I've been interested in the concept of being "one" with nature (or the Universe) since the early Seventies. I was first inspired by the Kung-Fu TV show -- fascinated by the "flashbacks" and the morality and philosophy of the Shaolin monks. 

"Standing," as it is often called, is the most important exercise in Taijiquan. It's also known as Zhan Zhuang. Translated from Mandarin, that means "standing like a post." 

When Nancy and I moved into our new home a month ago, I found an ideal spot for Standing Stake. It's in a corner of my deck, surrounded by trees with a deep yard below. Yesterday morning, a young buck was at the edge of the yard below, eating leaves from low-hanging trees. His antlers were pretty short. He stopped to stare at me for a moment, wondering if I was friend or foe, then lost interest and began munching again. On the tree a few feet away, a chipmunk ran up and down.

It's not difficult to feel "one" with nature here.

Standing Stake is useful for a lot of reasons. I use it as a way of maintaining my center with all of the things going on in life -- moving a month ago, work, sometimes uncertain health issues -- Standing is an excellent way to return to a connected state and then try to maintain that feeling throughout the day.

Many benefits have been attributed to qigong. Many are unfounded in real science. In my experience, Standing and other qigong exercises help you manage stress and center yourself in a hectic world. If you manage stress, you help your body function and heal better.

There are other, more martial applications -- the strengthening of the legs, development of root as you learn to sink the energy, development of peng jin, and more.

To be an outstanding internal artist, a small part of each day should be devoted to Standing and qigong. It doesn't have to be a long period -- sometimes five minutes is plenty -- but hopefully you can find time each day to maintain your center. The location isn't important. The corner of a bedroom will do just fine. The important thing is to invest the time.

It's an investment in yourself.

I began practicing qigong in 1987, after being introduced to the practice by Sifu Phillip Starr. In 1998, I began studying with Jim and Angela Criscimagna, and they introduced me to Standing Stake.