ChiDragon

I wouldn't depend on HS for metabolism because most of the energy were directed to the leg muscles. For metabolism, I would do static Chi Kung such as Zazen. Sitting in Zazen is less stressful than zhan zhuang. So, most of the energy will be utilized for metabolism because the energy was not used else where. During the performance of HS, the leg muscles are demanding for more oxygen to generate the energy for contraction. Since you are not doing any fast movements, therefore, you will not breathe faster. Instead, you are breathing slow and deeper. Thus the heart will be contracted fully which is actually doing the cardio exercise. Another words, the cardio exercise was done by the full contraction of the cardiac muscles rather than breathing beating faster.

You are right about that. Despite to "one term can be translated in different ways," the only correct translation for the term is to interpret the character with context, rather than just interpret the character by itself.

I will reserve my comments on this part. I hope you'll reserve some of your own qi for yourself before you give it all away to your students........

To clarify this, Yin and Yang are just a concept rather than a thing. FYI Yin is like something that was lack of, when the lack of something was fulfilled, then it was said that the Yin becomes Yang.

Only if you regulate your breathing and breathe down to the low dantian. BTW Zhan Zhuang is not the only method to build up qi. QiGong is mainly to build up qi. Zhan Zhuang is mainly a prerequisite for those who have weak physical condition to build up their body strength. Most sifu(s) make their students to start with Zhan Zhuang on the side or before teaching them any martial arts.

Neidan is more complicated than just Zhan Zhuang. Zhan Zhuang is to make a structured and holistic body for a person. Period. The spiritual aspect is only the religious beliefs of the individual practitioner. The spiritual beliefs do not have to be logical nor reasonable. For a beginner, the physical condition may not be suitable for a limited time of 30 to 40 minutes. It is not advisable to force a new student to practice Zhan Zhuang beyond the physical capability of each individual. Unless otherwise, each individual has the innate physical condition to meet such requirement.

回春功(Return to Spring Method) is a method of Chi Kung which suppose to be helping one to return to one's youth. The first of the four reasons is Spring. It symbolized "youth" in the Chinese thinking.

Let's review. Condition 1: The heart rate increased was by the natural responses due to the lack of oxygen or low blood pressure. In Condition 2, to assist the heart to have a strong contraction at one beat is by intention. This time, let's talk about the contraction of the heart. The heart needs energy for contraction. It gets the energy from the glucose and oxygen. The glucose is from the food which is stored in the liver already; and the oxygen is from the constant breathing. How strong the contraction of the heart depends on the amount of oxygen that was provided. Therefore, if one can increase the amount of oxygen with a method to regulate the breathing, then, one can assist the heart to have a strong contraction at each beat. If the heart has ample amount of oxygen for contraction, then, it doesn't need to beat as fast as normal in delivering the oxygenated blood to the body cells. Another words, the heart rate will be slower and squeeze a greater amount of blood out of the heart. It means that the heart is more efficient with less effort to perform its function.

Just isolate the facts from the fallacies. Then, there should be no doubt.

There is nothing weird about the soreness of the leg muscles. It is very normal for a beginner. Please keep in mind, the practice of horse stance is not an one minute thing. At the beginning of the practice, your leg muscles will be sore for the next three months or so. You have to let your leg muscles to adjust to the extra stress that you put on from bending the knees while standing in a fixed position like that. If you practice daily, the soreness will go away in few months, and you will have better muscle tone in the legs. You should be able to do the stance, at least, for 20 minutes or longer with no more pains on the thighs.

It is not how long can you do the low horse stance. Rather, it is how long did it take you to do it....??? One cannot do the low stance at the beginning; It takes time to practice to get there. A knowledgeable instructor will tell you to start with a high stance, then slowly go into the low stance. It is not a matter of how long can one do the stance for the heart; it is the regulating in breathing which does the trick. Please give me a chance to finish my explanation on Condition 2 in my OP. Then, you will know what I mean.

The trick is on the stick. There is a horizontal bar attached to the vertical stick for the guy to sit on.

Here is how the heart works..... There are two sensors inside the heart are constantly monitoring the blood pressure and oxygen levels. The decrease in pressure means less volume of blood flow which will less oxygen content in the blood. As soon there was a detection of change in pressure or oxygen level, the brain will send a signal to the heart to pump faster for more blood.Thus at the same time, the breathing rate will be increased also to breathe more oxygen into the lung. The purpose of the heart is to maintain a constant volume of blood flow in the circulation. If the volume of blood decreases, the heart will beat faster to compensate for the decrease in volume. Most people thought by increasing the heart rate was considered to be cardio exercise. Unfortunately, Increasing the heart rate is actually making to heart to do more work and harder than normal. Running, walking, hiking or biking falls into Condition 1. It is not a good way for cardio exercise. Hence, condition 1 by adding more stress to the heart muscles due to the frequency of contraction is most undesirable. Edited to add: Walking maybe considered a normal exercise but it is still not as effective as Chi Kung.

Even though breathing was not mentioned by most Zhan Zhuang practitioners, but it is inevitable not to talk about it. Breathing exercise has a lot to do with the heart too. However, there are many people did not realize that breathing is a hidden exercise for cardio. If you give me a chance to explain the two ways to aid the heart to maintain a constant volume of blood to flow out of the heart, then you will know what that is all about. PS.... Please keep in mind, regulating breathing is very essential in the martial arts industry. It has a lot to do with our physical heart in the body.

If you can follow the movements of the forms from the DVD, then it is fine. However, even though, the master of your dreams will probably not engage personally in an unknown beginner anyway; but at least you will have some close attention to correct your forms. As a beginner, you don't need to know too much theory but just learn the forms. Then, you practice by repeating the forms over and over until the forms become a natural reflex to you.

First of all, we would like to know the function of the heart before we can come to a conclusion that the heart rate should go up or down. The function of the heart is to pump as much blood out as one beat or squeeze. The amount of blood can be squeezes depends on the condition of the heart. Ideally, we want to heart to squeeze all the blood out of the heart at one contraction. However, for an average person, one can only squeeze some of the blood out. Therefore, that leaves us two ways to aid the heart to maintain a constant volume of blood to flow out of the heart. 1. To increase the rate of the heartbeat. 2. Assist the heart to have one strong contraction at one beat to squeeze most of the blood out of the heart.

Learn the forms, practice them diligently, feel the physical change in the body by intuition, comprehend the principles by further reading to expands one's wisdom. Now, that's enlightenment.

So, the west has won............

Really...........??? This is very misleading or someone who knows nothing about the history of Taiji Quan or Tai Ji Quan. Period.

Now, do you see what I mean.....???

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庄子(Zhuang Tze)

老子道德經(Lao Tze Tao Te Ching) http://video.sina.com.cn/v/b/54723101-2171571942.html

While breathing deep down to the LDT doing horse stance will providing lots of oxygen to keep the heart beat. Of course, a way of life is by maintaining the heart healthy and strong.

Isn't this one of the examples you gave with 夫 at the end.....???