Standing Meditation
It is the essential energy to body and life. Chi gong, which includes meditation, opens the meridians and increases the circulation of chi. This will result in increased internal power.
Meditation can be classified into four general methods: Moving, Standing, Sitting, and Laying Down. The Cheng Ming system commonly practices the first three methods. Zhan Zhuang is the method for training standing meditation. Cheng Ming Zhan Zhuang incorporates sets of non-moving meditation postures, which help to calm the mind and stretch the breathing. Each posture in Zhan Zhuang coordinates with an internal organ and its related meridians. Cheng Ming Zhan Zhuang works on the circulation of both Pre-Heaven Chi and Post-Heaven Chi.
The Cheng Ming system teaches five forms of Zhan Zhuang.
The first Zhan Zhuang form focuses on the five main internal zhang organs of the human body, which are the heart, liver, spleen, kidneys, and lungs.
The second Zhan Zhuang form focuses on the eight extra meridians.
The third Zhan Zhuang form focuses on the twelve major meridians.
The fourth and fifth Zhan Zhuang forms are special high-level sets taught to advanced students in the Cheng Ming system.
Cheng Ming Zhan Zhuang forms develop proper posture and conditioning. They also have very real healing benefits associated with the different postures of each form. As a student learns to relax and become comfortable with the postures, they gradually become more aware of their breathing and their body overall. This is because meditation helps to improve the sensitivity of a student to both external and internal movement.
Some of the key benefits of Cheng Ming Zhan Zhuang include:
Stress Management,
Treatment of Chronic Illnesses, and
Increased Fighting Skills.
These benefits are a direct result of increasing internal power. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is believed that increasing your internal power can protect the body against both internal and external attacks. Internal power is especially important in Cheng Ming martial arts to increase a person’s fighting skills. Zhan Zhuang’s contribution to fighting skills is in the way it helps keep the mind and body relaxed during a confrontation.