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The Way of Energy: Mastering the Chinese Art of Internal Strength with Chi Kung Exercise (A Gaia Original)
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About the Author
Master Lam Kam Chuen is a recognized master of the arts of Tai Chi and Chi Kung, and a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine. He was born in Hong Kong shortly after World War II and at a very early age began training in Chinese martial arts. Studying under masters such as Lung Tse Chung and Yim Sheung Mo (both of whom were disciples of Ku Yue Chang, known throughout China as “The King of Iron Palm”), he was trained in Choy Lee Fut, Northern Shaolin Kung Fu and Iron Palm, as well as Tai Chi. He then studied Chinese medicine, becoming a qualified bonesetter and herbalist, and opened a school and clinic in Hong Kong. He also undertook the study of Chi Kung, a system for the cultivation of internal energy in the body. Using his medical skills and his knowledge of Chi Kung he began to develop a new form of Tai Chi, now known as Lam Style Tai Chi. Master Lam came to the West in 1976 when he became the first Tai Chi instructor appointed to teach in the Inner London Education Authority. In 1987 he gave the first European demonstration of the art of Zhan Zhuang Chi Kung, which he studied in Beijing under Professor Yu Yong Nian, the world's leading authority. He now teaches and practices medicine at The Lam Clinic in London's Chinatown. Following the widely acclaimed BBC series, The Way of the Warrior, Master Lam was invited to act as consultant to the sequel publication, The Way of Harmony. This was followed by his ground-breaking work published by Gaia Books, The Way of Energy, introducing the Zhan Zhuang system of “Standing Like a Tree”.
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Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 1LEARNING TO STANDThe Zhan Zhuang system begins with two basic standing exercises. These start to build up and release the natural flow of energy inside you. The first position, a simple standing posture (pp. 28-29), enables you to relax your body in preparation for the other exercises. The second position, "Holding the Balloon" (pp. 34-35), is the key position in the whole system. It is essential to become thoroughly comfortable in both these positions before moving on to the exercises in Part Two, the intermediate level.The simple warm up routines on the following pages prepare your body for the internal changes that take place during the Zhan Zhuang exercises. They are essential for beginners, because although the standing positions do not look strenuous, if you do them properly the resulting activity inside your body is enormous, and affects your whole system.During the exercises in this chapter you may feel a little weak, start to tremble, or begin to tense up. But don't move: breathe naturally and relax. Use the time to notice all the remarkable changes and sensations in your body. Remember: standing still is not doing nothing, it is the exercise.When you are familiar with the first two standing exercises, you will need to learn how to breathe and relax, as described in Chapter 2. This will give you the experience of simultaneous exertion and relaxation during the standing postures, which is fundamental to this exercise system. The curious sensations you are likely to experience when you begin the exercises are described in Chapter 3.Start by doing the standing exercises for five minutes a day. After three weeks, increase this to ten minutes. Three weeks later, aim for 15 minutes, and 20 minutes after a further three weeks. You can stand for longer if you wish, but 20 minutes will refresh your whole system. Follow the step-by-step advice, practising a little every day. Do not skip ahead: developing self-control is part of the training.Warming upAs with all exercise routines, the warm up is essential. It helps your body become flexible and helps open up the internal channels along which your energy flows. The two largest and most important joints are the knees and shoulders. So by loosening these up first you are most likely to get the rich benefits of the later Zhan Zhuang exercises.As a beginner, it is important to do these warm up exercises every time you start your Zhan Zhuang practice. They will take you about six or seven minutes.Regularly practised, they give long-term protection against arthritis and other painful ailments that reduce the original flexibility of the body. If you are an advanced student (for example, if you have practised Tai Chi Chuan for several years), you can warm up instead with the Ba Duan Jin system described in Chapter 4.Wu Chi - the first positionAli Zhan Zhuang training begins with this position, which is profoundly important. Even at extraordinarily advanced levels of exercise, we begin with a period of quiet standing in the Wu Chi position - the position of primal energy.The Wu Chi position involves simply standing still. It is an opportunity to pay careful attention to the tensions in your body and its nervous system. At the same time it becomes a moment of powerful, deep relaxation in your day. Simple as it may seem, this opening position, correctly practised, holds the key to unlock the storehouse of your great internal energy reserves.It is a good idea to go to the toilet before starting, to ensure that you do not have to interrupt your stationary exercise.Try to do your training outside, with your back toward the sun. If you can stand near a large tree with the sun on your back, this is the best location of all. Don't stand in the rain or fog.If you're indoors, you can either use a quiet room or create a tranquil environment by playing a recording of softly flowing instrumental music.Aligning mind and bodyWhen you stand still in the first position, with your body correctly aligned, you are drawing energy (Chi) from the earth, and accelerating its flow through your body. This practice of standing still is an ancient discipline. The first known reference to it dates back to the oldest and most influential book in the history of world medicine, The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine (Huang Ti Nei Ching), thought to have been written about 4,000 years ago. In the opening section, the Emperor tells the court physician:I have heard that in ancient times there were the so-called Spiritual Beings:They stood between Heaven and Earth, connecting the Universe;They understood and were able to control both Yin and Yang, the two fundamental principles of nature;They inhaled the vital essence of life;They remained unmoving in their spirit;Their muscles and flesh were as one -This is the Tao, the Way you are looking for.Adjusting your positionWhen you become comfortable in this position, think about the points below. Quietly adjust your body to correct your balance and position.A FIELD OF ENERGYThe Chinese like to exercise in the presence of trees, whose Chi is wonderful. Trees are totally exposed to the elements and draw their power from everything around them. They reach deep into the soil with their roots. They reach upward toward the light. Their fibrous trunks are filled with the flow of life. They take strength from the earth, from water and rain, from the sun, from the air, and from the space that surrounds them. This is what we have in mind when we say "stand like a tree". You are a field of energy. You are nourished by everything around you, like a tree standing in the midst of all the elements.The Tree in WinterThis is the time of hidden regeneration. Mist hangs above the ground. Frost forms on open fields.The tree is still. It stands alone and quiet. In the darkness of the early morning, nature is asleep. There is no movement in the air, no hint of trembling in the branches. The tree is silent in the darkness like a stone - a pillar in the courtyard of an empty temple.A distant sound breaks through the stillness. The day's first light advances on the earth. The shadow of the tree moves with the dawn, but the tree is motionless.The ground beneath the tree is frozen hard. Above the ground, the bark is cold, the limbs are stiff A passer-by might wonder if the tree will live in spring.But underneath the ground the earth is warm. The weight of all the tree sinks to its roots. They are indifferent to the frozen soil, they grow toward the centre of the earth.The tree is not afraid. It was a seed: it knows the earth is holding it. Within its core, a vital ring is being formed. Around its spine, new life is rising from the earth, while flakes of snow are settling on the silent and unmoving tree.Holding the balloon - the second positionThe next step in Zhan Zhuang training is to start "Holding the Balloon". This position forms the basis for many of the more advanced exercises, and speeds the inner circulation of energy through your feet, up through your entire body, and to your hands and head.Try holding the second position for up to five minutes. You will probably experience considerable pain from the tension in your shoulders, arms, and knees. This is partly muscle fatigue, partly the reaction of your nervous system. Be patient. Nothing you are doing is harmful. You are returning to an original state of being. Your journey will take discipline and diligence.As you hold this position, imagine that you are resting on a series of other balloons that take your full weight (see right).To begin with, as you stand quietly holding the imaginary balloon, review all the guidelines for this position (see right).The Tree in BlossomThe season changes imperceptibly. The early morning light is pale. Clouds drift on the horizon. In the distance nothing moves. The dawn is still.The tree remains unmoving, but is changed.The morning air is warm, the grass is moist. The tiny creatures of the soil are moving in the ground.The tree's roots stretch their new growth in the earth - alive to countless changes' in their dark and humid world. Their slender filaments draw in the silent dew that glistens in the soil.The earth is rising through the tree. Inside its mighty trunk, life trembles and awakens.Immense, alone, the tree is giving birth. New shoots are opening in the air. Curled leaves emerge in miniature - the work of winter's still and solitary months.The tree is utterly consumed in growth. Its bark is stretched. Innumerable cells are giving birth.The morning winds sweep through the spreading tree. On every branch the buds and blossoms tremble in the breeze. The growing leaves reach out to every sunbeam. The leaves' open pores are breathing and their veins are full.The tree is wreathed in silence like a waterfall. It stands transfixed:poised motionless between the mighty pull of all its tiny root hairs and the fragrant, evanescent petals on its boughs.Practical tipsThe benefits of Zhan Zhuang practice result from inner growth and transformation. The fundamental changes begin to occur in your internal organs and nervous system. Without unusual sensitivity or training, most of us cannot sense these at first, whereas we can all feel the immediate effect of hard muscular activity such as jogging or weight training. The initial impact of Zhan Zhuang takes place deep inside you, like an explosion in the depths of the sea, and so it is all the more important to be aware of what to do when you start your training.Points To Remember* If you feel tired or faint, don't close your eyes, otherwise you might risk falling down.* Remind yourself to relax while holding the correct position. You will need to check for tension over and over again.* When you finish the second position, lower your arms and stand quietly for two or three minutes. Then gently shake your arms and legs. Then it's a good idea to make a final series of 20 circles with your arms at moderate speed.* Finally, walk around slowly for a couple of minutes. You are then ready for the day!* Women: your increased blood circulation may make your periods heavier. In this case, stand for less than 20 minutes during menstruation.Copyright © 1991 Gala Books Limited
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Product details
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Inc.; 1st edition (November 15, 1991)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0671736450
ISBN-13: 978-0671736453
Product Dimensions:
6.5 x 0.5 x 9.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review:
4.7 out of 5 stars
139 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#70,670 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
I have been standing for 5 months, doing nothing but the most basic Wu Chi posture until very recently (in the last two weeks). I learned the basic ideas from viewing Bruce Frantizis's I Chuan DVDs, which are very detailed and advanced and were too much for me. But I got the basic idea. Another reviewer mentions Frantzis's Energy Gates book, which is also very useful, but again demands a lot of the student.Master Lam Kam-Chuen's book is quite different and much more accessible. I had to laugh when another reviewer mentioned Master Lam's suggestion to watch TV versus Bruce's stern "unless you are excruciatingly conscious of every atom in your body you're not doing it right". I do both, actually, and I make progress doing both.There seems to be some unspoken manners that make practitioners refuse to tell you how long they are standing. At least, I talk about it, but nobody else seems to. I started with 5 minutes 5 months ago and felt immediate and powerful benefits. My muscles were very weak and I could not raise myself on my toes, but within two weeks I could bounce up and down on the balls of my feet.I stand about 5 times a week, usually indoors late at night. At first I added time slowly, a minute at a time, then after about 3 months I was nearing 10 minutes. I stayed at the 10 minute level for another month and then jumped up to 15 minutes. That felt good, so several weeks ago I went to 20 minutes. That felt even better, so now I have done 3 30-minute stands, and though I am 62 years old, I feel like I'm 40. Really.Bruce does emphasize sinking chi, and I had only tried it once whan I was at the 7-8 minute level, and I felt debilitated afterward. Bu two nights ago, after a 30 minute stand, with some Brocade and Dragon and Tiger added at the end, I tried to sink my chi into my dandien. I was floored by the rush of weight settling down on me. I stood for another few minutes as the feeling gradually lifted, and when I went to sit afterward My body changed to fell like a huger river of water was pouring through me,down from my head into my lower body and out through my feet. Absolutely astounding. Your mileage may vary, as they say, but do not take this exercise lightly! It is the real deal, and through it you will come to understand the tree drawing chi from heaven downward through its branches and upward from its roots.The Way of Energy is an excellent introduction. I also recommend his DVD.
About four years ago I began getting panic attacks. It was a very difficult time in my life. I already had an interest in martial arts and became more interested in the health aspects which lead me to standing meditation and this book. It's been a marvelous key to better health. When I was very physically weak from stress this was the only exercise I could do. I'm still practicing zhan zhuang daily and I feel a pleasant warmth inside of myself even on a cold day when my fingers and toes are cold, standing in the first posture for five minutes warms them up. I keep it very simply I let myself be in the moment and relax my body letting my breathing be natural.If you have any medical problems I do advise professional help as I certainly had but this book can be an excellent addition to a treatment program, martial arts, sports, and general health. It is tough to get into the first few months I didn't feel much except some tension in my body but after about three months I began to feel a real difference in my body. My body felt like it had just enough energy for the present moment if I needed more I would have it if I needed to just relax I could do that aswell. The exercises help to improve your capacity for chi, chi generation, and the flow of chi.I still do not have an instructor I would very much like to find one preferably from Master Lam's teachings but if you read the book carefully and practice with an open mind it'll bring wonderful benefits.
OK I just got this today. No I haven't read it. I have looked thru it and skimmed some of it. This deals with zhan Zhuang--a form of qi gong that deals with building up your internal strength based mostly on learning stand like a tree. It may sound silly but I know it is not. It is a discipline. I have been chronically ill for 5 yrs and have become very weak and deconditioned. This is exactly what I need. I just want to add it is written in a straight forward manner..easy to follow. Also it is a quite beautiful book. Lovely photos, exerpts from tcm masters/books, poems. Put together very lovely.
At first look, it seemed too simple. I thought it would be of some use, but that I would "finish" with it quickly move on. But over time I found the material to be much more useful than expected, and i re-read a chapter fairly often . I'm relatively new at this but found this to be very helpful. The author also has some online videos that are a useful complement to the book.
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