Longfei Taijiquan Association of Great Britain

Zhan Zhuang - Pole Stance - Part 2
Longfei News Letters - Volume 5, Issue 2

In the previous article we looked at the pole stance as a pure health nourishing exercise, with reference to the nurturing of one's Essence (Jing), Breath (Qi), Spirit (Shen).

The term essence appears in traditional Chinese medical books under three different headings:

"Pre-Heaven Essence"

"Post-Heaven Essence"

"Kidney Essence"

PRE-HEAVEN ESSENCE is a combining of the sexual energies of male and female and forms the essence of a newly conceived human being. Pre-Heaven Essence sustains a foetus until it has independent physiological activity. Pre-Heaven Essence creates a person's unique individuality. Since it is inherited from the parents it is said to be fixed at birth and is difficult to influence positively in adult life.

According to Chinese medicine the positive way to affect the Pre-Heaven Essence is to live a balanced life, with all that may be implied by this advice. A direct way to positively influence one's essence is through breathing exercises, Taijiquan and Qigong.

POST-HEAVEN ESSENCE is refined from our intake of food and fluids and is extracted by the spleen and stomach. After birth, when the baby begins digestion and respiration, the lungs, stomach and spleen function to produce Qi from food, fluids and air. At the basis of all is Qi, all the other vital substances are manifestations of Qi in varying degrees, from the completely material, such as body fluids, to the totally immaterial, such as the mind (Shen).

THE ESSENCE (KIDNEY) is derived both from Pre and Post-Heaven Essence and plays an important part in human physiology. It is a hereditary energy and determines a person's constitution. It determines growth, reproduction, development, sexual maturation, conception and pregnancy. There are differences between Essence and Qi in human beings:

• Essence is mostly derived from parents - Qi is formed after birth.
• Essence is fluid like - Qi is energy like.
• Essence resides mostly in the kidneys - Qi is everywhere.
• Essence is replenished with difficulty - Qi can easily be replenished on a day-to-day basis.
• Essence follows long cycles of 7 or 8 years - Qi follows shorter cycles, some yearly, some circadian, some shorter still.
• Essence changes slowly over long periods - whereas Qi moves and changes quickly from moment to moment.

BREATH (Qi). The lungs govern Qi and respiration and are responsible for inhaling air (Qi). For this reason, and also because they influence the skin, they are the intermediary organ between the organism and the environment.

The functions of the lungs are:

• To govern Qi and respiration. They control channels and blood vessels.
• To control dispersing and descending. They regulate water passages.
• To control skin and hair. They open into the nose.
• To house the Corporeal Soul.

The lungs extract clean Qi for the body which combines with the food Qi coming from the spleen. The constant exchange and renewal of Qi by the lungs ensures the proper functioning of all the body's physiological processes which take Qi as their basis. The Corporeal Soul is the most physical and material part of the human being's soul. It could be said to be the somatic manifestation of the soul.

SHEN (MIND, SPIRIT). Essence-Qi-Mind are called in Chinese the "Three Treasures" (San Bao). Health, strength, vitality, happiness, volition, mental stability and clarity all depend on a good supply of these three vital substances. Essence is related to the kidneys, Qi to the lungs and mind to the heart. Qi is the refined energy that nourishes the body and mind and the mind is the most refined and immaterial of the three substances.

If Essence and Qi are strong the mind will be healthy and if the Essence and Qi are weak the mind will suffer. The condition of the essence gives an indication of the hereditary Qi and the inherited constitution while the condition of the Qi gives an indication of the acquired Qi. The two together determine the state of mind.

Chinese medicine holds that the heart is the seat of the mind (Shen). Shen can have many different meanings, in the context of Chinese medicine there are two. First, Shen relates to the complex of mental faculties which are said to reside in the heart.

In this sense Shen corresponds to the mind and is related to the heart. Second, Shen is used to embrace the whole of emotional, mental and spiritual aspects. In this sense it is related not only to the heart but also covers the emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of our nature.

According to Chinese medicine mental activity and the emotional state, in particular, five functions are affected by the state of the heart:

Mental activity and emotional states.

Consciousness, memory.

Thinking, sleep.

If the heart is strong there will be normal mental activity, a balanced emotional life, clear consciousness, a good memory, keen thinking and good sleep patterns.

This brief excursion into the three treasures is simply to give a clue to the aims of Zhan Zhuang training. The same of course applies to all genuine forms of Qigong and Taijiquan. Please bear in mind that we should always look for guidance from a teacher. With regard to Chinese medicine I have barely skimmed the surface and would recommend further study from a reliable source or a good book on the subject.

In the previous article we looked at the meditation and health aspects of Zhan Zhuang. In this issue I would like to look at strength building and the martial exercises that I learned in the ITCCA with Master Chu King Hung.

Figure 1. This is a very common posture widely practised among Taiji practitoners. All the instructions that applied to figures A, B and C in the first article can be adopted again. The only obvious change is the raising of the arms. To raise the arms in this way puts a greater strain on the shoulders, but note that the shoulders are not raised and the elbows remain sunken. Keep in mind previous instructions for the lower limbs, upper limbs, the torso, head, breathing and general guides to good practice. Holding the arms above the head for any length of time can become a little like an endurance test. However, remaining relaxed will help to reduce discomfort.

The main difference in martial postures is in feeling. Visualisation is employed to imagine holding a large ball. The ball will inflate and deflate a little, causing the arms to open and close. This feeling can be enhanced with the help of a partner - your partner can place a light pressure on the outside of the arms.

Figure 2. For those familiar with the term "Peng", in the application of "Grasp Sparrow's Tail", should understand the required feeling of "Peng Jin".

In figures 1 and 2 the feeling of expansion should come to the back of the wrist and the lower forearm. Note that while there is little noticeable movement of the arms, the feeling includes a rotation of the forearm. This can be experienced by twisting the little finger toward the abdomen.

At the beginning of the training the arms can move a little so the expansion can be seen by an observer. Later the expansion can be felt by the practitioner but remain unobserved. Breathing can be coordinated with the unseen movement but should remain normal and not forced.

The expansion should move with the inhalation.

At a later stage the legs can move from the bent posture and straighten a little, with a slight opening of the knees. This should coordinate with the arm movement and the breathing. Eventually the whole exercise should be experienced from the ground up with the feeling of the body opening and closing. Remember to remain loose and relaxed but not collapsed.

Figure 3. Before moving on to this posture one should be comfortable and accomplished with the previous postures. Therefore all visible movement will be minimal. All the principle ingredients remain essential.

In posture 3, both hands are above the head in the manner of the right hand performing the posture. "White Crane Spreads Wings" from the traditional Yang Style Taijiquan. Note the roundness of the arms, no right angles at the elbows. While the arms exert only sufficient energy to maintain the lift of the shoulder, elbow and wrist joints should be open, loose and relaxed.

The attention should be directed to the heels of the wrists and focus on the opening of the joints and again the twisting of the forearms. In this exercise the little fingers incline to the rear.

This posture has obvious use in the protection of the head and upper body, also from punches and kicks to the head.

Figure 4. The 4th posture represents the resting (Yin aspect) of posture 3. All the basic principles apply. Once again note the roundness of the arms, the sloping, relaxed shoulders. The turning in of the fingers and wrists effectively give the required twist to the forearms.

In posture 4 the emphasis is on the heel of the hand as if blocking downward, not on the fingers. It is obvious in both 3 and 4 that the hands are not to the centre, however the slightest turn to left or right of the upper body and this would be so. But please remember we are looking for a feeling of strength that manifests in the training. If you are following this training in the appropriate manner, at this stage you should experience some realisation. It will not happen without the correct amount of input.

Figure 5. Posture 5 is the combination of the two previous positions. If the lower hand was more to the side the hand positions would represent the "White Crane Spreads Wings" in mirror image. The right hand is also in the transition mode of "Brush Knee". In a training programme the mirror image should be developed equally and the split practise can bring some relief to discomfort in the shoulders.

Follow the focus instructions for the wrists as posture 3 and 4. The upper hand used for blocking above the head would follow an upward curve from the right hand. If it were blocking to the side of the head the curve would spiral upward and outward.

Figure 6. Posture 6 can be seen as a variation of 5. In 5 the palms were Yang and the backs of the hands were Yin, in posture 6 they reverse. The upper hand can be viewed as "Peng" (warding off) very similar to the "White Crane". When the hands change position the lower hand follows a curve similar to the movement that follows the "White Crane" and precipitates the movement of "Brush Knee". The spiral in the arms can be felt by the twisting out of the thumbs; bring the little fingers towards the body. The emphasis changes to the back of the wrists.

It is necessary to apply the whole of the text to every exercise, especially in the areas of relaxation, openness curves, breathing etc. One should remain mindful and meditative and sink the energy to "Dantian". The object of health and strength should be borne in mind as should the nurturing of the "Three Treasures."

In the next issue I will conclude the exercises with a couple that concentrate on leg strength and balance.

My thanks to Peter Cox for the excellent drawings.

Richard Watson

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