Training Wednesday - Phase 1 Halfway Mark

I'm halfway through my first phase of Zhan Zhuang training and so far it has been beneficial to my body and spirit. But obviously, the martial arts journey is not easy and the last couple of weeks have certainly been a rough but interesting start.

Phase one of training consists of 5 minutes of Wu Chi, which literally involves standing as still as a tree, followed by Holding the Balloon, also for a 5 minute interval, for a total of 10 minutes of training. While it doesn't sound terrific by martial arts standards, especially if you're used to more dynamic arts, the action of standing completely still AND maintaining a state of physical and mental relaxation is work.