Zhan Zhuang Geezer

Disclaimer: I am not a teacher, nor have I had a teacher, nor do I think I am an expert. I have practiced for 2.5 years so I know enough to give pointers on how to get started. The simplest position is with arms relaxed and hands by your side but not touching. This position is called and is also the starting position for tai chi. The advantage is that the arms and shoulders are not as stressed. Does not matter if you can only hold the pose for 30 seconds. Form is not important at first. Practice a few times a day until you can hold it for 5 minutes. Then do it once or twice a day for 5 minutes, paying more attention to form: Feet hip width apart. Knees slightly bent but not so much that you cannot see your toes. Back straight. Shoulders slightly rounded. Neck straight. Chin slightly tucked. Breathe through the nose with the tip of the tongue resting where the front teeth meet the palate. Belly expands as you inhale and deflates as you exhale. Do not strain. Expec...

I started daily practice in April, 2018. 6 poses, 2 minutes in each pose. It was difficult for the first 2-3 weeks. Then overnight I went from struggling to hold poses for 2 minutes to able to maintain each pose for 5 minutes. It wasn't easy but it wasn't as hard as 2 minutes in each pose the day before. I read that such overnight differences are typical. I do not know how that happens. In the Fall of 2018 I had bronchitis and the flu, which set my progress back. In February of 2019 I had a flare up of inflammatory arthritis which also set me back, especially my balance. My balance was also affected by a bunion that cropped up on my left toe in January. No longer could I close my eyes without getting wobbly. There probably were side effects of the methotrexate I took for the inflammatory arthritis. In May of 2020 I stopped taking the methotrexate. For 2 months, mid-March until mid-May I did not go outside. I gained some weight which also affected my practice. ...

I am grateful to all these channels. I have starred the ones which are particularly good for beginners (which does not mean that is all they are good for). Shi Heng Yi Online *Qi Gong with Kseny *Andrew Plitt Mark Cohen Discover Taiji Minus The Gym Redefining Strength *Holden Qigong *Master Daniel Lee- Tai Chi & Qigong *Mimi Kuo-Deemer KungFu.Life Andrzej Kalisz

I do not understand much about how zhan zhuang works. I have read two books on it - The Way Of Energy (Lam Kam Chuen) and Inside Zhan Zhuang (Mark Cohen). I have also had an hour Skype lesson from Mark Cohen in January, 2020, and have been following his advice since then. Essentially I self-train. None of what I write should be attributed to Mark Cohen or Lam Kam Chuen. I started practicing in October, 2017. At first just the first two positions (wu chi, hold the ball) in The Way Of Energy. I practiced off and on for 3 months, then not at all for 3 months, and then daily practice beginning in April, 2018, and have continued daily practice ever since. I am writing this 30 months later, so I am still a novice. I turned 74 this month. I am 6'2" (188cm) and 190 lbs (86kg). In August my doctor pronounced me "in excellent health, especially for my age." I have had episodes of inflammatory arthritis, the most recent in 2019, but it is more or less in remiss...