Profile: CloudSurfer44

This is incredibly inspiring. I've been practicing Tai Chi for a year but have only dabbled in Zhan Zhuang. The distinction you make between it and mechanical exercises like weightlifting is a revelation. It makes perfect sense.

My question is, for a beginner, is it better to focus on the physical alignment first—making sure the posture is correct—or should we try to focus on the mental/energy aspects like 'sinking the Qi' and 'mental calmness' from the very beginning? I sometimes find myself torn between correcting my knee position and trying to quiet my mind.

Hah! I love this. I can just imagine my neighbor's face if he saw me doing this in the garage. "Hey Bob, what are you doing?" "Oh, just preventing a heart attack, be with you in a second!" All joking aside, I tried it a few times against a support pillar. You're right—the exhalation is key. The first time I forgot to breathe out properly and just kind of grunted against the wall. Not pleasant.

The second time, with a proper "HE!", it felt completely different—powerful and clearing. I'm not sure I'm ready to announce my practice to the whole neighborhood yet, but I'll definitely be exploring this more. Thanks for the great post