Standing Meditation offers excellent
health benefits. By taking a simple posture called a Wu Chi stance,
the body will open to the energies of heaven and earth. These pure,
universal energies help the body harmonize internal energy. That is,
areas of weakness (deficiencies) are filled up and areas of
stagnation (excesses) are drained away.
The longer you stand, the more you release muscular tension and
tightness. This shifts the weight of the body to the skeletal
structure, strengthening the bones. As muscular release deepens,
traumas that have been recorded in the body — much like seismic
graphs record earthquakes — may emerge. With the release of deep
muscular tension, these “recordings” are freed from cellular memory.
A
basic Wu Chi stance is easy for beginners, and develops the body in
a natural posture. The feet are placed shoulder width apart with the
toes pointing forward; the knees are aligned directly above the
feet. The back is flattened by correcting any leaning (forward or
back); tipping the lower pelvis slightly forward then takes the arch
out of the lower back. (Since Wu Chi is considered a weight-bearing
exercise, this adjustment protects the lower back by shifting most
of the body’s weight to the bones in the legs.) Moving upward, the
head is leveled and the tongue rests at the roof of the mouth to
connect the energy channels that run up the back and down the front
of the body. (For acupuncturists, these are the Governing and
Conceptions vessels.)
So here we are, in this basic simple posture, and we experience some
sadness, grief, anger or joy. This is very natural because as the
body releases stress, it also releases emotional trauma. The more
traumas you release, the more comfortable and relaxed you become.
Then, when something happens, you will react to that incident and
not the myriad of similar things that may have snowballed you into
an overreaction.
The ability to become emotionally mature is rooted in personal
power. At a certain age we’re no longer powerless children being
ordered around, but our body doesn't always know that. If we’re
riddled with emotional memories, the body may have no sense that
time has passed.
In order for the body to assume its personal power, it has to
release the cellular memory of past traumas. As emotional episodes
release, the body’s nervous system zeros out and recalibrates to the
present. Thus, the body is free to be in the here and now, allowing
our thinking and conversation to become relevant to a given
situation.
Because
we experience life in physical, emotional, psychological, and
spiritual layers, it follows that we need to release stress from
each layer. The more stress we release, the more clear our thinking
becomes. With mental clarity comes feelings of security and
serenity. And then: we actually meet our self. Imagine that! Meeting
who you really are!
For me, standing meditation released tremendous pain. I had known
through my mother’s stories I was held back in birth because the
doctor wasn’t ready. She viscerally remembered the excruciating pain
well into her 80s. It took me some time to realize the origin of my
pain was my own birth!
Early in my standing meditation practice I realized that flattening
my back released the pain in my right hip and low back. As my pain
subsided, other things began to release.
Being raised Catholic I was once grabbed by a couple of nuns after
having a very good time during my Confirmation service. Towering
over me and standing on opposite sides, they held firm to my upper
arms and ordered me to give penitence of many Hail Marys and Our
Fathers.
A quarter century later, I was in standing meditation experiencing a
good alpha state. Then, out of the blue came a bubble that
originated in front of my naval. This round, see-through sphere had
these two nuns inside! It quickly floated up in front of my eyes and
then burst. Poof! And the nuns disappeared.
Where on earth did that come from? Although I hadn't thought about
it in years, every time I remembered it I would re-live it. When I
thought about the nuns grabbing me, I would start to sweat, feeling
their hands tighten on my arms. But after the "bubble incident" I
could describe the whole experience without any visceral response.
It became just a story.
As my practice continued, I became aware of my resentment of feeling
powerless. I remembered shrinking and cowering as a child when
scolded by an authority figure. I would often hide for hours to see
if anyone would miss me. My sister once found me in the doghouse
with Bootsie, the one family member that was always glad to see me.
As a teenager and through my 20s I was hell on wheels. Anyone who
dared tell me what to do was met by an in-your-face confrontation.
In a concerted effort to challenge dominating males, I became quite
talented at billiards. The more they were into the game, the better
my game became. Pure revenge!
But in my 30s I reverted backwards. The powers around me seemed to
just want to hold me back. (Remember my birth?) My professional life
felt squelched. Even though I had two degrees, a Bachelor of Science
in Geology and a Master of Public Administration in Policy Analysis,
I still felt powerless. So I became adept at plotting and scheming.
I found immense solace in subterfuge and sabotage.
As my meditative practice deepened, my attitude changed. As physical
and emotional pain subsided, I began to feel comfortable. And that
led to feeling whole and complete. Once I felt my own power and
realness, I no longer felt oppressed. Now I can cater to superiors
with aplomb. If I'm asked to do things that are inconsistent with
who I am, I just say "no."
In Taoist philosophy the best followers make the best leaders
because they take and relinquish charge as needed, which I have come
to realize is merely being appropriate and relevant in any given
situation.
Shima Susan Elkins teaches
Meditation, Qigong, and Tai Chi. She offers two free weekend classes
in midtown Anchorage and can be contacted through
www.jadelady.com.
