Neutral Balance Standing Meditation based on Tai Chi Principles

The angst of an imbalanced physical body can play a key role in stress and anxiety. The skeleton was designed to hold posture and form. Balance can be achieved by guiding the free floating upper body onto the solid foundation of the grounded lower body. Overworked muscles and anxious nerves feel supported by a calm, neutral spine. The body and soul become aware and energised by listening to subconscious cues that can guide healing.

Start by standing with your feet shoulder width apart. Press both feet and all of your toes solidly into the ground. Feel the force of gravity connecting to all the pressure points at the bottom of your feet.

Gently bounce your legs up and down as if your leg muscles are bungee cords with springs. Move softly to loosen and open the ankles and knees.

Sway your salsa hips side to side in a figure 8 formation. As you bounce and sway, drop deeper into your knees. Feel the gluts activating as the rhythm of the entire lower body is smooth and grounded.

Place the open palm – of whichever hand you naturally choose – just below the belly button. Feel your core muscles following the bouncing and swaying through the hips, the knees and the ankles. 

Sense the response of gravity to your feet pushing into the ground, and let the power of the gravity rise up through your legs to the lower dan tien energy center located under your open hand.

Raise your arms, and bring one arm at a time behind your body – like swimming the backstroke in the ocean. Encourage the torso to softly follow the rotation of each stroke. Imagine any tension along the spine releasing into the ocean as you swim. Notice the upper body and the spine now pivoting freely over the grounded lower body. 

Bring your hands to your side.

Take a deep abdominal breath. Inhale to inflate the balloon of the diaphragm and to expand your lower ribs. Exhale through your mouth, pushing air out of your lungs.

Now inhale deeply to open your lower ribs, and challenge the front and back of the upper ribs to expand, as you lean the chest slightly upward and forward. Feel the tension of the trapezius muscle in the back of the neck and shoulders resist the lean forward. 

Exhale, and let your neck relax, as the shoulders drop and the head finds a comfortable and balanced position supported by the relaxed spine and upper body. 

Drop into your gluts to stretch and lengthen the spine. Engage the core by bringing your pelvis forward. Gently rock forward and backward, bounce and sway until the entire skeleton is in a calm, neutral position. 

The sensory nervous system is becoming acutely aware:

– of the position of the neutral body in its surrounding atmosphere, 

– of the subconscious messages from the waves of the ocean, 

– and of gravity’s connection to the strength of the earth. 

The power in your lower dan tien is being charged from an infinite source of universal energy.

Inhale quietly thru the nose, feeling the breath lift the chest. Guide the air along the front of the forward leaning body, sending oxygen to all the muscles from head to toe. Exhale slowly from the mouth to expel the negative energy from any stress points that the subconscious finds. Continue to inhale calm and exhale anxiety.