All these "30 day challenges". Well how about the "30 day Zhan Zhuang meditation challenge"??

Over the past few years, we've seen "30 day challenges" such as the "30 day plank challenge", "30 day squats challenge", etc. Most of these activities challenge the participant in some type of physical fitness activity to strengthen the body.

Well, what about strengthening the Body, Will, AND Mind?

I propose the
30 day Zhan Zhuang Challenge!

What is Zhan Zhuang?

For those not familiar with Tai Chi or other types of martial disciplines or meditation methods, Zhan Zhuang loosely translates to "standing like a post" or "standing on a stake" (pardon if my Chinese loose translation is incorrect, as English is my main language).

 There are many variations to this meditation practice, but the general idea is to stand firmly yet relaxed, all the while keeping aware of breathing and proper posture. It may sound easy, as many of us stand in lines for a substantial period of time.....but how many times have you STOOD MOTIONLESS without changing foot position or slouching or leaning to one side?

In Chen style Taijiquan, my classes and I practice this posture most frequently, as depicted in the accompanying drawing of Chen Zhenglei, my Grandmaster. Knees slightly bent, top of head to tailbone aligned, shoulders /hips/core relaxed, weight evening distributed on both feet and centered on both feet (no pronating or supinating), and arms raised in front of chest, as if "embracing a tree".

Most people jump right into this exercise, believing that standing is easy. But I suggest that if you try it, that you go into this with an open mind. Many people go into it then give up when their arms are tired.

"Wait....arms tired? I thought meditation was supposed to be easy!"

I suggest that people start with 2 minutes maximum to begin with. However you should always be aware of your body starting to compensate for shoulders fatigueing, etc. THIS IS NOT AN ENDURANCE EXERCISE as some people might believe. I do not suggest that you try going for as long as you can the first day just so you can have bragging rights. (yes, I've had students in the past do this...."look, I can stand in Zhan Zhuang for 15 minutes!" yet they don't see that their arms drop, they start to slump, their breathing changes due to discomfort, etc. ). Zhan Zhuang is not a contest to see who is strongest. The only competitor you have is yourself. The key here is to do Zhan Zhuang correctly and to not convince yourself that a bad posture is "correct". This is the hardest part, because if an individual is the competitive type, they will try to do too much too soon, thinking that they will gain benefits faster. Nothing could be farther from the truth when it comes to Zhang Zhuang.

Take your time and you'll see the benefits over time. For some, the word "time" detracts them from the practice.....which means the Zhan Zhuang practice will most likely not be for them, and that's okay.

However the purpose of this challenge is to get people to try it.

Okay, In a nutshell, here's how to do basic Zhan Zhuang (refer to photo below)

1. Place feet about shoulders width apart. Place weight evenly on both feet, not pronating or supinating on the feet. Bend knees slightly.
2. Stand tall but relaxed.....have a feeling of having the top of head reach for the sky, let your center of gravity drop downwards. Relax your core, including chest......don't let your chest raise up and out like military style standing. Gently tuck your tailbone slightly as if seated in a chair in a relaxed upright position (try sitting on a chair with keeping torso upright as described....that is sort of the posture I'm trying to describe).
3. Raise arms as pictured....as if hugging a tree. Relax shoulders. Keep elbows lower than shoulders and wrists.
4. Keep hands "alive". Don't curl the fingers in a limp fashion, yet don't use too much tension to keep them open. However, if you have conditions that prevent you from opening your hands, allow your mind's eye to keep an intention of "openness".

YES!

Now stand, keeping aware of your breathing and proper posture.

Remember, this is not a contest to rush into in an attempt to gain faster results. You would only hinder your training with impatience.

Keep in mind, if you feel any discomfort or pain, chances are you are using too much force or strength to stand in the posture. So stop the practice for a few minutes and go back to it or start again the next day. Your body will let you know of any postural mistakes as you stand.

Let's try.....

Phase 1, Finding your center, regulate breathing.

Day 1:  2 minutes

Day 2:  2 minutes

Day 3:  3 minutes

Day 4:  3 minutes

Day 5:  4 minutes

Day 6:  4 minutes

Day 7:  5 minutes

Some of you might say "Hey wait, why arent we going for 7 minutes in 7 days?". If you've never done Zhan Zhuang before, you need to 1) get into the routine of doing the activity and 2) allow your body to get used to standing motionless instead of sitting motionless and 3) slowly let your arms get used to remaining in that "embracing the tree" posture. 

Remember, I suggested "Don't Rush!" Moving on......

Phase 2, standing "in" the legs instead of top of them, allow breathing to relax tension.

Day 8: 5 minutes

Day 9: 5 minutes

Day 10:  6 minutes

Day 11:  6 minutes

Day 12: 7 minutes

Day 13:  8 minutes

Day 14:  9 minutes

"What?? not 10 minutes at 10 days??"  This is not a pattern based thing....its a "challenge the body yet allowing the body to gradually acclimate" thing. Again, dont rush. Its only a guideline meant to try Zhuan Zhuang for a bit each day.  Moving on.....

Phase 3, body strengthening

Day 15: 9 minutes

Day 16:  10 minutes

Day 17:  10 minutes

Day 18:  10 minutes

Day 19: 10 minutes

Day 20: 12 minutes

Day 21: 12 minutes

Phase 4, mind/will strengthening

Day 22: 12 minutes

Day 23:  13 minutes

Day 24:  13 minutes

Day 25:  14 minutes

Day 26:  14 minutes

Day 27: 15 minutes

Day 28: 15 minutes

Day 29: 15 minutes

Day 30:  15 minutes

You'll notice that its not a 30 days to 30 minutes schedule. It takes much more practice to get to 30 minutes. Resist the urge to try for 30 minutes right away....believe me, if you've never done Zhan Zhuang before or have little or limited exposure to it, don't go for quantity too soon. You'll just miss out on the subtle improvements to your practice other than the usual academically noted "relaxed and calm" items. To truly listen to your body take TIME. If you miss a day or two, that's fine. Just pick it up a the next opportunity. This is merely a guide, not a rule book. For experienced practitioners, stand as your skill allows.

Time....time for skill to develop. Skill gained through time, persistence and effort is.....

KUNG FU.

Who's in for the 30 day Zhan Zhuang Challenge?

Another blast from my blog's past: "Vitality in Art"

(Moving old blog posts from my previous location to here on Blogspot....here is one from early 2009)

February 24 2009

Quote of the month:

"There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening, that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost".  -Martha Graham

Who a better person to quote such words, as dance legend Martha Graham? Her ideas and concepts in contemporary dance choreography were innovative for it's time, and set the stage for contemporary dance. Her concepts were fresh, incorporating a raw sense of emotion not often seen before that time. Even the musical scores composed for her suites were very different from the music of the time.....major and minor chords combined, intricate rythym, tapestries of sound that either hit you like a shock, or brought raw emotion to the surface. Dancers of the Martha Graham Dance Company, became masters of bringing a "life force" to dance, translated through action.

Being a martial artist, I feel that the "art" of the fighting systems not only resides in the correctness of movement or even the committment to movement.....the art, I believe, resides in the "vitality" (as Martha puts it) of intent, emotion, and expression. This expression can be evident in any martial art, no matter how rough or it may look.

Don't get me wrong....Martial "art" is simply not the sole idea of looking pretty while you do a Kata.  Nor is it how high you jump, how heavy a sword you wield, how many boards you break, how many tournaments you win. Granted, having a few elements of strength and poise are indeed contributing factors to physical prowess and competitive edge….but in the end if you don’t have “intent, emotion, expression….and the ability to manifest these elements without conscious thought”….it won’t be a true art....it would only be physical skill and in some cases, mere tricks.

 

In my Taiji classes, my students often hear me say “Feel for it…..”, or I’ll compare a motion to an already familiar experience. “Push the beach ball under water” I might say, and their eyes light up with “Oh! Okay!”. This is because I know that not all my words will make sense during a class, and if a student does indeed make the connection between a familiar experience and a newfangled martial arts movement, it will be easier for them to bring forth the sense of intent needed for a movement. When it all comes together and a student can translate intent through action and freely express themselves through movement, then that , is Martial Art.

Short series Tai Chi workshops: Can you really benefit from them?

It is common for some Martial Artists to attend periodic seminars or workshop series to enhance their skills or to learn from well known Masters. Usually, these workshops will most likely have a relationship to the art they're already studying, or have a subject that the student has been interested in.

Seminars are meant to present a bulk of information over a specific period, be it hours or days. Most times (but not all times), seminars are meant to enhance skills in a field you're already familiar with.

But what about workshops that your teacher recommends, on a subject you've never done before? Namely, if you're used to the world of "ground n' pound" of MMA, or if you're a staunch believer in heavy workouts every day (running, weights, etc.), will these workshops on subjects you have no familiarity with, actually do you any good?

Let's take....TAI CHI, for example....

I teach a program called "BreatheTao-Taiji on the go", a 6 session series made specifically for very busy professionals, stay at home parents, and martial artists who are interested in the stress-reducing, body aligning, low impact exercise, and yes, even the self defense benefits of Tai Chi. The series is not meant to teach a full curriculum of Taiji, but instead to give busy people tools for stress reduction and self awareness that they may use in their everyday lives. It gives them an introduction to solid Taiji principles, should they decide to study Taiji in a formal manner under a qualified instructor.

On more than one occasion, I've been met with comments such as: "Can you really defend yourself moving so slowly?" or "How is Tai Chi a workout? It seems too easy to do me any real good".

Well folks, that's where the benefit lies...it IS easy...on the body, that is. Many of us are so into the belief that if exercise doesn't hurt, its not doing us any good. Proper Taiji practice, however, focuses on good structure and alignment, so as to not cause undue strain to joints and muscles. Through the seemingly "too easy" movements, the deeper muscles of the legs and core come into play, and our sense of proprioception and self awareness is enhanced. However...this is not to say that real Taiji practice is a walk in the park either. Like all martial skills, Taiji is a form of "Kung Fu"....."skill gained through time and hard effort".

In all the series I've presented, people ask me how I can remember all the movement of such "long" Taiji routines. Some people have mentioned that they wouldn't be very good at Taiji, because they wouldn't be able to remember all the moves and the names of the forms. However, the true benefit to a short series of Taijiquan workshops is not necessarily having a rote curriculum to remember, but rather allowing the body to "feel" movements that the body naturally attunes to, and to let oneself move with those freely and with relaxation and no stress about forgetting something. :-) I don't care if people remember the 10 form or not....as long as they walk away with even ONE movement to practice and fundamental breathing and de-stressing techniques. After all, if you're taking only 6 lessons, don't expect to be a Taiji master. You'll need to actually find time to commit to studying under a good teacher for years to get really "good" at Taiji and to discover all its other techniques, applications, and benefits.

When thinking about undergoing a short series of Taiji workshops, first think about the main benefits you'd like to gain (stress relief? Physical therapy?A break from hectic schedules? Did your doctor advise Taiji for a physical ailment?). I am teaching a friend right now, that if she benefits from the body alignment to help her back pain (and in trickle down effect, helps her knees, quadriceps and hamstrings to aid her back), then wonderful.....doesn't matter if she remembers the whole yang 10 form or if she's even really interested in Taijiquan itself for further study.....as long as she can get some beneficial tools to work with, that's the benefit.

The kicker is....with the workshops series I've done for several venues, I tell all participants to not worry about not remembering form. I ask them to "feel, breath, experience opening the body to the odd activity of not thinking about work,... experience total focus on self, nevermind the project due in 5 days or where you'll get your next latte." You'll be surprised at how many people prefer to dwell in their little cacoons of overactivity and stress...many thinking they're being productive if they multitask and feel the stress. I called some people out about their stressed out sense of productivity at a series at a local YMCA, saying "You're so addicted to the feeling stress in multitasking, and what happens? Lots of stuff gets started quicly but never gets done as quickly. Is that really productive?? Just because you're in downtime doesn't mean you're being less productive."

People even get stressed out about their recreation! Can you believe that? They feel they have to do something "recreation wise"..., tennis lessons, gym, bridge club, basket weaving 101...whatever. I had a student so stressed out he'd freak out if he was late to tai chi class! He'd speed through the streets in his car just to get to Taiji on time...we could hear his car screeching to a halt in front of the studio, and he would come bursting through the door gasping "Sorry i'm late!". Wow. Stress out to be on time for a class meant to de-stress you. What's wrong with this picture?

In a nutshell, you can reap benefits from short workshops. Keep these points in mind when at a workshop.

1) What benefits am I looking to gain?

2) Can I relate any of this information to things I'm already familiar in?

3) Am I willing to say "I will not overwork to retain every bit of information"? (Relax!)

4) Am I willing to attend this workshop without preconceived notions? (Come to seminars with an open mind)

5) Am I ready to have fun and enjoy myself? (seminars can indeed be fun, you know!)

6) Can I refrain from being over analytical and asking too many questions? (Being overanalytical just occupies the brain to think up questions and prevents the brain from listening to the real information.)

7) Can I take just one or two aspects of this seminar, and practice it on my own? Even if its merely a new way of breathing or a new way of looking at the definition of "self awareness"?

8) Am I willing to look "not as skilled" as others in the seminar? (come on now...if everybody else if trying concentrate on their own movments in a Taiji seminar, they're certainly not going to be judgemental and snicker at your "less-than perfect form" )


If you can think about and apply these things to your attendance at a Taiji workshop, then you'll gain many benefits!


Good Qi to you!!