Hello everybody – and a question

[Anonymous]

Hello friends,
first post here. I stumbled upon Bruce Frantzis’ books and videos and until now it’s been a great pleasure. I’ve been reading/trying to practice qigong since the nineties, but really never had the chance to read a teaching in such a clear manner.

So, the question:

– I read some people here talk about zhan zhuang, where I can find the teaching from BKF about this specific topic?

Thanks guys
Max

[Anonymous]

Hello- just a quick 2cents from me… (cheers and this is the best info on this subject, which subject I think is the coolest of any.. )- Zhan Zhuang could mean a few different things, if including the general standing (linking up the alignments and getting the system to circ-flow (and most of all sink and accum in lower-dan.. see his comments in the recent videos about the EnergyArtsTeaching circle, if you haven’t seen those videos- talking about ‘why standing’… and on the YouTube channel).
Anyway- the book “Opening the Energy Gates of the Body” has moving as well as stationary, and yet even the moving (E-gate ‘CloudHands” and <img src="smileys/heart.gif" width="" height="" alt="<3" title="> swings and Spinal-release work.. all actually feedbackinto upgrading standing.. so if you haven’t read that book yet (more info in each chapters than in many other entire books on the subject (my unsolicited opin there).

There is a Hsing-I / I-Chuan program that might open-avail again that goes into it, a bit pricey-er… and in this 6months cycle of E-Arts Training Circle it seems he is going to go into depth in it… but there isn’t really a place that it “All is avail” – in the sense that Standing (both what positions to hold, and what int’l components are activated, per what conditions one is in.. ala diagnostic-type use)….

one can activate more an more of all the different Energies that are done in TaiChiChuan, as well as each of the NeiGung sets, all while in a standing position… so really almost unltd- simul

(of course in the usual, A) do a new skill learned… have that new “skill” so can do at will, C) then do that new ‘skill’ in the background (ie like the proverbial walking&chewing-gum… ie not have to think on it… and then D) do 2 ‘skills’ that you can do at the C level…. E) the 2 ‘skills’ of step D.. become one… then start over with a new ‘A’….

(so not really doing more than a couple things.. as once joined to one, as well as activate the depths of mind, its not the usual- monkey-mind verbal act).. just to mention that, as it changes from the ‘do-this/do-that’ aspects…
==========
so beyond the book mentioned up above, the concepts in Dragon&Tiger (espec the 2nd vol, as it intros a number of E-skills, that can sort of breeze-by and one could work with a couple for a while and really dive in; over and above the Dr&T set.. just layering the skills upon standing… as well as some direct standing instruction… and the meditation books, in terms of mind practice…

anyway- hard to tell/guess what way you might be practicing and seeking to integrate with- but that might give something relating to Bruce’s stuff.. the trick I’ve found it getting the feeling- in standing- like being a water-balloon
(ie dont think of it as standing and then lift one’s arms– but, once I got a sense of it, I felt like a marshmallow… sort of collapse arms/neck/back with a slight knee bend into to pelvic-guts.. and then expand outward from that “center’ and have expand out your frame.. not lift your arms up and out.. and sustain in that

[if that means anything, and isn’t just confusing or a distraction] best wishes and luck in your practice….

[Anonymous]

Hi Max,

Zhan Zhuang or “Standing like a post” is one name of a basic chi gung set. In Bruce’s system this is often called “Standing”, “Energy Gates”, “Standing Chi Gung” or “Opening the Energy Gates of the Body”. Bruce has a book on this chi gung called “Opening the Energy Gates of the Body”. It is an awesome book, very clear and well thought out. If you are interested, I’d highly recommend it!

Hope this helps,
Janak

[Author]

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