In a world that’s constantly moving, there is incredible power in learning how to be still.
Yichuan Standing Meditation—often called “Zhan Zhuang”—is a deceptively simple practice that holds the key to deep physical awareness, emotional balance, and a meditative state of presence that many spend years chasing. While it may look like “just standing,” those who engage with the practice quickly realize it’s one of the most transformative tools in the meditative arts.
In our latest video lesson inside The Yielding Warrior Community, we explore the core of Yichuan Standing Meditation and introduce the three foundational postures that form the basis of this powerful internal art. If you’ve been looking for a way to deepen your practice and embody more awareness in your daily life, this is it.
The Three Foundational Postures
The video guides you through the three core postures that are essential to unlocking the benefits of standing meditation:
- Holding the Ball (Hugging the Tree) – A gentle round shape with arms in front of the chest, this posture teaches structural alignment and energetic expansion. It awakens awareness through the upper and middle body and calms the mind like few things can.
- Lower Embrace – With the arms lowered in a rounded, receptive shape near the lower abdomen, this posture centers your energy into the dantian and strengthens your connection to the earth. It’s excellent for grounding and stabilizing emotions.
- Side Press – With arms next to the hips, this variation expands energy outward and opens awareness through the upper body and mind. It’s often used to activate the belt merridian and enhance your foundation.
Each posture activates different energy centers in the body and strengthens your nervous system’s ability to hold focus and remain balanced—even in the face of stress.
🔑 Why Standing Still Is So Powerful
While it might seem counterintuitive, standing still is one of the most efficient ways to train your body and mind to be in harmony.
Here’s what starts to happen as you practice Yichuan regularly:
- Your posture improves as your body naturally finds alignment.
- Your mind quiets as you learn to observe subtle sensations instead of chasing thoughts.
- Your emotions stabilize because you’re no longer reacting from a place of tension or imbalance.
- Your energy increases because you’re no longer leaking it through unnecessary tension or mental chatter.
This isn’t just about standing—it’s about learning how to hold your center through anything.
🌿 The Gateway to Deeper Meditation
Most people think they have to sit in silence to meditate. But for many, the path to stillness begins in the body. Yichuan is a powerful way to drop into a meditative state, especially if sitting practices have felt difficult or inaccessible in the past.
As you hold these postures, your breath deepens, your body unwinds, and your awareness heightens. You begin to feel what’s really going on inside you—and you learn how to let go of what you no longer need.
Over time, this simple practice trains you to:
- Notice tension before it turns into stress.
- Redirect your thoughts before they spiral.
- Return to your center—again and again—until it becomes second nature.
🎥 Watch the Lesson & Begin Your Practice
If you’re ready to move beyond surface-level mindfulness and tap into something deeper, watch the new video lesson on Yichuan Standing Meditation now available inside The Yielding Warrior Community.
This lesson gives you everything you need to get started: the postures, the principles, and the encouragement to start building your own standing practice—just a few minutes a day.
Stillness is a skill. And this is where it starts.
Let us know how it feels after your first few sessions—and as always, feel free to share your experience or ask questions in the comments. We’re on this journey together.
