Standing Meditation: Six Positions

Position 1 - Hands hang relaxed at your sides.

Position 2 - Hands palm up below your navel, hands lightly cupped, fi ngers about an inch apart.

Position 3 - Hands heart height, palms facing inward, elbows down.

Position 4 - Hands forehead height, palms out, elbows down.

Position 5 - Bend elbows so hands are at waist height, pointing to the front corners of your stance.

Position 6 - Hands hang at your sides again, except palms face forward.

© 2015 Ray Hayward

Standing Meditation Guiding Principles“Big movements aren’t as refi ned as small movements. Small movements aren’t as refi ned as stillness.”

—Wang Xiang-Zhai

1. Heels shoulder width, feet slightly out, toes down.

2. Knees slightly bent, and softened.

3. Hips tucked under (Tai-Gong), lower back straight, abdomen relaxed.

4. Chest hollow, sternum behind shoulders, back slightly rounded.

5. Shoulders down.

6. Elbows down and closer to the body.

7. Chin lightly tucked.

8. Top of the head pressing upward.

9. Relax downward, check all muscles, soften and loosen your body.

10. Breathe with your abdomen, breathe deeply and smoothly, use your nose if you can.

11. Keep your mind on here and now, check yourself using an internal cycle of checking your alignment upward, relaxation downward, breathing deeply and smoothly.

12. Remember 3 Bends: • Knees bent • Elbows bent • Chest bent

13. Remember 3 places to relax: • Tongue • T.M.J. (Temporomandibular Joint) • Neck

©Copyright 2017 Ray Hayward