Stress and fatigue are significant factors that negatively impact our daily lives and overall health. Left unchecked, these physical and emotional states can contribute to a wide range of health issues such as chronic pain, sleep disorders, immune disorders, obesity, and heart disease. Meditation, originating from ancient practices, has been known to provide relief from such negative effects, as it induces a sense of calm and focus. While meditation can even positively alter genetic expression, one particular method, taught by Taoist Monk Yunrou, provides a revitalizing effect on both mind and body.
How to begin
To practice this simple standing meditation, stand with your legs a little more than shoulder width apart and with feet flat on the floor. Men should place their right hand over their navel and the left hand over the right hand. Women should do the opposite: place the left hand over their navel and the right hand over the left hand.
From this position, relax your body from the top of your head (crown point) all the way down to the soles of your feet. Close your eyes, exhale, and relax. Place your tongue comfortably on the roof of your mouth behind your front teeth, and breathe only through your nose.
Two variations to practice this meditation
- Focus on relaxing so much that you are on the edge of falling down. This approach will lead to a de-stressed and relaxed body while improving circulation and allowing the mind to rest.
- Concentrate only on your breathing, which will divert your attention away from the stress of life and the tiredness of the body.
In either case, don’t prioritize banishing your thoughts because it will be difficult to do so initially. Moreover, the thought of banishing thoughts is itself a thought! This meditation method emphasizes energizing and rejuvenating the mind and body rather than mindfulness and spiritual transcendence.
Step by step relaxation
With your eyes closed, allow your mind and body to relax fully. Visualize that from the middle of the ball of each foot, a little rootlet sprouts like you might see emerging from a seed taking root in the ground. With every exhale, imagine those little roots growing downward. Picture them passing through each floor of the building you are in and diving deeper and deeper into the earth, all the way to its bubbling, molten center.
As you inhale, imagine drawing energy from the earth and into your body, just as plant roots absorb energy. As you exhale, let go of stress by directing it downwards, creating a flow in which each breath cycle takes away the bad and brings in the new.
While doing this visualization, imagine the roots not only growing deeper but also expanding wider beneath you, creating an extensive network. Over time, picture this network becoming so vast and deep that you feel as if you are a small button on top of it. In this state, even a bulldozer would not be able to remove you because your root system is so vast and powerful.
Breathe and relax. Visualize energy coming up from the ground and relaxation flowing downwards. Engage in this exercise for five or ten minutes per session or up to 30 minutes if you can. Practicing this standing meditation regularly will rejuvenate and energize you, enabling you to maintain a refreshed state throughout each day.
