 ZZ Posture 1 - please note elbows should be rotated outwards and upwards more slightly than in this picture |  ZZ Posture 2 - please note elbows should be rotated outwards and upwards more slightly than in this picture |
 ZZ Posture 3 - note that the stance should be more slightly wider and deeper and the weight more evenly distributed than in this picture |  Final ZZ posture to seal in the "Chi" |
Kwai Chee Low to Lee Chang Tye
June 8 at 2:55pm · Hi Lee, how's your progress in Zhan Zhuang?
Are you still teaching Taijiquan?
Lee Chang Tye Hey Kwai Chee, thanks for asking, I was going to say the same thing to Lou Doufexis. Lately I've been extremely busy & drained but have still managed to do something daily with the exception of two days last week. Sometimes 30 mins sometimes less. I'm finding that I've hit a plateau where the flow hasn't been as intense as prior, except for the last posture - which is always intense. And I'm getting better at distributing the weight 50 - 50% usually I drift to one side and the same feeling as we talked about awhile ago occurs where the flow seems to bend? to one side. also I've noticed slightly better sensitivity in feeling relaxation of the chest ( as we are supposed to do in Taiji), curvature of tailbone/lumbar region. Is it important to draw that very lower curvature perfectly straight like drawing on a bow from below? Because it feels like a balancing exercise between putting too much strain on the thigh muscles/locking the hips, yet the flow becomes noticeably freer. Other parts of my body I can also feel better.
Kwai Chee Low I believe the energy flow in your Meridians are adjusting and clearing, thus the feeling of flowing to one side. You should listen to your body; at this stage all the muscles and tendons in the 4 limbs are continuously adjusting to the ZZ postures. The pelvis and tailbone will also adjust as you move your body into a more comfortable position during the ZZ. I believe you do not need to focus on the lower curvature as it would make your body to tense up. Just continue to relax with slow soft breathing. The thigh muscles will at first feel very painful especially when you go into a lower stance. However with constant daily practice the pain will become very much reduced to the point of being unnoticeable.
I would recommend two sessions a day, one in the morning and another in the night. This balances the yin yang in the body. the
You may notice that when your ZZ reach a certain stage, after 5-10 mins of ZZ, your head becomes lighter and all tightness is gone.
And do you notice that in the 2nd posture as you tilt your elbows slightly up, the muscles in both sides of your neck instantly relax?
Lou Doufexis Hi lee and Kwai I have been enjoying my ZZ. I have incorporated an old simple yoga breathing exercise whilst in the first posture , which relaxes me and enables me to maintain correct position . Only need 5,minutes in each posture. That's more than enough time to put me in a relaxed mode for the rest of the evening. No other issues to report . Stay up guys😁
Kwai Chee Low That's great Lou! Able to relax is the key to succeed in ZZ. But now it's time for you to ratchet up the energy level by doing 10mins for each of the 3 postures, and also try to go lower in your stance. This will increase the continuous wave of contractions and relaxations in the muscles of your four limbs and more qi will be generated.
Lou Doufexis the lower the stance the more chi generated, to be sure.
Lou Doufexis To be able to relax within the tension , tension drops off, circumstance disappear, one with the Tao 😀
Kwai Chee Low That's great but to be one with the Tao needs effort, consistency and mindfulness. I am still a long way off but hopefully has stepped on its path...
Lou Doufexis ZZ and right conduct will get you there kwai
Kwai Chee Low The raising of the arms enable the muscles to go into a continuous process of contractions and relaxation, thus generating energy just like the electric eel which on average can generate 860V at 1 ampere for 2 milliseconds. For a human arm to go into spasms, 200milliamps of electric current for 50 milliseconds are required. In this analogy you can see that by raising the arms and the legs in the ZZ stance, the muscles will go into a spasm of contraction and relaxation, thus generating the bioelectricity or qi or energy.
Lou Doufexis Yes I can appreciate that . As a side benefit it assists in cleaning out the bowel in a big way. It happened to me after the first session of falun gong many years ago, and same again when I first tried zz . Amazing Heath benefit of raising the arms and let Mother Nature / gravity do the rest for us
Lee Chang Tye 2 sessions a day? Wow!
Kwai Chee Low Yes, that would overcome the plateau and also your body will adjust easier and faster. Your relaxation process will be that much quicker and smoother.
I'm sure you guys know that qi vibrates? There will come a stage where the energy is so strong that you can feel the energy vibrating in your palm and fingers!
Lee Chang Tye I'm looking forward to that but I have been noticing that my Taiji is improving and what is important for me at this moment is transferring that subtle muscular relaxation process in my ZZ into my Taiji movements. Both complement each other and when movement is involved it's a whole different ballgame - much like the original wuchi separating into yin and yang when there is the genesis of movement.
Lee Chang Tye I need time to practice my Taiji.
Kwai Chee Low It's an age old riddle - which comes first, the chicken or the egg?
It's a matter of priorities and time management, hahaha!
Lee Chang Tye I love em both, they are important and both have strengths in different areas.
June 8 at 2:55pm · Hi Lee, how's your progress in Zhan Zhuang?
Are you still teaching Taijiquan?
Lee Chang Tye Hey Kwai Chee, thanks for asking, I was going to say the same thing to Lou Doufexis. Lately I've been extremely busy & drained but have still managed to do something daily with the exception of two days last week. Sometimes 30 mins sometimes less. I'm finding that I've hit a plateau where the flow hasn't been as intense as prior, except for the last posture - which is always intense. And I'm getting better at distributing the weight 50 - 50% usually I drift to one side and the same feeling as we talked about awhile ago occurs where the flow seems to bend? to one side. also I've noticed slightly better sensitivity in feeling relaxation of the chest ( as we are supposed to do in Taiji), curvature of tailbone/lumbar region. Is it important to draw that very lower curvature perfectly straight like drawing on a bow from below? Because it feels like a balancing exercise between putting too much strain on the thigh muscles/locking the hips, yet the flow becomes noticeably freer. Other parts of my body I can also feel better.
Kwai Chee Low I believe the energy flow in your Meridians are adjusting and clearing, thus the feeling of flowing to one side. You should listen to your body; at this stage all the muscles and tendons in the 4 limbs are continuously adjusting to the ZZ postures. The pelvis and tailbone will also adjust as you move your body into a more comfortable position during the ZZ. I believe you do not need to focus on the lower curvature as it would make your body to tense up. Just continue to relax with slow soft breathing. The thigh muscles will at first feel very painful especially when you go into a lower stance. However with constant daily practice the pain will become very much reduced to the point of being unnoticeable.
I would recommend two sessions a day, one in the morning and another in the night. This balances the yin yang in the body. the
You may notice that when your ZZ reach a certain stage, after 5-10 mins of ZZ, your head becomes lighter and all tightness is gone.
And do you notice that in the 2nd posture as you tilt your elbows slightly up, the muscles in both sides of your neck instantly relax?
Lou Doufexis Hi lee and Kwai I have been enjoying my ZZ. I have incorporated an old simple yoga breathing exercise whilst in the first posture , which relaxes me and enables me to maintain correct position . Only need 5,minutes in each posture. That's more than enough time to put me in a relaxed mode for the rest of the evening. No other issues to report . Stay up guys😁
Kwai Chee Low That's great Lou! Able to relax is the key to succeed in ZZ. But now it's time for you to ratchet up the energy level by doing 10mins for each of the 3 postures, and also try to go lower in your stance. This will increase the continuous wave of contractions and relaxations in the muscles of your four limbs and more qi will be generated.
Lou Doufexis the lower the stance the more chi generated, to be sure.
Lou Doufexis To be able to relax within the tension , tension drops off, circumstance disappear, one with the Tao 😀
Kwai Chee Low That's great but to be one with the Tao needs effort, consistency and mindfulness. I am still a long way off but hopefully has stepped on its path...
Lou Doufexis ZZ and right conduct will get you there kwai
Kwai Chee Low The raising of the arms enable the muscles to go into a continuous process of contractions and relaxation, thus generating energy just like the electric eel which on average can generate 860V at 1 ampere for 2 milliseconds. For a human arm to go into spasms, 200milliamps of electric current for 50 milliseconds are required. In this analogy you can see that by raising the arms and the legs in the ZZ stance, the muscles will go into a spasm of contraction and relaxation, thus generating the bioelectricity or qi or energy.
Lou Doufexis Yes I can appreciate that . As a side benefit it assists in cleaning out the bowel in a big way. It happened to me after the first session of falun gong many years ago, and same again when I first tried zz . Amazing Heath benefit of raising the arms and let Mother Nature / gravity do the rest for us
Lee Chang Tye 2 sessions a day? Wow!
Kwai Chee Low Yes, that would overcome the plateau and also your body will adjust easier and faster. Your relaxation process will be that much quicker and smoother.
I'm sure you guys know that qi vibrates? There will come a stage where the energy is so strong that you can feel the energy vibrating in your palm and fingers!
Lee Chang Tye I'm looking forward to that but I have been noticing that my Taiji is improving and what is important for me at this moment is transferring that subtle muscular relaxation process in my ZZ into my Taiji movements. Both complement each other and when movement is involved it's a whole different ballgame - much like the original wuchi separating into yin and yang when there is the genesis of movement.
Lee Chang Tye I need time to practice my Taiji.
Kwai Chee Low It's an age old riddle - which comes first, the chicken or the egg?
It's a matter of priorities and time management, hahaha!
Lee Chang Tye I love em both, they are important and both have strengths in different areas.
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