Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Zhan Zhuang Qigong Video Series

This is a very exciting update about the latest video series we posted on Youtube today.  This series in unlike any we have posted before because it is a follow-along Qigong set for daily practice.  The first video in this series is the instructional video that explains the movements, postures, breathing, and focus for "Standing Like a Post Qigong" (Zhan Zhuang Qigong), but the other videos include no instructions and are silent excpet for soft chimes that let you know when something is changing (This allows you to stay focused while meditating, without having to peek at the video to see if the posture has changed).  Each of the follow-along videos is set for a different time interval for holding the Zhan Zhuang posture (the first one starting at 1 minute and each subsequent video is a little longer).  This way, one may begin by practicing the 1 minute video daily, until it becomes easy, then they can progress to the next video, and so on.

For those of you who have not heard of Zhan Zhuang before, it is a standing Qigong practice that is considered one of the most important and most foundational Qigong practices for health and for the internal martial arts such as Tai Chi Chuan (Taijiquan), Xingyi quan, and Bagua Zhang.  It is believed to be one of the best energy cultivating Qigong exercises and is used to help people develop their root and therefore improve their balance.  Maintaining the Zhan Zhuang structure over a period of time helps develop awareness of your body that will cause you to recognize tension in your body of which you were previously unaware.  It will build a habit of holding a body structure that is not only more efficient in martial art movements, but more efficient in daily activities.  This structure is also said to open up the body's primary energy channels and break up any blockages in energy flow, which is one of the main sources of its health benefits.  The relaxation also calms the mind and the deep breathing massages the internal organs to help increase circulation to them, thereby nourishing and cleansing them more efficiently.

We are very excited about this video series and the opportunity to share a simple exercise that you can follow along with and enjoy on a daily basis.

















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