Energy Postures

One of baguas most important foundation practices involves holding your arms in a static
position while straight-line walking or Circle Walking. As you walk and change direction,
your arms remain fixed in space relative to your body. Each posture is designed to develop
the eight energy bodies in very specific ways. Practice of energy postures prepares you for
doing the more dynamic moving practices of bagua, such as the Single Palm Changei.
Many dozens of bagua energy postures are widely practiced within various bagua schools. All
derive from a complete system of two hundred bagua energy postures, which was developed
within the Taoist monastic tradition. Each posture opens up specific energy lines at many
different levels within the body.
All bagua energy postures are designed to serve three primary purposes:

Physically open and strengthen specific areas of the middle or upper body.
Seamlessly open, connect and integrate different parts of the arms with all parts of the
torso, spine, head, waist, hips and legs.
For intermediatesconnect specific energy channels and flows within the physical
and etheric energy bodies and, in more advanced practices, your other energy bodies
as well.

Circle walking: Energy posture 01

Posturei 1 opens and stretches the whole body out to the
extremities, releasing many of the internal contractions within
the body. Not only do you want to feel your palms pressing
upward and projecting out from the fingers, but you also want
to feel your arms pressing equally in all directions, up, down,
backwards, and forwards.

Circle walking: Energy posture 02

Posturei 2 focuses on encasing the energy of the body in the
lower tantien. It causes a strong wrapping from the back to the
front of the torso, as well as within the arms, which works to
remove many of the lateral constrictions in the body.

Circle walking: Energy posture 03

Posturei 3 strongly energizes the liver and spleen as well as
the side of the hand. This posture is posture can help to
strengthen the part of the hand that is used in martial arts chop
attacks.

Circle walking: Energy posture 04

Posturei 4 brings the arms up to the area of the heart and is
used for opening the heart. This posture can be done with the
palms facing towards the body or away from the body, it can
also be used to practice twisting by twisting the arms and
rotating the palms from a position that faces the body to a
position that faces outwards.

Circle walking: Energy posture 05

This posture brings the arms up to the level of the throat or
neck. It works to balance, strengthen and express the energy
of the left and right channels as well as to energize the upper
burner of the body.

Circle walking: Energy posture 06

This posture furthers the energetics of posture 5 and starts the
process of the left and right channels to connect above the
etheric bodyi. It energizes the brain specifically, as well as the
rest of the upper burner.

Circle walking: Energy posture 07

Whereas the previous 2 postures focus on the upper body, the
7th posture balances this by bringing the energy out of the
upper part of the body and into the lower. It projects down
into the earth, helping to stabilize and strengthen the lower
burner and the legs.

Circle walking: Energy posture 08

Whereas the first 7 energy postures focus on the front and
sides, posture 8 brings the energy to the back of the body. The
shoulders and shoulder blades must remain relaxed and the
palms press backwards. The palms connect with the kidneys,
as this posture energizes the lower back and kidneys
specifically.

Circle walking: Energy posture 09

In posture 9, if you havent already, you are turning to face
closer to the center of the circle. Your arms are holding an
invisible sphere, and this sphere expands through your body in
all directions, including your back. In this posture, you switch
hands when changing directions and do your best to maintain
the sphere.

Circle walking: Energy posture 10

Posturei 10 is very similar to the physical structure of posture
9, but your arms have twisted outward and palms are pressing
away from the body. The martial applications for postures 9
and 10, as well as the transition between them, are numerous.

Circle walking: Energy posture 11

Posturei 11 is sometimes affectionately called The union of
Heaven and Earth because you are integrating many different
vectors and energetic flows within the body. Twisting,
turning, projecting in many different directions while staying
connected. This posture develops many martial techniques
associated with fighting multiple opponents.

Circle walking: Energy posture 12

This posture really stretches the body both backwards,
forwards, and across the chest. One hand has five fingers
touching in the back, which increases the stretch. In chinese
medicine, each of the 5 fingers corresponds to specific organs,
and the act of bringing them all together helps to integrate the
energies of the organs.