Relaxation

“When I stand, the earth is in my hands. The universe is in my mind.” 

 - Wang Xiang Zhai,
the grandmaster of Zhang Zhuang in its modern form.

We rarely relax. But in Qigong, we learn a powerful skill:  by relaxing more and using less effort we can, paradoxically, produce more energy. I first introduced this concept in my classes with the “Rule of 70%”: Use 70% of what you know your full effort can be when performing a movement.  Many of us balked at this at first. We’re so trained in the West to use more effort; add more reps, lift more weight, step more steps. The concept of moving with less effort is a real challenge, but with practice, we begin to recognize the warm, enlivening sense that our innate energy has begun to free up. It’s a real kick when this happens! As Qigong students, we gradually apply the less-effort-more-energy rule to increasingly challenging movements, and our innate energy blooms even more. Our immune system and body get stronger, we sleep better, our digestion and our moods improve. We learn how to handle stress. All by learning how to slow down, relax, expend less effort. This can change your life.

The ultimate, foundational form of this practice is called Zhang Zhuang, or Standing Like a Tree. We learn through stillness to tune in to the vast resources that dwell in and around us, as invisible but real as the unseen movement of sap rising through trees. It’s said that Standing Like a Tree is the quickest and most sure way to produce energy. The catch? You have to do it. First for a few moments, then a few minutes, eventually working up to standing for as long as perhaps 10 or 20 minutes. Even doing this for only a minute a day will have a tremendous impact. As you stand with peace, rootedness, and unperturbed focus, your mind and nervous system simultaneously relax. Your qi, or energy, unblocks.  Your energy grows and expands like a strong, healthy tree.

I’ll continue to touch lightly on this practice during our weekly classes. I encourage you to give it a try on your own, perhaps facing a tree in your yard or neighborhood that you find particularly welcoming. Don’t be surprised if you can only manage to stand for a few seconds at first, before your nervous system want to rush you onto other things. That’s part of the process. Let me know how it goes!