Standing meditation is a place where the ancient Taoist traditions of Qigong,
Tai Chi,
And Yi Quan have much to contribute to the practice of somatic meditation.
This standing meditation draws on these Chinese teachings and those of Will Johnson.
It's based on the principles of alignment,
Relaxation,
Staying loose,
And doing no more work than necessary,
And allowing the breath to maintain natural mobility of the body.
Somatic meditation when standing is more physically difficult than when seated,
So I recommend you follow my guided seated instructions first if you have not already.
Stand for a short time at first and be sure to sit and rest if tired or if you have any dizziness.
If you practice bit by bit,
Your muscles will adapt to the posture and you will be able to stand for a surprisingly long time.
Somatic meditation is based on paying attention to your body in a kind and gentle manner.
Be in a peaceful setting where you won't be disturbed during this time.
Temperature okay,
Clothing loose and comfortable.
Then stand with your feet parallel,
Hip width apart,
With your arms at your sides,
Palms facing the rear.
The more you bend your knees,
The more work it takes to stand,
So keep your legs almost straight but with your knees unlocked.
Relax your hip joints and your lower back,
Allowing them to be mobile,
And allow your head to float on your neck as if suspended from above,
With your tongue lightly touching the roof of your mouth just behind the upper teeth.
Relax as much as you can while maintaining your vertical alignment.
Scan and relax your body from the crown of your head down to the soles of your feet,
Relaxing and allowing the joints to be mobile.
Cultivate a sense of floating from the crown of your head,
Tongue touching the roof of your mouth,
Chin dropped,
Neck free,
Shoulder blades sinking and widening,
Space in your armpits,
Arms and hands alive all the way out to your fingertips.
Keep your hip joints loose,
Weight going down the center of loose knees and ankles,
Feeling the soles of your feet on the ground.
Tune into the three principles of somatic meditation.
Alignment,
Relaxation,
And mobility.
While standing,
There are micro adjustments happening in your balance all the time to accommodate the movements of breath and heartbeat.
Do not seek rock like stillness.
Instead,
Allow your body to move with these pulsations.
Expect,
Feel,
And allow the subtle balance adjustments and sway that go with standing and the pulse of your heart and breathing.
Allow the dance of your standing body to be like the movement of a flame around the wick of a candle on a windless night.
Allow your whole body to be mobile with the breath.
Relax your lower back and hip joints enough so that the tilt of your pelvis can change with the movement of the diaphragm.
Breathe deeply into the pelvic bone,
Feeling and opening the perineum.
Now if you find your attention drifting away to thoughts of the past,
The future or analysis of the moment,
Simply bring your attention back to your physical sensations and perceptions.
Letting your attention rest on your breathing and the flow of movement and sensations in your sweet body.
Resting in the flow of movement and sensation,
Stand in this manner for as long as you like.
