Zhan Zhuang

The standing/breathing exercise that is used to begin and end Journey to Heaven is a ch'i kung exercise itself, called Zhan Zhuang (pronounced jahn jawng, meaning "standing like a tree") which can be practised twice daily to benefit relaxation, stress release, muscle strength and bone density, blood circulation and oxygen use, ch'i flow and volume.

The body is stacked shoulders over hips over heels, weight centered over the sole of the foot, opening Bubbling Well and Crown point; the tailbone is dropped and chin pulled in to lengthen spine; and attention is kept solely on filling the body with breath and ch'i, and keeping muscles relaxed. As we increase the time standing to 15 minutes or more, the arm position is changed to elicit increased movement and volume of ch'i flow.