What is "Hands Floating on Water"

[BeiKongHui]

Thanks!

I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet, strange, I am ungrateful to these teachers.
--Khalil Gibran

[honorisc]

Likely a description of how the hands shouldb. be in a body of water. Put your hands on top. Don't push down. Don't lift-up. This is how your hands should be, whatever you observe at the water body~

Very some such, perhaps might have been, likely say some, some not.

[BeiKongHui]

Is anyone familiar with the Qigong posture "Hands floating on Water"?

I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet, strange, I am ungrateful to these teachers.
--Khalil Gibran

[monkey mind]

I don't know it as a "qigong" posture as such, but when I studied Bagua, Hands Floating on Water was the second of the inner palms we learned (i.e., a posture held while walking the circle): back straight, hips tucked, eyes gazing straight ahead, arms slightly forward, down and out, hands near waist level with palms facing down. As mentioned above, the sense is neither that of sinking (as in the first inner palm) nor of rising (the third inner palm) but of effortless floating. Hope this helps.

[PlasticSquirrel]

i think i know what you are talking about, beikong. i think i even know the posture you are referring to (from zhan zhuang). whether i know the posture is inconsequential, though, because if i know the concept and share it with you, then you will understand the posture.

the hands rest in the air, with the intention that they are floating on water. this intention sends qi to the areas that you would need it at if you actually had your hands floating in water. in this way, your hands are efficient in the way that they need to be in order to rest in the air. regardless of the intention and the gentler use of the muscles, your muscles are still contracted slightly, which helps to stimulate qi in the dantian and guide it into the areas where contractions are. this trains muscle endurance, the mind, qi flow to the extremities, as well as does the general things associated with qi flow, such as widening and clearing the meridians in your arms and hands.

if it is the posture that i am thinking of (from zhan zhuang), it is a very demanding one, and you should practice it quite often in order to make increase in the general endurance of your arms.

in order to reach your extremities more efficiently, it might be advisable to practice reverse (daoist) abdominal breathing. it is a more challenging type of breathing that should not be attempted with only the instruction of this post, much less when a student has not taken full advantage of his normal abdominal breathing techniques. if you have, though, and you know how to practice reverse abdominal breathing, then i would recommend that. it has great effects on the bubbling well cavities as well, and will naturally help you to stand longer and build your root.

of course, normal abdominal breathing can do these things also, and it actually excells in several ways (localization of qi in the internal, torso region, conserving qi in the dantian, and it's natural relaxing properties to name a few).

[BeiKongHui]

Thank you for a very clear no BS answer that even I can understand!