The Power of Stillness: Tai Chi standing practice

The last few times, I talked about the strength and rootedness of Tai Chi, as well as its softness and ability to yield. Today, I’d like to bring these two qualities together through the practice of Tai Chi standing. This is also called Zhan Zhuang — though different teachers and styles of Tai Chi may emphasise different aspects of it.

Standing practice is where these two forces — strength and softness — meet. It’s the still point between movement and rest, where you begin to feel both stability and openness at once.

When most people think of Tai Chi, they picture slow, graceful movements flowing one into the next. But behind every movement is stillness — and one of the most profound ways to experience that is through Tai Chi standing, or Zhan Zhuang (pronounced “Jan Jhuang”).

At first glance, it looks like “doing nothing.” You simply stand upright, knees soft, arms gently rounded as if holding a large ball in front of your chest. But the longer you stand, the more you discover that stillness in Tai Chi is far from empty — it’s alive with awareness.

When you practise standing, you realign your body in a natural way. The muscles release unnecessary tension, the joints open and soften, and the breath deepens. Gradually, you begin to feel a quiet, grounded strength throughout your body — a deep sense of connectedness.

This is Tai Chi from the inside out. Instead of moving to find balance and strength, you are discovering the strength, balance, and stability that already exist within you.

Tai Chi standing is often called standing meditation. Because of my background and interest in mindfulness, I like to weave in aspects of mindfulness during this practice. Through standing, we develop qualities of the mind — flexible attention, concentration, sensory clarity, and openness to our moment-to-moment experience.

Many people notice that standing practice improves posture, focus, and energy. But its real gift goes beyond the physical, it cultivates patience, stillness, and presence. In a world that’s always rushing, learning to stand still restores something essential, the ability to quiet the body and calm the racing mind.

In class, I often begin sessions with a few minutes of standing. In my online course, I guide you step by step through how to find this posture, release tension safely, and sense the subtle energy flow that builds from within.

Standing is where Tai Chi begins and, in many ways, where it ends - The stillness that gives birth to movement, and the movement that returns to stillness. Next time you’re in class, notice the pause at the beginning and at the end when we do the form.

Take a few moments today: notice your posture. If you’re standing, stand tall; if you’re sitting, sit upright. Gently readjust your posture, bring your body into alignment, relax your shoulders, breathe, and simply notice how you hold yourself. That’s the gift of Tai Chi — teaching us to be more present with our body, and to embody it with both strength and tranquillity.