The ancient Taoist traditions of Qi Gong,
Tai Chi,
And Yi Quan have much to contribute to the practice of somatic meditation.
This standing meditation draws on these Chinese teachings and it starts with the principles of alignment,
Relaxation,
And allowing the breath to maintain natural mobility of the body.
Then we incorporate arm movement to support the breathing pattern and the natural mobility of the body.
Remember that somatic meditation when standing is more physically difficult than when seated,
So I recommend you follow my guided seated instructions first if you've not already and build your standing practice time slowly.
Somatic meditation is based on paying attention to your body in a kind and gentle manner.
Be in a peaceful setting or you won't be disturbed during this time.
Make sure your temperature is okay and that your clothing is loose and comfortable.
Stand with your feet parallel,
Hip width apart,
With your arms at your sides and your palms slightly angled to the rear.
Legs almost straight 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,
Your tongue lightly touching the roof of your mouth,
Just behind your upper teeth.
As you incorporate arm movement into your standing,
Allow the movements to be slow and fluid,
Like swimming languidly in air.
Breath and movement should be so closely connected that it's unclear whether your arms are helping you breathe or your breath is helping you move your arms.
And use all of this to help draw your attention into the present moment.
So as you lengthen and soften your breath now,
Feel and relax the left side of your body from the inside out.
From the crown of the head all the way down through the soles of your feet.
And then feel and relax down the right side.
Again,
Gently allowing the body to melt down from the crown of the head down the neck,
Shoulders,
Relaxing the right arm down through the right leg all the way to the right foot.
And breathe and relax down the midline of the body,
Feeling and releasing from the crown of the head through the neck,
Chest,
Abdomen,
Pelvic bowl,
And down your legs.
As you inhale,
Imagine your skeleton extending towards the heavens.
And as you exhale,
Allow the soft tissue of your body to melt down.
Now gently supporting your exhale with the contraction of your stomach muscles,
Lengthening the exhale and squeezing all the air out.
Allow your whole body to move gently with the motion of the breath and the contraction of your stomach muscles.
On the inhale,
Arching your spine slightly,
Shifting your balance slightly to your toes,
And allow your arms and palms to rotate out to face forward as the chest fills.
Exhaling and reversing the motion,
Shifting your weight slightly to your heels,
Rounding your back as you contract your stomach muscles at the end of the breath,
And your arms naturally rotating so the palms face the rear.
Explore this gentle motion through the whole body as you breathe fully through several cycles.
Make the motion as large as you can without straining,
And then allow it to be as large or as small as feels right.
And now,
Keeping your weight in the center of your feet,
And make the motion primarily with your pelvis.
Exhale,
Supported by your abdominal muscles,
And tuck the tail under.
Inhale,
Lightly pushing out the lower abdomen and arching the back with your pelvic motion,
Allowing the arms to continue to rotate in sync with your breath and movement.
Make the motion as large as you can without straining,
Taking your pelvis through the full range of motion with the breath,
And allowing your arms to be free as well.
And now,
Allowing the motion to be large or as small as feels right,
And just breathe fully for a few more cycles.
Gently coming to neutral now,
Ceasing all effort,
Simply allowing the breath to be however it is,
And your body to move however it does,
Life moving through you as it is in this moment,
Surrendering to the open and spacious ground of pure awareness,
Allowing your experience to flow freely,
And resting your awareness at the very point where experience arises and dissipates,
Stepping back and allowing the flow to occur,
Aware,
But no longer needing to be involved.
And as you're ready,
Taking some deeper breaths now,
Using your breath to move your body more as you gently return,
Thanking yourself for taking this time,
And coming gently back to your day now,
Enjoying how you're feeling.
And after a session of standing meditation,
It's always a good idea to walk around a little bit,
And just allow yourself to move freely.
