Re: Standing Meditation
Posted: Sat May 06, 2023 10:06 am
I can’t really address the origins of Standing Meditation. I believe it is old, probably nearly as old as sitting meditation. Most of my teachers have had me practice standing meditation at some point, and nearly all if you include standing in stances, which is likely how standing meditation began. Beyond that, I can only relate my own experiences.
I was introduced in the mid-1980s to the "Embracing Horse stance" by a Yang-style Taijiquan teacher. At the time, I thought that this was just a way to stand in a horse stance, but later, I realized that he was teaching a form of standing meditation.
In 1990, I went to a man for baguazhang instruction, long story short, we followed his interests training a standing meditation system that he/we practiced every morning for an hour-plus for over a year. I once asked him what it was called, he said, "Kong Jing, like Kong Jing, but not Kong Jing.” Later, I asked if he meant Lin Kong Jing, which was just starting to get some press in the US. He said, “No, different. Shhhh.” Instruction consisted of about one sentence each day. He had learned it from an old man in his hometown, in or near Harbin, China, who also taught him a Manchurian martial art that he said he would never teach anyone else.
He had me try many arm positions and in his presence telling me to feel what each does within my body. Then, we did different stances and movements. That was really cool. Eventually, he said to clear my mind and just sense what my body needs, and let my body find the position it needs on its own. Any movement or position with which I have experience could be drawn upon. Sometimes, I'd stay in one position for long periods. Other times, I'd perform a series of movements.
It's tempting to say it felt like being a puppet on strings, but that's not right. The movement definitely comes from inside, not outside, so it's more like my subconscious mind is moving my body on autopilot. I used to call it "spontaneous neigong." I suppose it is actually some sort of neidan, internal alchemy, but not limited to classic longevity methods.
This system of training has been a foundation and has opened me up to later instruction in other systems for all of my sitting, standing, and moving meditation. Even my martial arts has benefitted, and I feel this has made my martial arts more beneficial to me.
Later, Feng Zhiqiang was a huge advocate of standing for long periods of time, an hour or two or more. That’s been pretty well discussed. One of the several important practices I got from Feng's training system was learning to clear all the excess tension, energy, and focus that might get stuck in my body.
I learned other lessons from other teachers.
I would not call myself a big proponent of standing meditation. I may even take it for granted. It has been just part of the landscape of my journey, but I have done a lot of it and have reaped great benefits from it.
I was introduced in the mid-1980s to the "Embracing Horse stance" by a Yang-style Taijiquan teacher. At the time, I thought that this was just a way to stand in a horse stance, but later, I realized that he was teaching a form of standing meditation.
In 1990, I went to a man for baguazhang instruction, long story short, we followed his interests training a standing meditation system that he/we practiced every morning for an hour-plus for over a year. I once asked him what it was called, he said, "Kong Jing, like Kong Jing, but not Kong Jing.” Later, I asked if he meant Lin Kong Jing, which was just starting to get some press in the US. He said, “No, different. Shhhh.” Instruction consisted of about one sentence each day. He had learned it from an old man in his hometown, in or near Harbin, China, who also taught him a Manchurian martial art that he said he would never teach anyone else.
He had me try many arm positions and in his presence telling me to feel what each does within my body. Then, we did different stances and movements. That was really cool. Eventually, he said to clear my mind and just sense what my body needs, and let my body find the position it needs on its own. Any movement or position with which I have experience could be drawn upon. Sometimes, I'd stay in one position for long periods. Other times, I'd perform a series of movements.
It's tempting to say it felt like being a puppet on strings, but that's not right. The movement definitely comes from inside, not outside, so it's more like my subconscious mind is moving my body on autopilot. I used to call it "spontaneous neigong." I suppose it is actually some sort of neidan, internal alchemy, but not limited to classic longevity methods.
This system of training has been a foundation and has opened me up to later instruction in other systems for all of my sitting, standing, and moving meditation. Even my martial arts has benefitted, and I feel this has made my martial arts more beneficial to me.
Later, Feng Zhiqiang was a huge advocate of standing for long periods of time, an hour or two or more. That’s been pretty well discussed. One of the several important practices I got from Feng's training system was learning to clear all the excess tension, energy, and focus that might get stuck in my body.
I learned other lessons from other teachers.
I would not call myself a big proponent of standing meditation. I may even take it for granted. It has been just part of the landscape of my journey, but I have done a lot of it and have reaped great benefits from it.