Zhan Zhuang: The Art of Standing Like a Tree

I’m going to explain what Zhan Zhuang is and why it’s so important in Tai Chi.

I’ve been doing Zhan Zhuang (ZZ) every day for the last 365+ days. If I don’t do it, my day feels incomplete. I can skip Tai Chi but I never skip ZZ.

ZZ is standing meditation. It’s also a type of Qigong.

Qigong is like Chinese yoga. It’s movement, breathing, and intention to mobilise chi.

Not all Qigong is Tai Chi, but all Tai Chi has Qigong in it. Tai Chi is like applied Qigong.

The aim of ZZ is to sink your chi to your dantian, an inch below your navel. Doing this builds internal energy and brings many health benefits.

What ZZ Builds

ZZ builds leg strength, endurance, and structure. Tai Chi makes that structure move.

ZZ is meditation in stillness. Tai Chi is meditation in motion. Doing both ties stillness and motion together.

ZZ teaches you how to stand. Tai Chi teaches you how to walk.

ZZ builds internal awareness. Tai Chi tests if you can keep that awareness while moving.

ZZ makes you stable. Tai Chi makes you adaptable.

What Happens If You Only Do One?

Only ZZ: Strong legs, rooted stance, calm mind. But you stay rigid.

Only Tai Chi: Flow, coordination, balance. But weak structure.

Both: ZZ gives you the engine, Tai Chi puts it on the road. Stillness and motion complete each other.

My Qigong

The Qigong I do is 8 static postures that resemble key Tai Chi postures. All Tai Chi postures can be linked back to these.

On the outside they look static. On the inside there’s a whole universe of movement. Motion in stillness.

Tai Chi is the opposite. Stillness in motion.

Wuji Posture

The first and last posture is called Wuji.

Wuji Checklist

• Feet shoulder-width, weight slightly to balls
• Legs straight but not locked
• Hands on thighs
• Pelvis neutral
• Shoulders relaxed
• Crown lifted, chin tucked
• Eyes soft, gaze forward
• Breathe naturally

Going Deeper

As you transition to the next posture, you bend your knees. The lower you go, the harder it is. Even fit people who’ve never done this will struggle if they go too low. Depth isn’t the aim.

Go to a level you’re comfortable with since you’ll be holding it till the end.

As your knees bend your hands come up like you’re hugging a tree. When your hands rise your shoulders usually rise too. Relax your shoulders to bring them down.

Your tailbone sits as if on an imaginary stool. Weight stays equal in both feet. Knees push slightly outwards.

Look out into the distance. Outside on a calm day is best. Keep your gaze soft while your mind rests on the dantian.

Breathe naturally, belly breathing toward the dantian. Keep your attention there.

If you start shaking, that’s normal. If it gets too much, come up higher.

Learning ZZ

Instructions sound simple. Pictures of ZZ don’t look complicated. The hard part is knowing if you’re in the right position. You need someone to correct your posture.

Even when it looks right, you need someone to test if your structure is stable. You need someone to gently push you.

You can learn the shape of ZZ online, but the subtleties, the corrections, the feeling of relaxed strength only come in person with a teacher.

Start online if you must but find a teacher when you can. One correction can save months of mistakes.

ZZ: the art of standing like a tree.

Written 5th September 2025