Returning Again

[SeekingSilence]

Hello again!

 

It's been over four years since I last posted here, so I suppose it is about time to do so again. I have lurked on and off since my previous postings and have dabbled in various things but am wanting some advice on my next steps in cultivation.

 

For a little bit of background, I (primarily) read up various Mantak Chia and Falun Dafa materials during high school and did some minimal practices (some basic Iron Shirt stuff and also the Falun Gong exercises). None of my practices over the years have ever gotten very serious for a number of reasons (lack of focus, time, interest, etc.), but I'd really like to start again and find something that I can stick with.

 

In the last couple of months, I've done further reading on a number of arts (internal and external) and finally picked up a book about zhan zhuang (called The Way of Energy, which I presume some if not many of you are already familiar with) and have begun practicing that. I'm only up to about 10 minutes per day of the introductory stance, but I'm trying to keep things simple and easy so that I actually stick with this practice.

 

Additionally, I've found the website for an instructor of Yiquan here in Chicago. He is the student of a Master Yao Chengguang (http://www.yiquannet.com/) in China. Is anyone familiar with this sifu? If anyone recalls my introductory post from several years back, my primary focus is on internal cultivation and health, but some lingering interest in martial applications still exist, so yiquan seems like a good fit from that POV.

 

Any thoughts or advice?

 

Thanks,

 

Seeking Silence

Edited May 29, 2011 by SeekingSilence

[ChiDragon]

zhan zhuang is a standing form of Chi Kung. There is no movement in the form but breathing is a very significant factor. To practice it is by standing with the knees bent at some angle. The lower the angle of the knees that can be bent which shows the progression of the practice. While standing, the hands are held in the air forming a circle as like you were holding a barrel.

 

Yiquan is a form of exercise in moving the body freely and comfortably in high concentration with the mind.

[SeekingSilence]

zhan zhuang is a standing form of Chi Kung. There is no movement in the form but breathing is a very significant factor. To practice it is by standing with the knees bent at some angle. The lower the angle of the knees that can be bent which shows the progression of the practice. While standing, the hands are held in the air forming a circle as like you were holding a barrel.

 

Yiquan is a form of exercise in moving the body freely and comfortably in high concentration with the mind.

 

Forgive me, ChiDragon. I had been under the impression that yiquan used some zhan zhuang stances as a portion of their training. I guess I had been misinformed.

 

Thank you for the clarification!