Meditative Standing
Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart, or a little wider.
a. Relax your shoulders.
b. Knees slightly bent (or you might think
"unlocked."). Imagine your feet rooting into the ground. If
you can, imagine that your roots extend down to a depth of about nine
feet.
c. The spine is straight without being
rigid. Straighten the spine by thinking of the
tailbone pointing down. You may also think of your lower back pushing
back until the lower back is flat. You could also think that your pelvis
tilts under until your lower back flattens out.
d. Breathe slowly and evenly in through
your nose and out through your nose. Breathe into your abdomen. Avoid
breathing high in your chest.
e. Bring your mind to the lower abdomen;
three finger-widths below your navel, inside your body. This is your
lower dantian. Allow your arms to rise to just below shoulder level,
keeping your shoulders relaxed. Have the opinion that the palms of your
hands are connected to the lower dantian. Just stay there with your mind
for a period of time that is comfortable to you. Eventually, you
may find that this time period gradually extends longer and longer.
f. Allow your eyes to take in your
surroundings. Take it all in, but don't dwell on any one particular
thing. Just look straight ahead, relaxing and easing. Remember to keep
your mind in your lower abdomen.
g. When you have reached a satisfactory place to
conclude, just bring your attention back to your surroundings, lower
your arms and begin to
move a bit. Shift fore and back, side to side on the soles of your feet. Then finish up by doing the body patting that we do in
class.
If you are going to
continue to do additional taiji qigong movements, do the body patting
form when you finish those.