Beat Posture Woes and Sleepiness with a Standing Meditation
Standing Meditation
In Qigong practices, most of the meditation is done from a standing position. Standing to meditate can be particularly helpful for those who tend to fall asleep if they sit still for too long. Standing meditation is also a way to develop attention to detail as well as self monitoring.
In this exercise, set a timer for ten minutes.
Begin by standing with your feet shoulder width apart, toes pointing forward.
Adjust the weight distribution on your feet so that you are perfectly balanced, not leaning forward or backward nor to either side.
Sink the energy of your body into your feet. The feet become heavy, grounded, and rooted as if you are extending your feet deep into the earth. The upper body of the body is empty and free to flow in the breeze.
Keep the knees slightly bent.
Notice the tension in the backs of the legs and allow that to relax as much as possible. Use minimal muscles to hold your body in this position.
Relax the tailbone, allowing it to point downward toward the Earth as if you are beginning to sit into a chair, keeping the back flat.
The spine is straight and long. Stay rooted to the Earth, imagining being gently pulled up from the center of the head as if you are being stretched from the inside.
Allow your breathing to be slow, long, relaxed, and natural in the belly.
Keep your shoulders dropped. If you are not sure, raise them up toward the ears and then let them go.
There is a small gap in the armpits, and a slight bend in the elbows, wrist, and every joint of each finger.
Float your arms up in front of your body as if you are hugging a tree. The psalm of the hands face your heart, the elbows are down, and the shoulders are dropped.
The tip of the tongue rests gently on the roof of the mouth.
Relax the muscles of the face and head.
Put a very slight grin on your face, so slight that anyone watching you may not even notice it.
Hold this posture for as long as you can without creating unnecessary tension. Continually check in with the body, breath, and mind. If you find tension in your body, see if you can release it. Remind the breath to stay slow, long, and natural. Keep the mind focused on the posture and the breath. If the mind wanders, bring it gently back to task.
After the timer chimes, pause to reflect on the experience or record it in your journal. What aspects of this practice did you find challenging? What came naturally to you?
Taking a class and sharing with others is a great way to boost your practice.
We have multiple classes and workshops coming up to help you get started, including a virtual and in-person classes and workshops.