By
[http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Elizabeth_Reninger/24043] Elizabeth Reninger
Here's a wonderful ~ simple & powerful ~ Taoist
meditation practice, which can be done either outside (in a beautiful natural
setting is best!), or indoors. It's similar in many ways to Buddhist Shamata
sitting meditation practice, but ~ and hence the name! ~ you're standing. (So,
for one, it's less likely that you'll fall asleep ... J)
Begin by standing with your feet parallel and about
shoulder-width apart. Take a couple of deep long breaths, saying
"aaah" (either out loud or to yourself) with the exhales. Let go of
any tension you find in your shoulders, neck or face ~ simply let it
"melt" away, with the exhale ... as though that tension were a frozen
river, being touched now by a warm sun, and flowing downward, like the gentle
cascade of a waterfall, forming pools at your feet. Feel your energy, your
awareness, settling into your feet & legs & hips & belly,
connecting you strongly to the earth. Bend your knees just slightly ~ just
enough to feel a softness at the backs of your knees.
