Qigonging

Thank you very much for the replies everyone. They were more helpful than I expected! I actually started zz alone yesterday. I have been reading The Way of Energy and I am going to stick to the suggested routine and timescale in the book.

Is Zhan Zhuang a form of qigong which is effective as a standalone practice?

Hey everyone, I'm newcomer to the forum and qigong. I started qigong just over a month ago and I've been experimenting with different styles. The form which I was originally drawn to was Zhan Zhuang, though I haven't actually practiced Zhan Zhuang yet as I'm a bit concerned about not doing the postures properly and potentially causing mental and physical problems. I've mainly been doing random routines which I've found online. I have also been attending a qigong class for the past four weeks and I can particulary feel my qi during the class. Last week we did the classic stand like a tree pose for about 5 minutes and I felt the energy circulating through me like I haven't before. This has made me even more curious about Zhan Zhuang! The thing is, this class is not a Zhan Zhuang class specifically. I bought the Way of Energy by Master Lam Kam Chuen a while back which I've glanced through. But my question is, is it dangerous to do Zhan Zhuang without a teacher? I've read some posts on here which suggest that a teacher is essential in Zhan Zhuang, and that it can be dangerous to practice without one. Others have said they got no benefit from Zhan Zhuang when practicing by themselves. On the other hand, some have said that if you follow the Way of Energy word by word with the suggested timescale, you have nothing to worry about. I am concerned about the possible negative mental effects of doing Zhan Zhuang in the wrong way. Originally, I was curious about qigong because I wanted to balance and circulate my energy in a healthy way, open the meridians and feel more grounded. Will Zhan Zhuang be a good qigong method to achieve this? Also, would it be necessary to combine Zhan Zhuang with a moving form of qigong? Perhaps there is another form I could think about? Thanks

Hey everyone! Started qigong about a month ago and looking forward to learning more.