Standing

Zhan Zhuang 

In Tai Chi we stand in order to achieve certain qualities. Standing is not just being still, standing is transformation. It is about letting go and separating muscles and bones.
I explain the exact steps in the videos. 

The Standing Meditation Theory

Guided Practice

Standing Meditation (Zhan Zhuang)

At first glance, it may appear simple — you just stand.
But beneath the surface, it is a highly sophisticated process involving fascial reorganization, neurophysiological recalibration, and structural transformation.

This text explores what happens anatomically, neurologically, and energetically in the body when you remain in standing postures for extended periods — for example, with arms extended or knees slightly bent — and it explains the classical concepts of Fang (松), Song (鬆), Gong (功), and Hua (化) from a scientific perspective.

What does it mean to “separate the mass from the bone”?

In Chinese internal arts — especially in practices like Song, Nei Gong, and Fang Song Gong — the goal is to differentiate the body’s layers:

• The bones provide structure.

• The muscles and fascia surround and connect the body.

• And between them lies a substance known as Huang (黄) — sometimes described as the “yellow substance” or a fluid-like space.
  
  

Huang is not an organ — it’s an experience:
A dynamic, elastic, and perceptible space between the layers that acts as a carrier field for Qi.

What happens when you separate the mass from the bone?

• Outer muscular tension releases → you no longer “hang” on your bones; you begin to feel internally spacious.

• The tissues become soft, yet not weak → they feel elastic, responsive, and alive.

• The space between bone and flesh opens → and you begin to sense Huang — this springy, living inner space.
  
  

Why is this essential for Qi?

Because Qi is not a muscular force.
It does not flow through contracted, tense muscles — it moves through open, connected, fluid spaces.

• When the body moves like a solid block, Qi stagnates.

• But when layers shift, differentiate, and glide, you create:

  • Fang Song (deep release without collapse)

  • Elasticity instead of compression

  • An inner cavity — a container for Qi to move within.

In other words:
When you create Huang, you create space — and this space carries the Qi.

Anatomical perspective:

When you “release the muscles from the bones”:

• You allow the fascia to unfold, glide, and function as an elastic tension network, rather than a rigid rope.

• Your body weight can sink into the ground without compressing the joints.
  
  

This results in:

• Rooting (ground connection without bracing)

• Elasticity (rebound rather than resistance)

• Internal flow (structural integrity without tension)
  
  

Huang is the living inner space where Qi can arise, circulate, and transform.
Without Huang, there is no internal movement — only external effort.