talk about three types of warts: Common warts, Plantar warts, and genital warts. Common warts can be found anywhere on the body, but are most common on the hands, fingers elbows, forearms, knees, face, and the skin around the nails. Most often, they occur on skin that is expose to constant friction, trauma, or abrasion. They can also occur on the larynx (the voice box) and cause hoarseness. Common warts may be flat or raised , dry or moist, and have a rough and pitted surface that is either the same color as or slightly darker than the surrounding skin. They can be as small as a pinhead or as large as small bean. Highly contagious, the virus that causes common warts is acquired through breaks in the skin.   Common warts can spread if they picked, trimmed,

Zhan Zhuang - Foundation of Internal Martial Arts

I found another good article on my favorite topic. Zhan Zhuang  - foundation of Internal Martial Arts by Karel Koskuba Most Internal Martial Arts use some form of standing practice as foundation training (and  Taijiquan  is no exception in this regard).  These standing exercises are usually called  Zhan Zhuang   (pole standing); sometimes they are called  'Standing Qigong'.   The  standing exercises  are supposed to relax and help you   'accumulate Qi'.  I n this article I shall try to outline my theory that should explain, from western perspective, why these exercises are so important both for Internal Martial Arts and Qigong , how this western view correlates with the traditional  Qi   view and give training advice on how to practice them. In writing this article I have drawn upon my experience from Taijiquan, Yiquan and information from medical postural rehabilitation research and sports science. Recommended books on Standing Qigong The Way of E

3 Tao Longevity Practices (Free Instructions and Video)

Turtle Breathing Qigong  – Longevity Practice Taoists were greatly concerned with promoting longevity and became renowned for their longevity practices. An essential component of their most successful longevity techniques is called "turtle breathing," which is an eight-minute breath. Giant turtles are known to live for hundreds of years. They commonly submerge themselves in the water and hold their breath for more than five minutes at a time. Turtle Breathing instructions below are provided by   Bruce Frantzis. Another Turtle Qigong form is "Golden Turtle" can be seen in Mantak Chia's Iron Shirt Chi Kung and Wang DiXian's Tai-chi Nei-gong 24 styles (in Chinese). The form itself is simple: a squatting stance with horizontal spinal cord. Those practitioners who can go through the initial difficult period can get the great benefits out of this simple form. Instruction below are from Iron Shirt Chi Kung by Mantak Chia.   I also found The 10