Curiosity and the ordinary

The question came up about how one stays curious while they study the ordinary in Wujifa. As we have said before there are many different keys one can use that can help them understand the practice of Wujifa. Curiosity and the ordinary are two of the keys we can use to explore the practices and to aid one in making progress within the Wujifa practices. First of all, thank you Dan for asking this question in the comments to the post ‘Ordinary and Extra-ordinary’. Second, are you curious about what the answer might be to this question? Good, let’s see what we can find here.

Heraclitus the Greek philosopher said, “From out of all the many particulars comes oneness, out of oneness come all the many particulars.” In Wujifa we seek to understand the connections that lead to oneness and the more connected we become the more ability we have to engage with many different situations. You could say the singularity is what everything has in common. Then again, this whole concept could be just a little too much on the ‘woo-woo’ side of the fence.

Let’s clarify a few things first. The first is the question of what is one willing to do to create change? How much faith and will power does one have? Many people who talk about wanting change, if they are really honest with themselves, may only wish for change and aren’t willing to do the work that is involved to engage change.

Another common problem that many people have is they believe they can’t do it, so their truth is they don’t do it or only half heartedly try. They believe in their limitations. There is another set of people who believe it may be possible, and then it seems they find every way possible to distract themselves from doing the real work. They believe "it’s not their fault". Another type of person simply makes up stories about how they just need to put the time in. They believe simply practicing a specific type of Zhan Zhuang or practicing some special secret tai chi form or qigong for 10 or more years they will automatically get it only to be disappointed. These people overlooked critical benchmarks, tests, or verified results and applied analytical thinking to their theories. Many may have even worked very hard toward achieving their goals. Missing the opportunities to adjust and correct themselves by simply missing practical and verifiable benchmarks they could have applied along the way.

Questioning, testing, being open to the possibilities yet remaining grounded in where they are in the moment; this we could call being functionally curious. The functionally curious are testing and verifying and exploring the possibilities. This is the real key. Most people are curious for a moment and then close their eyes and fall asleep following without thinking. Remember the kind of curious I’m talking about is more like an explorer or a scientist. The kind of explorers who have “passion” and the kind of scientists who are willing to “test” it out and look for the facts and not simply believing in fairy tales and stories told by others. The kind of curiosity that drives people forward to do the “work” with the satisfaction of finding out for themselves

Aristotle said “Bring your desires down to your present means. Increase them only when your means permit.” In Wujifa we say “You are where you are and that’s where you start.”

Maybe I side-tracked a bit from Dan’s question; although hopefully there are some insights above that may be helpful. Here is the bottom line; people become “bored” when they aren’t being congruent.

People give up, quit, make up stories, become distracted when they are afraid to look, really look, at where the incongruence lies. They hide in their stories, emotions, their understandings and beliefs. The ordinary isn’t really all that ordinary when you stay open and awake, testing and exploring. The ordinary is something that only seems common when one falls into a trance. While practicing the basic and the ordinary there are many thing to be noticed along the way.

I’ll end here with a quote from Heraclitus the Greek philosopher also said something like “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” Notice the river and the man for what they are these are the secrets to the common and ordinary.

Ordinary and Extra Ordinary: A Secret of Wujifa Training

One of the biggest secrets to successful Wujifa training is this concept of ordinary and extra ordinary. To really understand what’s meant by this, one needs to look deeper into the meaning and spirit behind these concepts. There is more to this than simply getting back to the basics, although that is the bottom line.

Let’s consider for a second the magic of it all. Often you will find people amazed by someone performing an extraordinary feat, hypnotized in a way by the skill or to see the real magic taking place right in front of their very eyes. Yet, knowing the “real” trick to the magic "trick" can change the way you start to view the whole show.

Magic is often just a set of simple procedures, evolved from a state of clumsiness and overlooked details to a state of refinement where the finer details are easily unnoticed by most viewers. Slight of hand, for example, may require hours of  simply flipping a coin from finger to finger and back,  to gain basic dexterity skills. The second step is to plan what you are going to do with the skills (intention) once you start developing them. The same idea is true in gongfu and qigong practices.

What are some of these basic skills found in a Wujifa practice you ask? One of the most fundamental is the concept of “connection” and at a basic level this means working with the body and connective tissues. In Wujifa we believe concepts like "connections" are best explored in the most basic ways over time.  

There are many sayings in the practice of Wujifa to help guide us. One of my favorite Wujifa sayings is “Practice the ordinary until it becomes extra ordinary.” This, in reality, is one of the biggest secrets for successful practice of Wujifa or any art, martial or otherwise.

Let’s take a closer look at a “Seemingly” simple practice like Zhan Zhuang for example. The most basic learning in our Zhan Zhuang practice(s) is to simply stand and relax (AKA functional alignment) and discovering what that really means at the deepest possible level. Another example is the “Side to Side” practices or skill sets. In the most basic “Side to Side” exercises, the key is to discover how the hip joints or Kua can move in concert with those connections. A simple intention of shifting to the right and left “Side to Side” while maintaining good structure and connections is all that’s needed to “start” building new neuro-pathways in the body and the mind. Adhere to basic guidelines found in the Wujifa triangle; Structure, Balance, Relax and you're well on your way.

The fact of the matter is that way to many people end up skipping or glossing over their personal art’s fundamental practices. All to often you find people spending way too many hours learning some complicated and fancy stylistic form(s) or some other seemingly-high-level “Tom Foolery,” when the reality is, the footing or foundation of their home (structure) is built on sand. One will never get to a very high level if you’re foundational skills are weak.

Practice the ordinary and develop the extra-ordinary as a result. Practice the simple things and master those first. Develop fundamental skills before rushing off to learn some seemingly fancy new skill sets. Return to the most basic aspects of your art and spent time there.

As I write this, I notice the once-white wax wood poles I use while practicing one of the Wujifa skill sets, they are dirty from use and the oils from my hands that have stained them. Seemingly ordinary poles stained and dirty, yet they are a sign of the magic that only repeated practice can impart.

The seemingly ordinary tasks are where the extraordinary skills blossom. Remember the Daoist saying, “Hide universe in universe.” In my experience much of the magic and many of the secrets are placed where they remain un-noticed and are often overlooked.  Practice your gongfu and qigong(s) by putting the time into the most fundamental aspects of your practice, you’ll be glad you did.

How do you know when you’re making progress?

How do you know when you’re making progress in your martial art or internal practices? This one basic question 'How do you know?' may be the most important question you can ask yourself. This one very question is well worth the time invested for understanding what you are doing and why. Remember the lessons from the story of Alice in wonderland and the rabbit hole when you start off on this adventure.

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?" asked Alice
"That depends a good deal on where you want to go," said the Cat.

"I don't much care where I go" said Alice.

"Then it doesn't much matter which way you go," said the Cat.

"…so long as I get somewhere," Alice explained.

"Oh, you're sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough."

So many people, over the years have answered the following question about making progress, how they know if they are making progress, with one simple word, “results.” They seem so confident about that and yet this idea of results can also be so very ambiguous, that is, unless they’ve taken the time to really define what that word “results” means to them.

How long do you practice?

So often people get so tied up in the amount of time they invest in something and the amount of effort that they put into something that they start to distort, generalize, or even block out whole aspects of this principle to the point where they have no real idea of what they are doing and why.





The second thing I’ve noticed is that many times the 'results' people have in mind change. The real question is “What happened to the results they started out looking for?” Many times it’s “as if” new ideas have been “magically” placed there by some external influences which creeps into their heads unknowingly.

I’ll bet you have met a sales person or two in your life who you’ve seen doing this kind of thing. The kind of thing I’m talking about, playing off of your emotions of ego, power, guilt, shame, wanting, or neediness that hook you into buying into their paradigm or product. Getting others input can be a good thing. What I’m saying is “Do you know what you want or where you are going?”

What do you want?

What do you want? There is a good question for you. What is your basic intention? How well have you defined this in terms of what you are really willing to put into getting the results and the bigger question what results do you expect in return for your effort?

In Wujifa we often say “Making tea is the highest form of practice” in the practice of Wujifa. The reason we say this is that knowing how to express yourself, influence others and get your point across in a social situation is key. It’s like a very high level of martial art expression. The simple idea of “influence” while connecting with others while drinking tea explores the many subtle levels of the understandings that take place with others and yourself and the possible intended results that may arise.

You are where you are…

Another Wujifa saying we often come back to is a guiding compass in understanding that “You are where you are and that’s where you start.” Knowing and gaining a good understanding of where you are is a great starting point. There is another saying I personally enjoy, “If you know where you’re going you know what to wear.” This addresses action steps to take. Knowing where you are and which actions to take are all about the result you have in mind.

How will you know and how do you know if you’re making progress is a very functional and personal process that involves understanding what one’s intentions are. Simply said, getting clear on your intentions takes time. This is why we suggest that people practice following through on their intention and practice. This starts by noticing what lessons show up while progressing towards your goals.

A functional example

Let’s say a beginner who just starts out practicing our Wujifa Zhan Zhuang practices for example. Let’s say you ask them the following question “How long do you stand?” Their answer is often that they really don’t know. Different times on different days, maybe 5 to 20 minutes they reply. They will tell you it depends and their answers get more and more fuzzy.

Here is a great piece of advice, keep a diary (which I suggest for people starting out) of your stance or daily practice(s). One may reply that they don't really need to keep a diary. Then the real question begs to be asked “How do you know?”

Here is a really cool trick. When you set up an amount of time to stand for example and a time of day to practice, we can call this an intention. Following though on an intention to completion is a result. When you doing this it will become a habit and even more than a habit it also develops the neurons in the brain. If you don’t follow through, then this also develops neurons and patterns, patterns that I bet also show up in other areas of life.

What do you want?

What do you want? How will you know when you are making progress? Take the time to explore these questions. Try keeping a diary of what you do and what you notice along the way. Write down what you are working on and your goals. Track yourself and see if you are doing what you plan on doing. I’m not suggesting doing this with everything you are doing in life. Just pick something simple like your intention to practice your zhan zhuang.

Simply doing a little noticing with a small chunk of your life will have powerful effects. And remember “you are where you are and that’s where you start.”

Wujifa Basic Zhan Zhuang Practice and Models

The other day we recorded a little bit of audio as a senior school brother shares with another on the basic methods and practices or models for correct Zhan Zhuang practice in the Wujifa system. If you have been following this blog for a while then most likely you'll follow right along with what is being shared here. If your new here you might like to follow a couple suggested links starting with a this one Is your stance practice like a dead post?

Wujifa: Basic Models and Concepts is really a podcast with pictures. Hopefully the art work aids in the audio being shared. The information covers good grounded points and suggestion and by that I mean functional means for practice of Zhan Zhuang with in the Wujifa system.


For those of you on Iphones or enjoy YouTube formats: click here

Here is a little somthing from last year June 21, 2009 BasicTips for Zhan Zhuang and the pelvis
"When one simply relaxes more deeply or as one learns to relax the muscles of the lower back and supporting muscles and relax the glutes while practicing stance training then the back can lengthen and the femoral heads of the right and left legs can be allowed to widen. This gives more room for the pelvis to adjust on the hip joints and with the opening/lengthening of the spine “allows” the tailbone or sacrum to shift and drop downward in these practices. This is VERY different than tucking."

Hopefully you have found some of these bits, tips, and talks helpful to your Wujifa and/or Zhan Zuang practices. As always if you have a question feel free to ask. If people like these Podcast Video formats let us know and I will see what I can dig up. Thanks again in advance.

Is your stance practice like a dead post?

What is your zhan zhuang practice becoming? The number one problem people have practicing zhan zhuang is dead-post standing. This means being rigid and non-living, doing the practice as if one has a stick stuck you know where.

The second big mistake in dead post standing is when the mind over thinks and over controls instead of simply guiding growth, development, and understanding as one practices.

The post turtle could be a symbol for both of these problems. Just look at the picture above. A stiff rigid pole with all the life stuck on top, over thinking and trying to figure it out. As we say in Wujifa, "the method is not the truth."

Like the punch line to the joke about the post turtle:

The old man says, "When you're driving down a country road and you see a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that's a post turtle. You know he didn't get up there by himself. He doesn't belong there; he can't get anything done while he's up there; and you just want to help the poor, dumb thing down."

The post-turtle is further explained: He did not get there by himself. He cannot get down. And he can only see in the direction he has been turned.

Visit and Read: Zhan Zhuang Alignment
Visit and Read: Wujifa Triangles
Visit and Read: More on Zhan Zhuang and Movement

Posted via email from Wujifa at Posterous

More on Zhan Zhuang and Movement

Here are more basic functional things to look for or a functional aim to understand while practicing your Zhan Zhuang (standing post practices), and for when you practices movement as viewed through the Wujifa system. Many people will find these helpful for other practices as well. Development and understanding of fascial connections or pathways are keys for strong powerful movement. Many internal arts like Taiji or other “internal martial arts” may also seek this kind of connection which links the body.

More on Zhan Zhuang and Movement

Standing Practice (Zhan Zhuang)

A. Beginner’s targets for functional standing practice and body awareness:

1. Learning to adjust structure and to discover relaxed balance. Remember “relaxed is not limp” although depending on the level you are at this can be understood in a number of ways.

2. Sinking the weight... As one starts to understand this first point they will feel an area in the quads about the size of an United States twenty-five cent piece or fifty cent sized area about 6 or 8 inches up from the top of the knee or almost half way up in the center of each quad get very warm, if the weight hits other places then something may be off in the structure and one structure should be adjusted accordingly. Although some people may feel general heaviness in the legs, as one learns to adjust their structure more clearly they may discover this smaller fifty cent sized area as they get a little more understanding. Many people will also get very warm and sweat a lot. This is just a sign post and this should be viewed as only one of the many "byproducts" of one's training. More important is that fifty cent sized area. If it gets too heavy one can adjust their stance a little higher, although it is possible to stand with legs almost completely straight and still get this weight down into the legs like this. A common mistake is the feeling hitting the knee area; this is commonly caused by holding in the pelvis or lower back, or even by tightness in the ankles.

3. Fascial connection… For most people (but not everyone) the next functional step is when they start to notice the feeling of fascial stretch in the lower back or the thoracolumbar fascia area of the body. This is another good sign in understanding. This means they have started to understand the correct way to widen the femoral heads by relaxing the glutes and relaxing the lower back while keeping the shoulders over the hips, etc. A few people will feel this fascial stretch in the upper back first, although if it’s the first or second thing noticed the key is to connect the whole back. It can take some time to develop the correct feeling. As one continues to develop, so too does the understanding of this suggested fascial stretch as just one of many ways to move as one connected whole.

B. Mental aspects of physical development

1. Development of neural connections both in the mind and body: as one practices, the neural pathways in the mind and the body also develop. As we understand the feeling of physical connections so do the pathways in the mind and body that send information. They also grow and develop and become more functional. Like a simple path in the woods that is traveled often becomes a road and then later a highway as they get used over time. Neural pathways develop in the same fashion.

2. Intention and how you notice is important as well. Learning to eat bitter is a common saying. What I mean by this is that some people will notice opportunity as they practice. This is a good method. Some may want to notice what is wrong, yet if you go one step deeper you can notice there is opportunity in there as well. This can even be suggested as a deeper understanding of being open. I will say at times it is good to be critical of what one is doing, although noticing opportunity in this is still possible. Imagine later if sparing the difference in noticing an opportunity or noticing what is wrong. Building in this kind of intention early on is a good idea.

3. Moving Practices

A. Learning to move and maintain a functional structure and to relax and balance: remember relaxed is not limp. Maintaining a good structure will help one understand this idea of not being limp better as well.

1. As you develop those good fascial connections made in doing a good stance practice movement can be very helpful as well. As you start to move these fascial connections and pathways also come into play here. Your understanding of the feeling will be very helpful as you start to move. Also, movement can help you gain a greater understanding of these connections as you continue to do your Zhan Zhuang or standing.

2. The feeling of movement is a wonderful way to notice breaks in fascial connections and pathways. Sometimes people will believe they have them so getting good verification of proper movement is necessary when you start out on this path. Although if you can discover some of these while standing you can simply stop moving and double check to see if the connections you’ve discovered in standing are still there. As I said before, there are a number of pathways in the body, so different movement may take some time to understand.

B. Continuing to understand the feeling which is different than understanding the method of movement:

1. Method can be looked at like a medicine, although the drug is not the answer. There is a feeling that one is seeking to understand and explore and in Wujifa we believe this is how progress is made. Understanding the feeling of movement while maintaining fascial connections is one of these.

2. Development of neural pathways is also key. There can be many many pathways that one can explore here as well. There can be the intention of movement. There can be the intention of what the movement is for or what the movement is doing. Either way, noticing the feel of how the body moves brings awareness. I’m not sure how many will understand what I said here. Attention is different than intention. “Noticing” the feelings while practicing is what I’m getting at. This is a very deep subject and as one understands attention and intention even more neural connections can be developed and explored.

C. Learning to maintain the weight being sunk down and moving while maintaining facial connections:

1. Learning to move while keeping the weight in the legs is key here. When you move, the same principle applies here. I’ve seen people who have gotten the feeling of sinking the weight have a hard time at first just doing a few movements. As you develop, this will get easier. At the same time, don’t short change yourself when you train.

2. Remember the neural pathways; what you do to compensate also builds different pathways in the mind and neural connections to the body than when you choose to practice correctly. Always seek the opportunity to grow and develop as you practice. Yes, there is always opportunity and that is what you should seek. Notice when you choose to compensate and when you choose to explore more. This should give you insights to where there can be some nice opportunities for future growth.

D. Developing how intention and feeling connect with movement and furthering the development of neural connection in the mind and body.

1. Opportunity is in the noticing. Noticing the feelings and connections while moving is so very important as we have said before. Paying “attention” by noticing is a big key here.

2. Intention,” what are you doing and why…” There are many levels of engaging this depending on what and where you are and your skill level. Make sure you are clear on what the intention is while moving and paying attention to the fascial connections and the feeling. Remember, what you do is what you are building in and that is one reason the Chinese call this kind of deep training gongfu even if your gongfu is making tea.

Also check out: Basic Tips for Zhan Zhuang and the pelvis

Also check out: Keys for Developing the Inguinal Crease, aka Kua, with Wujifa Side to Side Practice

Also check out: The Concept of "Sit Down" in Wujifa Standing...

(Part 2) Suggested Mental Unification Paradigms of Wujifa Practices

There are as many different ways to train as there are different methods and frames we might choose to engage in doing. As this blog is about Wujifa practice, I’m sure it will also be bound to apply to other aspects or practices. Saying that, here is part 2 of the series and some more simple suggestions for other ways for practicing Wujifa, let’s say as an awareness practice, for an example as in standing.

Suggested Mental Unification Paradigms of Wujifa Practices (part 2 of 3)

Have you ever noticed how many different kinds of people there are? People have different personalities and different approaches in how they engage, how they train, and the methods of their practice. In Wujifa, let’s keep it simple and say in the practice of standing or side to side. Some people like and follow the belief that ultimately the key is in training the mind... others the body. Some would like to skip over basics and seek out and/or move right to more advanced practices or aspects. Foundations are always so important to whatever you’re building.

What I have noticed for myself over the years is “You are where you are,” and that is the simplest place to begin. Although, I want to say that it is also important to have skilled teacher’s (or teachers’) insights (we’ll leave that for another series.) Although, I will say having these insights and verifications are key for also discovering useful methods and truly making progress. At the same time, remembering that you are always the one who makes the choices is very grounding. In this choice, be honest with yourself and what you choose to do.



Personally, I believe the very basic practices are the most important, and where the most gain can be found time and time again. Simply remember, whichever door you chose to enter, the body and the mind are an important connection in whatever you do. Allowing these to connect and develop can be so helpful in rediscovering more depth in your training, motives, and overall outcome.



By noticing connections... and attuning with ones attention... and developing the options to explore the results of one’s intention with congruency one will discover these fundamental keys and opportunities. Here are some examples of ways to engage in them.

1. A grounded Intention… Each person, his or herself, is responsible for their re-organization. Whether they know it or not, the power for change is with self. Owning this is a mind-set I believe is basic for practical self discovery and practice in Wujifa. In saying that, I will repeat that working with a qualified instructor and validating progress is also very important. It may take years to weed out the crap, as well as to understand what works for you.


2. Experience... the body and mind "dance" in a sense that they influence each other... willingness to allow how they influence congruency is a response-ability within.... notice the word "willingness." Experiencing the dance is a key to the mindset, and for making personal progress.


3. The Dance of Mindset… For example, trance as in Milton Ericson’s world is similar to what I’m talking about. It is more about letting the subconscious respond effectively and directly... there is a difference between zoning out while training Wujifa, and in trance, or (being "in" as in a focus that leads you to the door) entrance... allowing you to open (the entrance) to the possibility (the entrance) to change... "Notice, how, you feel"... and how you can... do this more... as you train.

Milton Ericson, in a paper titled “Hypnotic Therapy” (1948/1980b, p.461): The induction and maintenance of a trance serve to provide a special psychological state in which people can re-associate and reorganize their inter psychological complexities and utilize their own capacities in a matter and accord with their own experiential life.

More on this for those who are interested can be found at Google Books in: The Psychobiology of gene expression By Ernest Lawrence Rossi http://books.google.com/books?id=srNWwwslgjQC&pg=PA141&dq=1948+Milton+Ericson

Zoning-out while practicing Wujifa “stance” training for example is akin to, or a component of what might be called a dead-post stance. I will suggest that this willingness, this sub-conscious focus and how this engages RAS responsiveness is more about waking up, and seeing with new eyes as you train as we are walk through what I’m suggesting as the entrance as stated above. For example, notice how so many arts talk about the beginner’s mind. This beginner’s mind is or can be so helpful, as this can allow one the space to be critical in a “functional” way to what one is doing or what we are doing at the time. This is one form of personal “allowing” I find helpful, as there is always more to be revealed and discovered.

Notice... how many... useful ways... You can

Do this all the time... naturally...

Even when you notice those things… you

Might believe distract you... yet you notice

How they are really

Contributing to…

This place you find yourself

Right now

So, here is a practical simple focus one can start with: being open to noticing the feeling. Being, open is a keyword here: feelings can change as you grow and learn... also, over thinking for example, can bring too much focus, and a closing down... A “simple” focus in noticing may "ALLOW" more opening to noticing with congruency and intention to be discovered. The beginners mind, open to discovering and with the willingness to “eat bitter” (eating bitter for most people is a developed taste, and like a medicine, at times very useful), as well as the other more pleasant flavors.


The beginner’s mind I believe is so helpful in so many ways as you’re learning. Being open to discover… as it may be easier for one to have less ego attached to old habits and patterns that may hold back noticing of more useful practical aspects that could really boost progress.


I have found that self discovery and moving toward exploring this energy (I mean that in a normal everyday way) develops as we learn “how” to notice ourselves, and how we grow and change in the process. This is the unique opportunity for noticing, growing and caring for ourselves. This opportunity is not the methods themselves, but in the quiet time we take to look inward and outward (for example as we stand) and notice. Yes, that is still a method, depending on how you look at it... Yet, this is an opportunity to discover and train self discovery... within the method or process.



This is Part 2 of 3 in a series on some of the various mental unification paradigms various people use to assist in their Wujifa practice and training.

Click here to read: Suggested Mental Unification Paradigms of Wujifa Practices (Part 1)
Click here to read: Suggested Mental Unification Paradigms of Wujifa Practices (Part 3)

Suggested Mental Unification Paradigms of Wujifa Practices Part 1

There is a Daoist saying that suggests “hide universe in universe.” Sometimes it’s the most obvious things that can the most elusive. Hence people mystify or complicate various aspects of what should be basic and self evident. In this 3 part series we will attempt to explore some simple ideas of what and where one can begin to explore this deeper aspect to training.

Suggested Mental Unification Paradigms of Wujifa Practices (part 1 of 3)

Let me start off by saying that I personally consider and contemplate the philosophy that wuji is all around us, as a useful one. The awareness that everything is one, connected, and commonly be rediscovered by simple refinement practices and training. I have found that this model has been helpful and have discovered myself returning to this as one of the useful paradigms for training.

Often many, or even most people spend their whole life dividing and separating (mechanical thinking) everything into bits, objectively or subjectively separating themselves from everything, exploring connections outside themselves or even forgetting the simple practical basics, even to the extent to imagining and seek mystical connections.

It's started with a choice. Simply begin with noticing, and being responsible with accepting this concept is a good place to start. Developing and noticing of simple connections that can be resolved starting with one's self, and/or where you realistically believe you are in that moment.

In Wujifa we notice the opportunities to rediscover this connection personally in what and how we train. To the level we train is the level we can express these connections... like the theory of relativity or the big bang and the universe... the size is relative... yet noticing our simple physical connections in how and as we train... this is an opportunity for each of us... and the gift... called Wujifa... there for those of you who are willing to!

Chen style Taijiquan Master Chen Xiaowang often says “one part moves, all parts move” as the principle for practice. The method often used, for example in silk reeling start out with a very basic step-by-step procedure. Yet, as one develops, one discovers "Chan Si Jing" or silk reeling runs throughout the whole of the practices and becomes a very deep practice in and of its self. This is just one example of hiding the universe in universe. The elusive obvious and as one gains more understand one can also explore the expression within these different models and methods.

This is Part 1 of 3 in a series on some of the various mental unification paradigms various people use to assist in their Wujifa practice and training

Click here to read: Suggested Mental Unification Paradigms of Wujifa Practices (Part 2)
Click here to read: Suggested Mental Unification Paradigms of Wujifa Practices (Part 3)

The Concept of "Sit Down" in Wujifa Standing...

The basic concept of "sitting down" is an important one when you are first learning Wujifa standing (Zhan Zhuang). So, with this in mind I will do my best to sharing some helpful information on this and a few other helpful bits to explore. On that note hopefully you find something below to help as well with your own personal Qigong training.

The Concept of "Sit Down" in Wujifa Standing...

One of the opportunities we get to develop in Wujifa is intention. Overtime you will develop different ways to "allow" your intention, one is by simply playing with some of the basic concepts of Wujifa practice while you are learning and training. Of course if you train Wujifa you are well aware of the basic ideas of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 1, 2, 3, 4 that are methods to help you discover the feeling of aligning your structure are one of these tools. Although as we know this example is only a method or opportunity for discovering the feeling of alignment. The ideas of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 1, 2, 3, 4 as shared in this practice are simply a method or frame work to notice and discover the feeling of a relaxed structure. The focus is on getting and developing the feeling of connection and developing these. The connection that you'll develop when you have a relaxed aligned structure.


Now I will say I have noticed over the years that it is pretty common for people to make the methods of discovery more important than simply discovering more deeply the feeling of a relaxed connected and aligned body. Also, those who have often discovered this, that is developing your intention, can also be very useful as well not only in Wujifa but in so many areas of your life. Now, I will say at times it can be useful to do something (methods) to help one in discovering these insights. If I were to share one simple thing here, I would say "Be congruent with the intention" with the understanding this is very important for developing/development of neural pathways in ones brain and strengthening the connections both in this brain and in the body.
Learning to notice the "feeling" of your development and how it changes is a good step on the path. Also, learning to simply notice the different feelings is a good habit to develop. Many times a new person might feel that there is so much new information they need to track "all" this different data or in the process they put all their faith in the methods and data, and "methods" becomes their primary focus.
When you are first learning and practicing Wujifa it is true that focusing on certain methods can be productive. Although, as students, we also need to be aware that these are not the primary focus or intention. Actually I will suggest that even this noticing of the feelings in a way is actually another "method" as well, as you progress, and is not a primary focus, as you grow and develop these connected movements.
So, you might ask “What is the primary focus?” I would suggest that simply the metod of being “congruent” with how you connect and move and respond functionally in a unified and productive way can be a good idea that can help you with developing the so called “feeling” of the intention that Wujifa can assist us with as we train.

All that being said I would like to share something that I believe is another good "method" for developing some of the feeling that can be very useful when starting out with basics in Wujifa qigong. Many have heard that sinking the weight so the top is light and the bottom is heavier is one of those feelings one can discover and play with that is helpful both for those who have practiced for a little while and even for the person who is relatively new to Wujifa standing practices (Zhan Zhuang). In saying this, what I will also suggest looking for the feeling of "sitting down" or the process of sitting down.
As we know in basic Wujifa method of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 1, 2, 3, 4 that the discovery of the feeling of the inguinal crease area. What we also call “1” in this paradigm is the inguinal crease. The inguinal crease is suggested as "in" and "2” in this model the sacrum is "allowed" to relax "down" by relaxing the lower back (This is different than tucking and take a while for some to get). So, the common feeling for many people is the feeling "as if" they are starting to sit down on lets say a bar stool.
I would suggest that people should "relax and allow" their practice to seek and develop this for awhile until they build in the feeling, as well as the commonly suggested feeling of light on top and the lower parts heavy. As you might discover this "image" of sitting down can be helpful for people who want to allow the noticing of this feeling while standing. Remember, continue to notice this intention of sit down in a relaxed way (Remember the Wujifa saying "Relaxed is not limp"). Over time if you play as suggested here you may start to notice how much this will contribute to your Wujifa stance practice (Zhan Zhuang).

If you have any questions... as always... feel free... and ask…

Also check out: More on Zhan Zhuang and Movement

Also check out: Basic Tips for Zhan Zhuang and the pelvis
Also check out: Zhan Zhuang Alignment
Also check out: Keys for Developing the Inguinal Crease, aka Kua, with Wujifa Side to Side Practice
Also check out: Wujifa Two Feet and What Does This Mean

WUJIFA LIANGONG

- WUJIFA LIANGONG -

Wu (undefined, primordial, nothing) Ji (ultimate) Fa (principle, law) Lian (Practice) Gong (skill)

Wu (Nothing) Ji (Ultimate) Fa (Principle) - This could mean ultimate primordial principles or totally void of principle. Lian (practice) Gong (skill) - Simply said its meaning is to train for development and competence.

I personally believe when we combine training with Wujifa, is where we seek the deeper connections with the principle of connection become a natural skill. I also like the "concept" of there being no named "methods" to discovery of "Connection." Yet, in reality one has to start somewhere, and so as there may not be a real method or methods, various approaches may make sense as functional means to gaining clarity of a deeper understanding.

When one trains Wujifa we learn connection, connecting... oneness in response, intention, and congruently as in being, we are human. Those of you who like to explore some other thoughts on this, or for those whom might enjoy a little deeper methods on the meaning of these concepts connected with Wujifa I might suggest the following ideas.

In some Daoist practices the individual seeks the result of a very clear and focused mind and as a result, an inner strength that will be said to cause one's mind to be unmovable. Hence the concepts of no emotion, no fear, a calm serenity like those of the ancient ones who have had come before. Like those whom had attained high levels of cultivation. Through their "gong" were able to detach at some level, the mind from all associations and relations of condition, and such is one example of the concept of Wuji consciousness for those individuals.

One of these basic beliefs in those Daoist practice is that the physical manifestation of something we choose to create and or do comes from thought, thought springing forth from desire, and desire springing forth from thought. Simply said, that thought and desire are formed from manifestations that are stirred up by this movement of the mind within the ultimate primordial or this Daoist view of Wuji.

Daoist tend to suggest one constantly is existing within this concept of Wuji, yet it is due to conditions, thoughts, desire/emotions and such that the mind is so busy that this mind is not aware of being there. Does a fish know it is in water? It's actually so much more than understanding that being is not a kind or type of separate thought saying that one is in Wuji. It is a natural state... Although there are other groups, for example some sects of Buddhists who also say that this "being" is not the ultimate or highest state of consciousness attainable.

To simplify you might see it as simply being in a natural state... like how an animal might naturally respond and connect with its environment responding as a whole without thought... I believe that as we train one of the aspects of the mind that is develop the RAS (The RAS is located within the core of the brain near the brain stem. Visit en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Reticular_activating_system if you want to dive into these mechanics deeper) and in doing so we can discover that we do not need to think about what we have connected with, we can just respond naturally. How deeply one can allow these types of shifts to surface within, are possible, and what is called a deep understanding of skill and gongfu. This could be seen as another view of many so called levels in allowing and developing, and as allowed these shifts can develop in the practice of Wujifa, if practiced as some might say "correctly."

The following is from Wikipedia:
Wuji, (無極), in Taoist philosophy, is the primordial state of non-being, a state of Nothingness and boundlessness or that which is without Bounds or Limits. Wuji like Tao, is and lies within all of the universe and in the human anatomy. It is the central definition to what Tao is in chapter one of the Tao Te Ching.

In Xiuzhen, Wuji or Dao is a state of Hunyuan Yiqi (混元一炁) in which Hunyuan is the Chinese equivalent of primordial, Yiqi is the one qi the original state of qi, together Hunyuan Yiqi is loosely the primordial qi. The state of Taiji is Xiantian Yiqi (先天一炁), or pre-birth qi. Note the word Qi (炁) differs to blood circulation in qigong.

See: Wikipedia