Long before the treadmill was ever invented a stationary exercise was discovered by the Chinese over 2700 years ago that helped people lose weight and strengthen not only their body, but also their mind from the inside out. Instilled in this exercise are philosophies perfected through thousands of years of cultural and spiritual evolution.

Taoist sages discovered that the secret to health did not lie from external sources or physical exertion but grew from within, when the body was stilled. Like a tree, in stillness one’s body flourished from the inside out, became strong and healthy and in harmony with nature bringing the disbalances within the practitioners body back to a state of childlike serenity, where agility, health and peace of mind are a native phenomenon.

Through years of extensive research, the old masters discovered that the body and mind were akin to a midnight lake reflecting the soft glow of the moonlight. When one’s body was not calm, the trembling surface of the lake distorted the image of the moon, but when one stilled the mind the body and mind gained a perfect reflection of the heavens, still and strong.

One of the main problems with exercise and health today, and really just the same as with most other aspects in our lives; by the time we realize our habits are beginning to affect us negatively, it is often already too late to do anything about it. People smoke every day, and then get cancer. Drink alcohol and have their liver fail, or in our case, lead an unbalanced life with a bad diet and well… get FAT. Now, being fat really wouldn’t be that much of an issue if that’s all it was. Unfortunately being overweight is a state of disbalance which causes a lot of internal problems; motor problems, muscle problems, organ problems, nervous problems… And by the time all these things kick in enough that we start to take notice, most of the exercise regiments online or at the local gym are simple too demanding on your body to undertake regularly. Often they just simply hurt too much to do because your body has become so weak.

This is where the Western exercise regimes find their limits.

So today, I’m going to share this ancient exercise with you and I can guarantee you, that if you do this every day for just 30 to 60 minutes a day. Your health will come back, your body will become strong, your skin clear, your mind calm. Your dietary needs will change on their own from the inside out as if someone changed your configuration from within and you will lose weight.

The name of the exercise is called Post Standing or Zhang Zhuang and this is how to do it:

What you need:

Performing this exercise outside is preferred, but if you feel uncomfortable a well ventilated room will suffice.

Wear loose fitting clothes.

What to do:

– Stand up right, keep your spine straight

– Legs shoulder width apart.

– Keep your chin parallel to the ground

– Relax your shoulders

– Bend your knees so when you look down naturally your toes are obscured from the view

– Raise both your hands in front of you at chest high (just below your throat) and spread your fingers as if you were holding on to a big barrel or inflatable beach ball pressing against your chest

– Calm your breathing and concentrate on your belly button

Duration 30 – 60 Mins.

Things to expect:

– You may experience pain in areas where you have problems as your body tries to clear and rebalance itself from the inside out.

– Your legs, hands, body may start to tremble.

– You may heat up and start to sweat.

– Your heart rate may increase.

– You may feel cold, warm, tingling sensations.

All these symptoms are indications that your body is beginning to clear blockages and rebalances itself from the inside out. If you practice regularly, you will notice you will begin to feel better, calmer, want to eat and sleep less, have more energy, enjoy sex more, and be less hateful, jealous and angry.

As you still your mind like the water of the evening lake the moons reflection will become perfect. In the same way your body will become perfect from the inside out and your ailments will disappear. You need not move, just stand still and this ancient exercise will take care of you. From nothing emerges everything and from the stillness of Zhan Zhuang practice, thus will health come forth in your life.

Millions of people all over the world practice this exercise daily, from monks in temples to business men in billion dollar corporations. They have all alike found the powerful effects of post standing on a daily basis. Post Standing is the basis in 100s of forms of Kung Fu and is considered the pillar of strength, longevity and an integral component of spiritual cultivation.

Info Bite: Li Ching Yuen the oldest man to have ever lived who died at the age of 256 practiced a variation of these same forms of exercises.

It may seem odd that standing still can be considered an exercise, much less an activity that can actually help you lose weight or rejuvenate your health, but trust me… you will feel it when you do the work. I know a lot of people who can’t hold the pose for 5 minutes before they start panting and buckle under the strain. It is not magic, these exercises have been refined for thousands of years and have been practiced for just as long in the east. The west is merely now beginning to scratch the surface and explore these chapters of the eastern medical history.

At first you may yourself have difficulty holding it for a long time. Start with 5 minutes, then as your endurance increases move on to 10, 15, 30 – 60 minutes per day.

Some of you reading this may try it once or twice, but those who make a habit of it from this day onwards, will remember this article as something that changed their life forever.

For more information on similar health practices research the words: Qi Gong and Tai Chi.

I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors and hope that this has been a pleasant read.