Chinese Qigong Therapy, Shandong Science and Technology Press, Jinan, China 1985 p. 33 – 39.

Different positions cultivate different aspects of your standing practice.

What do you want from your standing practice?

Of main importance is structural equilibrium and relaxing (sung) both the body and mind. But do not slump or collaps the body. The body structure is finely threaded together without any breaks, with no deficiency or excess. Apply the all the structural principles: “Keep bones all over the body well balanced,
Bending of joints is kept with a limit.” Central equilibrium. The shoulder to the hip. The knees to elbows. The hands to the feet. There no place where the energy does not reach. Leave out excess tensions. An expression often used in qigong is: “bathing”. Look for the feeling as if your whole body was submerged in body warm bathtub

Bathing your body in the midst of the air,
standing on a mountain top.

Connecting the heaven and earth.
The primordial energy returns to dantien.

Smiling,
I disappear.

(Forget about right and wrong and strive towards natural perfection).

Hallo Thomas,

I hope it is ok to address you. And thanks for a very informative webpage, which I was happy to find.

I appreciated very much reading some notes about a course that you participated in, led by Sam Tam last year, I believe.

I was particularly interested in the comments of the hands, that you posted:

” Each hand holding a small paper ball holding a big balloon of air towards the body so it cannot escape. Amble space to the armpits as if holding a small ball of air. The index finger and the middle finger is kept just above shoulder hight. Both thumbs pointing relaxed up as if a string in the first joint to the heavens where holding them up (releasing the shoulders even more). The two middle fingers pointing straight towards each other. The index fingers lifting a small bird. The two pinkies extend down (helping both the elbows). Fingers held together as if holding cigarettes in-between them. Adjusting the position to find perfect alignment and releasing all tension. Pressure in the back can sometimes be relieved by decreasing the angle between the arms within the range and holding the ball closer to the body. All done with poise to increase the relaxation and fine tune body alignment.”

Some other person also write:

“palms pointing in and slightly down”

A few question, I also have seen a few pictures of people doing this, and there seems to be some degree of variability.

I would very much like to get a little better grip on:

- should the palms be more like facing the shoulders the body- flat/parallel to the body, or should they be facing down a bit towards the ground, with a small tilt of say 20-30 % -like in this picture (also attached)

- but then the thumbs will tend point a bit towards you, or how much should the be pointing towards the sky/uppwards

- and the two middle fingers should they pointing straiht towards each other in a straight line.

When I look at this picture:

The palms face a bit domn, but the middle fingers are not pointing towards each other, at least not more than any other fingers, thumbs are not really pointing up, and the index fingers are not holding a bird?

What is your take on this,?

Would be very happy if you provide some guiding tips, and you are most welcome if you so wishes to post it on your web (but then only in my first name). Also do you have anything good suggestions to read about hand/fingers positions, in a book, article, blog etc.

Many thanks

Sincerely and best regads

Thomas M

Stockholm



Find center!
Relax the chest.
Raise the back.
Enclose the solar plexus.
Protect the cheekbones.
Lift the head.
Suspend solar plexus.
Loosen the shoulders.
Sink the elbows.
Be evasive.
Avoid conflict.
( Wu-Yü-hisiang )
Many qigon practitioners and mast…[/quote]

Relax the internal organs (lungs, heart, liver, spleen, kindneys and stomach) one by one when sinking the chi to dantian.

Notes from Sam Tam’s sommer seminar in Copenhagen 2007