Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ Spring Forest Qigong Why is there no Horse Stance exercise?

I am wondering why Chunyi doesn't include a Chi building exercise utilizing the Horse Stance commonly found in martial arts practice. The exercise is done by standing in a Horse Stance with arms raised in front of you in a circle with spine straight and tailbone tucked.

I hear that by holding this position for up to 30 minutes without moving that an enormous amount of Chi is produced. I believe this is one of the most basic Chi building exercises.

Any feedback?

He has this exercise in his weight loss set and from memory, he holds it for about 7-8 minutes as there are three other standing exercises in the set and a couple of extra sitting ones. I like it and use it now and then to mix up the exercises that I do daily.

The other exercises in the set are good too so if you can get a copy of the video from Chunyi's website it's well worthwhile - even if you don't need to lose weight.

Aloha kdefro,

Yes, the good 'ol "Hug the Tree" exercise... yes that’s one of many, many, many, qigong exercises that give the body benefit. Chunyi has chosen those exercises he's found to be the most powerful and simplest to heal one's body. Notice the similarities with it and the forming of Yin & Yang? That, combined with the Moving of Yin & Yang, do more for your healing than just generating Qi.

He'd say there's no need to add another exercise, if the ones you have are covering it.

Now if you’re really set on integrating a horse stance, go ahead and get into a deep one while doing the sword fingers or thunder palms exercise from Level II. I did this while working through a deep chest cold at last year's retreat. My wife was leading the morning exercise on stage in the morning and wanted me to give an example of a deeper posture. Lets just ay that it's a challenge to do that for a decent amount of time when you're at 100%...when you're at about 45%, well, that would make most of your martial arts buddies wince a bit.

Much Love,


Shawn

Thanks for the feedback! Are these exercises from the Level II course? I just got the course but haven't looked through it yet.

Love and Light,
Kevin

Hi Shawn,

Thanks for sharing your story and advice. I've already posted this question but is the "tree hugger" in Level II?

I use this stance sometimes while doing Small Universe. I find it very effective to just hold it while circulating through the energy centers.

It does not seem to be counter to either the purpose of the meditation nor Chunyi Lin's instructions: "You can do this exercise while sitting, standing or lying down."

Also, in the Level II course he points out that the "mudra" (hand position) one holds while meditating is not that critical, though he gives the open palms and the "holding the world in the palms" (what I call it. It is the mudra one uses in Zazen the way I was taught it) as examples.

For me, holding the tree (or holding the energy ball) are mere hand positions and being tried and true in qigong tradition, they do not seem to have any counter indications while doing Small Universe.

I do not do a very deep or wide horse stance and never have, even when practicing in martial arts. The forms I learned rarely used wide horse stance for standing exercises.

Aloha kdefro,

"Hug the Tree" is just my little pet name for the exercise you are refering to. It is not a part of the Level I or II program. Crack open the course and jump in. You can read alot on the internet, but when it comes down to it, one doesn't learn to swim on land.

shakurav brings up an intersting point regarding hand posture, and hand postures (or mudras), and body position can assist the process. You'll find out about this in the course regarding protecting of one's energy, meditating with high blood pressure, etc. Chunyi talks about placing the hands in the Forming of Yin & Yang position to help balance upper and lower energy. Your "Holding the world" helps focus on the lower dantian, which is why Chunyi recomends those your working on to hold it. You'll see the people in a classic holding their fingers together meditation pose, yet you'll find Chunyi doesn't mention for people to do this in the small universe, yet instructs it in the Moon, Sun, and Rainbow mediations later. This is because of what it's helping do to the channels and the purpose of the particular meditation.

Ahh...wide horse stances in katas...yes, those were some fun days.

Enjoy your experience with Spring Forest Qigong and this Forum, kdefro.


Shawn

Thanks Shawn.....

Thanks for the suggestions... I will try the Small Universe standing with my tree hugger...

You are welcome. It works for me! However, YMMV... 8)

I especially like to use standing for SU when I have less time because it takes me time to get into and out of Lotus position sitting. I am actually mostly doing half Lotus or a modified full Lotus (left leg up and right foot tucked up and into the left leg). That is all I can do so far, and it still hurts a lot, especially when I do an hour of SU. So, if I need to get going soon after completing SU and then the Harvesting Qi Dao Yin stuff, I do it standing.

And I need to do something with my hands, so sometimes I just leave my hands by side with fingers open (ala the opening of SFQ Active Exercise) and sometimes I either hold the energy ball or "embracing the One" (aka "The Tree Hugger" ).

I had one of my most pwerful breakthroughs doing standing SU.