Posture: the sixth of the Seven Foundations
Good posture does not just align the body. It channels energy.
Soften the knees. Root the feet. Lengthen the spine.
Those three cues are most of it, and they are doing more than making you look upright. A body organized this way can gather, store and radiate Qi.
What lives here
Embracing the Tree. The Dragon. The Leopard. The Tiger. Core Strengtheners. Horse Stance.
What it is doing
Standing postures build the container, so the body can gather, store and radiate Qi.
The part that surprises people
Standing still is hard. Embracing the Tree looks like doing nothing and is among the more demanding things in the practice. When it starts to feel like enough, that reaction is information rather than failure.
Where it sits
Earth phase, mostly. Grounding, rooting, activating the Lower Dantian.
The energy centres these postures work with are covered at the three foundations of healing Qigong.
Part of the Seven Foundations of Practice.
On why gentle standing work does more than it looks like it does, why people feel different after Qigong.
The standing practice this foundation rests on has its own guide at standing Qigong, Zhan Zhuang.
Frequently asked questions
What is good posture in Qigong?
Soft knees, rooted feet, long spine. Those three cues carry most of it.
Why is Embracing the Tree difficult?
Because standing still is demanding in a way that looks like doing nothing. When it starts to feel like enough, that is information rather than failure.
What do standing postures do?
They build the container, so the body can gather, store and radiate Qi rather than leak it.
Where to go next
If you have never practiced Qigong. Jump Start Your Energy is a free beginner class. No background needed, nothing to buy, and it is the fastest way to find out whether any of this does anything for you. Most people know within one session.
If you practice and want to go deeper. We teach live classes online every week, and there is a self-paced Introduction to Qigong if you would rather work through it in your own time.
If you want to teach this. Everything in this library is drawn from the Great Energy Qigong Teacher Certification. The frameworks are here in full because they are more useful shared than withheld. The training is where you learn to deliver them.
Keep reading. The rest of the framework library is at the Library, and our longer articles are on the blog.
Great Energy is an independent educational organization founded by Christopher Grant and Daniela Hess.