Ba Gua-Walking Meditation


  

    Walking meditation is based on the Taoist practise of Ba Gua Zhang, which is   referred to as the  elder brother to Tai Chi. Ba Gua is  the physical manifestation of the I-Ching (Book of Changes) and an  aerobic exercise that involves precise footwork whilst walking in a circle.

The Taoist Monastic Tradition

   The Taoist Ba Gua Monastic Tradition has nothing to do with martial arts but with developing a healthy body and still mind. This is acheived by unifying the movement of mind, blood, nerves, breath and sinking of chi.

 

 1)  Health - Through a combination of correct alignments and torque you can gradually open up the body, this is ultimately achieved by releasing the nervous system. As the body becomes more unified, the legs and arms become fully connected to the spine and the body moves as one unit. This develops good chi circulation and allows you to become healthy and strong enough to do the meditative practices.

2)  Meditation – By having good chi circulation this allows the development of a still mind. The ability to remain present, as a result of a still mind, gives you the opportunity to be aware how the energies of the I-Ching are connected within you.

   If your body, chi or mind is bound this creates inertia, which stops you from moving freely and smoothly. By softening the body, developing good chi circulation and calming the mind you can overcome the effects of inertia and develop spontenaity.

Practicing  Ba Gua

   The foundation of Ba Gua is precise footwork.  It’s the walking that opens up the inside of your body by getting the soft tissues to lengthen, connecting the legs to the spine, enhancing the flow of fluids, developing the chi of the legs and smoothing out your nervous system.

   As your nervous system starts to calm the speed that you walk can be increased. Along with rapid changes in direction, whilst walking, you can get your nervous system to become smoother and your mind calmer.
  
    As you become stable in the walking you place your arms in static postures, which are held at various heights. This along with the walking unifies the body. Initially the postures are held through muscular connections but as your body becomes more unified, your nervous system relaxes and the chi then fills and holds the postures. The arms become softer the mind calmer.

   The walking and the static arm postures need to become stabilized before doing the palm changes. These palm changes are  complex and develop distinct circular and spherical movement, there is also a greater tendency to agitate that which is stuck within you whilst practicing the palm changes. The palm changes further the process of opening up your body and mind.     

 

 

 

''With its incremental and fundamental details with postures and walking Ba Gua allows me  to experience my body in a different way. I find it helps keep me balanced, physically and energetically, plus the awareness of the body means I can adjust aspects during everyday life. I enjoy the slow sense of acheivement.''

Penny Jenkins